26 May 2016 – Video Evening

We had an eclectic mix of subjects starting with two short videos that explained the rationale behind the planned Square Kilometre Array Radio Telescope being planned by a consortium of countries.  Whilst 10 member countries are the core of the SKA, around 100 organisations across about 20 countries have been participating in the design and development of the SKA and are now engaged in the detailed design of the telescope.

To quote The Guardian: The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is a huge project designed to sweep away many of the current roadblocks to astronomical progress. These include searching for the first celestial objects to form in the universe, investigating whether we need to develop a new theory of gravity, and looking for the building blocks of life in space.

Another short video showed the Intrepid-DX Team and their journey and operations on South Sandwich Island. Amongst hundreds of penguins, the team set up antennas on the rocky ground soon to be covered with a deep layer of snow.  The total number of contacts made were 54,641 between January 18 to January 25.  Not shown was their QSY to South Georgia where they did it all again!

In order to get back to some warm weather, the next clip was about the 2009 DXpedition to Midway Island.  The emerald blue sea has to been seen to be believed. The pileups were as big as ever for a major DXpedition.

2MX4M2B FILE - In this June 5, 2002 file photo, waves crash on the shores of Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The Battle of Midway was a major turning point in World War II's Pacific theater. But the remote atoll where thousands died is now a delicate sanctuary for millions of seabirds, and a new battle is pitting preservation of its vaunted military history against the protection of its wildlife. (AP Photo/Ronen Zilberman, File)
2MX4M2B FILE – In this June 5, 2002 file photo, waves crash on the shores of Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The Battle of Midway was a major turning point in World War II’s Pacific theater. But the remote atoll where thousands died is now a delicate sanctuary for millions of seabirds, and a new battle is pitting preservation of its vaunted military history against the protection of its wildlife. (AP Photo/Ronen Zilberman, File)