Mark Hardaker – My Visit to The Wabar Meteorite Craters of  Saudi Arabia

Mark presents a talk on his visit to the Wabar Meteorite craters of Saudi Arabia.

Bio: I have been an active amateur astronomer for many years. Originally from Keighley, West Yorkshire, I moved to Dorset with my wife in summer 2018, having spent the previous thirty years living overseas in Germany, Belgium, USA, Hong Kong, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, where I held senior roles in multinational chemical companies.

I was educated at Oxford University and hold a master’s in chemistry.

My interest in astronomy started in November 1966 when my mum pointed out the Plough in the night sky.  My first telescope was a 3-inch refractor by JKM Holmes, which I still own, and I kept astronomy logbooks of my observations from the beginning; they provide fascinating reading now. I was always interested in visual astronomy, particularly deep sky objects, then sketching what I saw. I only recently graduated to imaging using my 12-inch Meade LX200 and Svbony 102ED.

I am an active member and treasurer of Fordingbridge Astronomers, where I have raised money locally to build an observatory for local outreach activities.