The Exhibition Meeting is the annual showcase of the Association’s work – open to everyone, free of charge. The Association’s Officers work all year round and expend considerable time and effort on administration, while Section Directors analyse observations, publish reports, and produce exhibits. It is gratifying if they know that their work, and the work of observers and other contributors, is seen and appreciated. Distinguished contributions are acknowledged with the presentation of the Association’s annual awards and medals.

E-mail lorraine@hamal.demon.co.uk Mobile 07964759278

This year’s Exhibition Meeting took place on Saturday 26 June 2010 at the Old Royal Naval College Greenwich

The Royal Hospital was established by Royal Charter in 1694 for the relief and support of seamen and their dependents. The plans were drawn up by Sir Christopher Wren, and during the first half of the eighteenth century various illustrious architects – including Nicholas Hawksmoor, Sir John Vanbrugh and James ‘Athenian’ Stuart – completed the design. After the establishment of peace at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and as the nineteenth century progressed, the number of Pensioners declined, and the Hospital finally closed in 1869. Soon afterwards the Royal Naval College moved in, heralding a new beginning for the buildings as a naval training centre for officers from around the world. In 1998 the Royal Navy left for its new base at Shrivenham, and responsibility for the Old Royal Naval College passed to the newly established Greenwich Foundation.

The exhibition, in Queen Anne Court, was opened at 10.15 am by The Worshipful the Mayor of Greenwich Councillor Barbara Barwick

The Mayor Consort, Dr David Boyd (President), Mayor Barwick, and Lorraine Crook

A brief visit by the Deputy Mayor of Havering, Councillor Melvin Wallace, on his way to an event on the Thames

Lyn Smith Director Solar Section	Prof Bill Leatherbarrow Director Lunar Section	Dr Richard McKim Director Mercury and Venus Section Mars Section	Dr Richard Miles Director Asteroids and Remote Planets Section	Dr John Rogers Director Jupiter Section	Mike Foulkes Director Saturn Section

Jonathan Shanklin Director	Dr John Mason Acting Director	Dr David Gavine Director	Roger Pickard Director	Dr Stewart Moore Director	Bob Marriott Director

Comet Section

Meteor Section

Aurora Section

Variable Star Section

Deeo Sky Section

Instruments and Imaging Section

Mike Frost Director Historical Section	Guy Hurst Coordinator UK Nova/Supernova Patrol	Paul Hyde Coordinator Radio Astronomy Group	Bob Mizon Coordinator Campaign for Dark Skies	Hazel McGee Editor BAA Journal	Ann Davies Coordinator Sales and Promotions

Throughout the day a short rolling presentation of BAA work and activities was shown in

the first-floor lecture theatre and on one of the large monitors in the main exhibition area

At 12.00 noon and 2.30 pm in the first-floor lecture theatre, live sessions using the robotic Faulkes Telescopes North (Hawaii) and South (Australia) were presented by Richard Miles (Director of the Asteroids and Remote Planets Section) and Peter Meadows (Robotic Telescope Coordinator). The first session was successful, but the second was foiled by cloudy weather. For details of the Robotic Telescope Project see the website of the Instruments and Imaging Section

At 2.00 pm in the ground-floor lecture theatre, the Association’s awards were presented. The Goodacre Award, ‘... in recogniton of the recipient’s contribution to the progress of astronomy over many years.’ Eric Strach has been a member for more than 44 years, and has been a leading amateur solar observer for nearly 60 years, submitting regular monthly reports to the Solar Section until declining health forced him to retire from active observing last year. The Steavenson Award, ‘... to a member who has made an outstanding contribution to observational astronomy.’ Monty Leventhall is also a solar observer, submitting white-light and H-alpha observation reports to the Solar Section as well as to many other solar observing groups worldwide over many years. The awards will be sent to the recipients, as neither was able to attend the Exhibition Meeting. Eric Strach is in his 96th year and lives in Liverpool, and Monty Leventhal lives in Australia. Roger Pickard (Vice President, and Director of the Variable Star Section) presented a Special Award to Gordon Taylor for his work as Director of the Computing Section over a period of almost four decades, and in recognition of his extensive career as a professional and amateur astronomer. Mike Frost (newly appointed Director of the Historical Section) and Lee Macdonald (Assistant Director) briefly reviewed their proposed work and plans.

Roger Pickard and Gordon Taylor Mike Frost Director of the Historical Section Lee Macdonald Assistant Director

Lawrence Newell (UKRAA)

Bill Leatherbarrow (Director, Lunar Section) and David Boyd (President)

Tony Cook (Lunar Section)

Lorraine Crook and Jonathan Shanklin (Director, Comet Section)

John Cook (Solar Section and Radio Astronomy Group)

Alan Lorrain (Treasurer) and Mike Frost (Director, Historical Section)

Paul Hyde (Coordinator, Radio Astronomy Group) and David Gavine (Director, Aurora Section)

Jeff Lashley (Radio Astronomy Group)

John Rogers (Director, Jupiter Section) and Paul Abel (Assistant Director, Saturn Section)

Stewart Moore (Director, Deep Sky Section), Geoffrey Johnstone and Ron Johnson

Lyn Smith (Director, Solar Section)

John Mason (Acting Director, Meteor Section)

Bob Marriott (Director, Instruments and Imaging Section)

Sheridan Williams (Director, Computing Section)

Darren Baskill and Bob Mizon (Coordinator, Campaign for Dark Skies)

BAA Sales and Promotions : Ann Davies (Coordinator) and Tony Morris – with Jean Felles (Office Manager) at centre

Observation of the Sun in white light and H-alpha

A busy day for Neil Short and colleagues, North Essex Astronomical Society

Provincial societies : Crayford Manor House, North Essex, and Newbury

Trade stands : David Phillips (Explorers Astronomy Tours), Nik Szymanek, Ian King Imaging,

Terry Platt (Starlight Xpress), San Shepherd (Escapist Games), Leonard Honey (Science Replicas),

Martin Lunn (Aurora Books, York), UK Radio Astronomy Association, and Brian McGee (Astro Expeditions)

At 5.00 pm in the ground-floor lecture theatre a talk was presented by Dr Francisco Diego Senior Research Fellow, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London Aliens! : Could Darwin Work on the Worlds of Galileo? The recent discovery of planets around more than 400 nearby stars indicates that there may be billions of planets in the Milky Way galaxy. Will we ever know how many of them might also be living paradises suitable for Darwinian processes?

A video of the Exhibition Meeting, produced by Bob Marriott, is now available for download

WMV format – 182 Mb – 29 minutes

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since 14 December 2008

Report on the Exhibition Meeting 2009