Moon Festival

Newbury Astronomical Society is happy to support the Newbury BID’s Team’s Moon Festival with the following three events.

Start Date: 19:30 18th August 2023

Organiser: Newbury Astronomical Society

Event Details: Have you ever wondered where the carbon in our bodies, the oxygen in the air or the gold in your jewellery come from? The people and things we see around us such as our friends, our food and our phones mark the end of a long journey of constant recycling and reincarnation. 

Everyone has probably seen the quintessential car bumper sticker “We are all made of Stardust” and it is true that at some point in the past of cosmic history, our atoms were forged in the hearts of stars. However, that isn’t quite the origin story and this talk will take us on a journey from the earliest cosmic times to the present. Everything we see around us was originally created in its simplest form, a Hydrogen atomic nucleus, in the creation event, the Big Bang, at the start of the Universe and the beginning of time. From this point, these simple particles have journeyed through space and time, undergoing a metamorphosis that has resulted in the world that we see around us and human beings themselves. We are the Universe manifest, trying to figure itself out.

Location: Chequers Hotel Newbury.

Price: Free

Interested persons should contact this email address to confirm booking: NAS.secretary1@gmail.com

Start Date: 29th August 2:00 pm

Organiser: Newbury Astronomical Society

Event Details: We are all familiar with Earth’s natural satellite the Moon, but how much do you know about it? Our experts will explain the current theory of how the Moon was formed, based on observations and samples collected by the Apollo astronauts. You will learn about the features we see on its surface: the “seas”, craters, mountains and valleys, many of them formed billions of years ago and preserved by the lack of weathering. The knowledge we have gained about the Moon tells us where the next visitors may find the resources to set up permanent bases there.

Location: Corn Exchange Balcony Bar

Price: Free

Start Date: week beginning 21 August, 2023 6:30 pm

Organiser: Newbury Astronomical Society

Event Details: Observe the moon using a variety of telescopes from the centre of Newbury. The event is weather dependent so the dates given are from 21st to 25th August and the actual event will be decided based on the weather forecast for the week.  

Location: West Berks Council Kennet Centre Car Park roof.

Price: Free