Nairn is the venue, and the speaker's an ex-pupil of Culloden Academy who's now the UK Director of the International Year of Astronomy.

Steve Owens enjoys the debate between astronomy and astrology, and has given many talks to astrology societies about the conflicts between the two fields of study.

This time his hosts are astronomers, with the two local societies getting together for the occasion. The Highlands Astronomical Society are following up their recent highly successful Science & Astronomy Festival, while Sigma have been getting high turnouts for their community astronomy events throughout Moray.

Steve describes himself as a sceptic, but points out that the divide has not always been so great.

'Until a few hundred years ago astrology and astronomy were often held in equal regard, with astronomers like Galileo practising astrology alongside their astronomy and mathematics,' he says. 'With the scientific revolution our understanding of the universe advanced to the point where astrology is now considered to be a pseudoscience.'

So the questions he will tackle include: What is astrology, what does it claim to be able to do, and why do so many people still believe it works?

The talk is entitled 'The Thirteenth Sign: An Astronomer's Journey into an Astrologer's Lair' . It takes place in Nairn Community Hall on the evening of Friday 8 May. Admission is free and the event starts at 7.30 pm.

Details of these events and programmes of future ones can be found on the websites of the Highlands Astronomical Society and Sigma.