March 6th, 2026
Dear good weather-enjoyer,
Happy dies week! As you probably know by now, L.A.D. 'F. Kaiser' turned 33 years old last Sunday. In honour of this, here are some fun facts about the beautiful number that is 33:
1. The human spine has 33 vertebrae.
2. 33 is the largest natural number that cannot be expressed as a sum of distinct triangular numbers (in case you don't know what these are, ask someone from Dispuutgezelschap Christiaan Huygens, whom we got this fact from).
3. There are 33 species of seals.
4. Amazingly enough, there are words that contain 33 letters! Some examples are cyclopentanoperhydrophenanthrenes and phosphoribosylformylglycinamidine. Have fun trying to pronounce these.
Since this week was so packed with activities, we'll take it a little easier next week. But fear not, as we already have some very exciting activities planned for March and April, such as the Spring Lectures. For more information, keep reading!
Astronomical regards,
Benthe ten Berge
Ab Actis
On behalf of Board 33 - h.t. Triangulum
Contents
* Announcements
+ Solar Eclipse Trip workgroup
+ Kaiser Symposia
* Past activities
+ Kaiser Symposium 3
+ Observing Night
+ Dies coffee hour + borrel
* Upcoming activities
+ Spring Lectures
+ Old Observatory Introduction Training
+ Meet your Master
+ Solar Eclipse Trip
* Cat of the Week
* WhatsApp group chat
* Confidential Counsellors and University Support Systems
Announcements
Solar Eclipse Trip workgroup
Rumour has it that Kaiser is working on organising a trip to Spain to observe the solar eclipse on August 12 this year. Of course, organising a trip like this cannot be done alone, so we are looking for a few people who would like to help make it happen!
The idea is to form a small, low-key workgroup that will mainly look into practical things such as transport to Spain, accommodation, and perhaps some fun activities for members who would like to connect during the trip.
Does this sound like something you would enjoy helping with? We would love to have you on board!
Send an email to kaiser(a)strw.leidenuniv.nl (mailto:kaiser@strw.leidenuniv.nl) or text any board member if you are interested.
Kaiser Symposia
Interested in sharing your passion for astronomy (or a related topic)? The Kaiser Symposium is your chance!
These symposia are a fantastic, low-pressure opportunity to practice your presentation skills, whether you're preparing for your MSc colloquium or just want to share something you find fascinating. It's also a great way to support and learn from your peers.
If you're interested in giving a talk, or just have questions, get in touch! Email us at kaiser(a)strw.leidenuniv.nl (https://leidenuniv.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ee42d5d69d5747ea761beb…) , send a message on WhatsApp, or talk to us in person.
Past Activities
Kaiser Symposium 3
On Thursday last week, we had our third edition of the Kaiser symposium! This one featured a talk by Xavier on multiwavelength zernike wavefront sensing, his master research project. We all learned a lot from him about adaptive optics, and how a design can go from simulations to the lab, and of course, how the results from experiments are always different from what you have expected.
After enjoying some pizza in the Meridian lounge, it was time for Tim's talk on his current research project on models from large-scale cosmological simulations. An entirely different topic from the first talk, and equally enjoyable! Tim gave us a fresh perspective on how we can model the formation of large structures and galaxies with simulations like FLAMINGO. Thanks to both our speakers, and we hope to see you at the next Kaiser Symposium!
Observing Night
Last week, the Observity Committee organised an observing night, Dies edition. Contrary to what the weather forecasts predicted, the weather was in fact in our favour, and we were able to observe Jupiter, the Orion nebula and the Pleiades. The moon was so bright, that when observed through the TEC, it could be projected onto your hand (or eye... not exactly very pleasant).
We ended the evening with some cake with whipped cream and sprinkles, to keep in theme with Kaiser's birthday. With spring coming closer, let's hope for lots of clear skies for more successful observing nights!
Dies Coffee Hour + Borrel
What absolutely needs to be at a birthday party? That’s right: birthday cake!
Last Wednesday, Retmer cut the Kaiser birthday cake in the Kaiserlounge in honour of the 33rd birthday of the sub-association. It was great to see so many of you there, we hope you enjoyed the cake!
For those who weren’t done celebrating just yet, the Kaiser Diesborrel was held that evening at café De Keyzer. There were drinks, snacks, and plenty of good company. The board also received birthday presents from several associations and committees, for which we are very grateful.
A big thank you to everyone who celebrated L.A.D. ‘F. Kaiser’s 33rd birthday with us. Here’s to many more years of this wonderful astronomical sub-association!
Upcoming Activities
Spring Lectures
Do you feel that? The slight warmth of the sun, the gentle breeze in the air - spring is coming! And that can only mean one thing: the Spring Lectures are back.
The Spring Lectures are a yearly series of public talks where astronomers share their research with the general public. It’s a great opportunity to learn about exciting developments in astronomy directly from the people working on them. The speakers for this year’s edition are shown on the poster below.
