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Patron: Her Majesty the Queen
Patron: Her Majesty the Queen
Eighth Ordinary Meeting and Annual General Meeting of the 179th Session (1999-2000)
Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh
On Wednesday 22 November 2000, at 6.30 pm
Including a guided tour of the
Observatory, organised by the ROE Visitor Centre,
and an introductory talk by
Dr Mark Casali
The UK has a significant stake in the exciting developments being made in astronomy, and the new UK Astronomy Centre (ATC) in Edinburgh plays a central role in this. The Centre arose out of the amalgamation of the two former UK Government observatories - the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, and the Royal Greenwich Observatory - and it shares its Blackford Hill site with Edinburgh University's Institute for Astronomy. It is operated by the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) and its staff design and build sophisticated high-technology instruments for the new generation of large telescopes around the world. Much of this effort is devoted to the international observatories in which the UK (through PPARC) is a partner - and in particular currently for the 4m aperture UK Infra-Red Telescope on Hawaii and the twin Gemini 8m telescopes on Hawaii and at the Southern Observatory in Chile.
Dr Casali will give an over-view of the work of the ATC and discuss the current projects, including those with which he is personally involved. He will explain how this work is organised and funded - and how the technology development is managed - to optimise resources provided for the astronomical research community.
The talk and tour will be preceded by a brief Annual General Meeting for which the President, Dr A D C Simpson will take the chair.
The business will cover: minutes of the AGM of the 178th Session; President's report; Treasurer's report; election of Office Bearers for 2000/01; and the Council's proposal to alter the Constitution to remove the requirement for formal auditing of the Accounts
Refreshments will be served.
Please note that the day and time of this meeting do not follow the Society’s normal pattern. Parking will be available outside the main entrance to the Observatory. You will be directed from the Lodge, but please allow a few minutes to reach the lecture room. A lift is available in the building for those who prefer not to tackle the stairs.
Graham Rule, Secretary
The Royal Scottish Society of Arts is Registered Scottish Charity SC015549