Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • 2013-02-06 Astronaut Tim Peake visits SAS

    2013-02-06 Astronaut Tim Peake visits SAS

    Over 150 of us enjoyed a great talk in Sheffield University’s magnificent Firth Hall from the first British ESA astronaut, Tim Peake. He told us about the life and the tough training of an astronaut and how the future of manned space exploration may develop. Several schools and student groups attended and we all learned…

  • 2013-01-17 Lydgate Junior School

    2013-01-17 Lydgate Junior School

    We were invited to Lydgate Junior school to present “An Evening of Astronomy” which was a great success, with around 120 children and adults listening to a series of talks, playing with our Mars Rover and taking away lots of freebies to inspire them to find out more about astronomy and space.

  • 2013-01-12 Stargazing Live at Mayfield

    2013-01-12 Stargazing Live at Mayfield

    Our Stargazing Live event was a great success despite a mainly cloudy sky.  Over 120 people enjoyed a series of interesting talks, looked at our impressive displays and chatted to our knowledgeable astronomers.  A few even managed to see Jupiter and its moons before the clouds rolled in.  A great evening.

  • 2012-09-22 International Observe the Moon Night

    2012-09-22 International Observe the Moon Night

    A clear sky brought many people to Mayfield to see the Moon through many different types of telescope.  They were also able to learn more about the Moon, space missions associated with it and why Neil Armstrong was the first human to set foot on the Moon.

  • 2012-07-29 Castleton – National Parks Week Event

    2012-07-29 Castleton – National Parks Week Event

    We travelled to Castleton in the Peak District to take part in a Sungazing-style event as part of the National Parks Week celebrations.  Many visitors to the town stopped to view the Sun through our telescopes and they all learned a little bit more about our closest star.

  • 2012-07-14 Sungazing

    2012-07-14 Sungazing

    This image of the Sun was taken by SAS member Chris Walker in one of the few fleeting gaps in the clouds on an otherwise grey and sometimes drizzly Sungazing Live event.  The image is made more impressive by the fact that it was taken using a mobile phone held up to the telescope eyepiece.…

  • 2012-07-07 Walkley Festival

    2012-07-07 Walkley Festival

    Despite some heavy showers (look at the sky in the background!), the Sun was seen by many enthusiastic visitors who were treated to some excellent talks in the bowling pavilion at the end of the afternoon.

  • 2012-06-06 Venus Transit

    2012-06-06 Venus Transit

    A hardy group of members headed up Ringinglow Road to get a good viewpoint for the transit, visible from dawn at 04:45.  As usual for an important astronomical event, no Sun was to be seen but they followed the event live using an iPad on the Internet.  Roll on 2117!

  • 2012-04-21 Sungazing starts with some Sun!

    2012-04-21 Sungazing starts with some Sun!

    Our first Sungazing of the year and guess what?  The Sun actually shone most of the afternoon, despite dire weather predictions.  Lots of sunspots and an enormous prominence were seen by the many people who visited us at Mayfield.

  • 2012-02-24 Spectacular Sky View

    2012-02-24 Spectacular Sky View

    Here is a great picture of Jupiter, Venus and the Moon with the ISS zipping past taken from society President Steve’s back garden on 24th February. The ten exposure second causes the Moon to be very bright but allows the movement of the ISS across the sky to be seen clearly.

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