It promises to be a truly exciting series of lectures that you definitely don’t want to miss!
For more information about the programme and to purchase tickets, check out the link below.
Spring Lectures Website (https://leidenuniv.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ee42d5d69d5747ea761beb…)
Old Observatory Introduction Training - 9/3/2026
Well, spring is here and since clouds are now a less common occurrence this time of year, it is now possible to actually observe, so it is the perfect season to start your training. In the Old Observatory Introduction Training, you will be informed about the functioning of the building, the alarm, and the agreements made with the university about the use of the building whilst doing a tour. This training is highly recommended for anyone who ventures into the Old Observatory. We will also talk about the possibilities for training on the telescopes. You will need this training to follow the telescope training courses, should you qualify for them.
The training will take place on March 9th, 2026 at the Old Observatory (Sterrenwachtlaan 11, 2311 GW Leiden). Walk-in is from 17:30, and the training starts at 17:45. The training will be given in English. You don't have to sign up, you can just show up if you wish to attend.
Meet your Master - 19/3/2026
Are you in your final year of the astronomy bachelor, or are you already thinking about your options in Master Programmes in the Astronomy field in Leiden? Then the "Meet your Master" evening is the place for you!
Students in various astronomy Msc programmes will give a short talk on their field, after which there is an opportunity to ask them questions and talk to them personally. Walk-in starts at 17:00, the exact location will follow soon.
Meet your Master sign up (https://leidenuniv.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ee42d5d69d5747ea761beb…)
Solar Eclipse Trip - August 2026
Winter is in full swing, with some snow and ice here and there, cold breezes and rainy weather… But the board is already thinking of the warm days to come in the summer of 2026! Sunbathing, swimming, lying on the beach, eating an ice cream, doesn’t that sound nice?
But in the summer of 2026, something dark is also on the horizon… A total solar eclipse will occur on August 12th, 2026 in Spain. As announced at our first GMM this year, we are thinking about organizing a trip featuring this event. Please fill in the following form to let us know what you think about this!
Solar Eclipse Trip interest form (https://leidenuniv.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ee42d5d69d5747ea761beb…)
Cat of the Week
This is Loulou, a neighbour of Perri and Niels on the Kaiserstraat. As the true neighbohrhood cat, he can be seen swaggering about near Catena, Café de Keyzer, Plexus and the Old Observatory, so do keep an eye out for him, the next time we are there. Loulou loves paying his neighbours a visit, (as a good neighbour behooves, of course),... on both timely and untimely occasions. Here you see some photos of him sneaking inside homes all over the 'hood.
Do you have a cat, or know a cat, that deserves the spotlight? We’d love to feature them in the next edition of 'Cat of the Week'!
Simply upload a picture using the link below, or send a message to Benthe (+31 6 21314320).
Upload your image here (https://leidenuniv.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ee42d5d69d5747ea761beb…)
WhatsApp group chat
Whether you're new to Kaiser or have been with us for a while, you may not know about the Kaiser WhatsApp group chat. Through this platform, we share the lates updates on activities, highlight current astronomical events, and simply enjoy chatting with fellow astronomy enthusiasts. If you'd like to join, just click the link below!
WhatsApp Group Chat (https://leidenuniv.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ee42d5d69d5747ea761beb…)
Confidential Counsellors and University Support Systems
If you feel like you need help, know that there are many points of support all around you at all times. You can always reach out to us as board for any solace we can possibly offer, and our study advisor Wouter Schrier (studyadvisor(a)strw.leidenuniv.nl (mailto:studyadvisor@strw.leidenuniv.nl) ) is always available to talk. Don't hesitate also to make use of the University facilities for support, by looking at the resources on this website (https://leidenuniv.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ee42d5d69d5747ea761beb…) or by booking an appointment with one of our student psychologists (through 071 - 527 8026 or psychologen(a)sea.leidenuniv.nl) (https://leidenuniv.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ee42d5d69d5747ea761beb…) .
I'd also like to draw your attention to the Confidential Persons of De Leidsche Flesch and the Observatory Allies of the STRW. We have collected some resources (https://leidenuniv.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ee42d5d69d5747ea761beb…) which we as students can reach out to in case there is any situation or person within the university that makes us feel uncomfortable, unwelcome or threatened. If you have any experiences of this kind, don't hesitate to reach out to any of us within the board or the contacts listed in the link.
Know, that there are always many people within the university who are ready to listen, help or act accordingly where needed.
============================================================
Board L.A.D. 'F. Kaiser'
Retmer Tak
Benthe ten Berge
Sim Janssen
Suzanne van Elten
Lukas Biesma
Contact:
L.A.D. 'F. Kaiser'
Einsteinweg 55
2333 CC Leiden
kaiser(a)strw.leidenuniv.nl
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