h2g2 Astronomy Society
Created | Updated Jun 22, 2003
I first came up with the idea in August 2000 around the time of the Persieds meteor shower. Many people took part in a collective Persieds meteor-watching which turned out really well. I thought it would be a good idea if there was a place for anyone interested in space and astronomy to meet and chat and share their stories. For this reason the h2g2as was created.
Now nearly a year down the line it's still going strong, with new members joining all the time and an expanding site. The membership list includes a professional astronomer, amateurs and people with just an interest, which means that we can all learn from each other. Just prior to the time of PANIC earlier this year, I set up an h2g2 mailing group so that everyone could keep in contact more easily and quickly in the event of important astronomy type events such as meteor showers and aurora. This has also proved to be a great feature and is widely used by all and, as it has a chat room, 3 live meetings have now taken place, with a regular monthly meeting programme running.
Last month saw the first issue of the 6-times yearly newsletter, included with this email, which gives the members an idea of what to look out for in the coming month as well as keeping people up to date on others activities1.
Basically the group has developed from a researcher with a crazy idea into a fully fledged online community, and I hope it will continue to grow with new members.
Anything would be superb, and I'm sure Austin Morris or Professor Sarah Bellum would be happy to say something if you'd like.
Why not go along to the h2g2 Astronomy Society and check it out!
