Speaker profile
Mr Gary Poyner
FRAS
Available for booking
Birmingham, West Midlands, England
150 miles travel distance
Amateur Astronomer
Astronomy Author
Summary
I have been an amateur astronomer since 1965 and since 1975 have concentrated my observing towards the study of Variable Stars - mainly Cataclysmic and Eruptive variables.
Full biography
Amateur astronomer since 1965, and Variable Star observer since 1975 concentrating mainly on visual observations, although I do use remote telescopes for photometry. Observatory in north Birmingham housing a 51cm Newtonian.
Have been giving talks to societies in the UK (and abroad) since the mid 1990’s
Honorary Research Associate Birmingham University 1990
Former editorial member of the Open European Journal on Variable Stars
Director of BAA Variable Star Section 1995-2000
Editor of ‘The Astronomer’ magazine Variable Star pages 2000-2018
Current BAAVSS CV & Eruptive Stars Secretary, BAAVSS Circulars editor and Web Master
Owner and Manager of CVnet web page and associated distribution lists
Ex Chairman of the Heart of England AS (still a member) and member of the Bromsgrove Astronomical Society
Recipient of the BAA Steavenson Award (2000) and the BAA Walter Goodacre Award (2020), AAVSO Directors Award (2003)
Affiliations
Lectures
Variable Stars around the Perseus Double Cluster
A basic talk on the Variable Stars which can be observed in and around the Double Cluster. Powerpoint. Running time 45-60 minutes
Variable Stars - How and Why They Vary!
A talk explaining why some stars vary in brightness - Pulsating, Symbiotic and Cataclysmic stars are covered. PowerPoint presentation. Running time 60-70 minutes.
Stella Nova - A long road of discovery
From ancient records to modern day, this talk looks at Novae through the centuries, what the early astronomers thought Novae actually were, and finally a more detailed look at some landmark discoveries of the 19th/20th centuries. Running time 1 hour. PowerPoint.
An Introduction to Variable Star Observing
Would suit a mixed group of active and armchair astronomers. Here I give a brief account of the science behind a selection of Variable Stars, explain how to observe them and discuss the reasons why we observe them. Running time 1 hour. PowerPoint.
How to observe Variable Stars
A basic talk on how to make, record & report a visual Variable Star observation, taking in the methods used by both the BAAVSS & AAVSO. Running time 60 minutes. PowerPoint Presentation. Better suited to an active group!
The Monster in the Crab
The story of the largest binary black hole yet detected - OJ287. It details the discovery of OJ287, Pro-Am campaigns to observe it since the 1990's, the results of these campaigns up to 2024 and the association with gravity waves. Running time 60 minutes. Powerpoint presentation.
