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! WELCOME TO THE MAS WEB SITE !
(Note on General Data Protection Regs. moved here)
MEMBERS click for BAA Membership changes
Members Annual Photo Competition 2025 |
Entries are now open for the 2025 competition (note new email address for entries :- mas.photocomp@gmail.com). You have to be a member to enter. Further details on the Photo Competition page and in the Members section. If you have problems logging in, contact the Membership Sec. or WebAdmin
MEMBERS see also MAS LOGO Fleeces
Next Months Meeting |
Friday, 5th December 2025 Christmas Quiz (by members)
Our meetings run from 7.30 to 10pm in the Church Hall, St James-the-Less, Stubbings, Maidenhead, SL6 6QW (for directions, see our About & Contact page)
Meetings are normally on the first Friday of the month, September to June. There are no indoor meetings in July or August (unless indicated)
Beginners and visitors are always welcome at our indoor meetings (you don't have to join, however a £2 contribution toward the costs of the hall hire would be most welcome !)
To contact the society between meetings, please complete the on-line General Enquiry form
If you would like to receive, by email, advanced notification of our free public events, or you would like further information about the Society please use the Enquiry form mentioned above - or just turn up at any meeting and speak to any member of the Committee.
We also have a page on the Maidenhead Arts Council web site (where you will find details of other local clubs and societies if, for some inexplicable reason, Astronomy fails to fire your imagination and seize your interest :-) )
This seasons meetings |
(download printable guide PDF )
Friday, 5th September 2025A VIP tour of the Houston Space Center (Dr Lilian Hobbs) |
Friday, 6th February 2026When Galaxies Were Born (Professor Richard Ellis) |
Friday, 3rd October 2025Visual Astronomy and the Human Eye (David Hayes (Zoom)) |
Friday, 6th March 2026Ladies of the Night (Ann Bonell (via Zoom)) |
Friday, 7th November 2025Exoplanet Observation (Adrian Jones) |
Friday, 3rd April 2026TBA ( ) |
Friday, 5th December 2025Christmas Quiz (by members) |
Friday, 1st May 2026TBA ( ) |
Friday, 2nd January 2026Telescope Parade (by members) |
Friday, 5th June 2026MAS 69th AGM (Annual General Meeting) |
(Table: http://www.maidenhead-astro.net/public/Home/index#2_bm)
Members :- Please log-in to the Members Only section for details of our next members only Event
Next Public Event |
12 Aug 2026 Solar Eclipse
12 Aug 2026, 18:11, total Solar Eclipse (91% visible from UK)
The full (100%) Eclipse will be visible from the North Atlantic and Spain.
This note last modified: 8th Mar 2015 13:35.
See our Events page for more information about all our Events
Click here for MAS Facebook page
Monday, 9 May 2016: Transit of Mercury, members of MAS gathered in Ockwells Park to show the Transit to the public. For more details, see report on Events page
WARNING: never look at the Sun through a normal telescope !!
Doing so, WILL BLIND YOU !!!
Most recent Event Report |
Details of all our planned and past activities can be found on the Events pages.
Note that Outreach events are not usually open to the public, so are reported here only AFTER the event (Members can see planned Outreach dates in the Members Only section, Activity planning pages)
19 Nov 2025 Oldfield Primary School - (outreach)
19th November 2025 - Oldfield Primary School (outreach)
MAS Team :- Robin (lead), Adrian D, Adrian J, Arthur and Steve (report)
This was an afternoon event, so there was some hope that with decent weather we could do some Solar Observing (sun projection). However earlier in the day it had actually snowed ! Whilst this quickly melted, the temperature remained low and the sky overcast. So I decided not to load the solar projection screen in my car, especially as the plan called for the 'team event' Solar System layout and I was pressed for space.
However as I arrived at the school, the clouds cleared and the sun came out ! Deciding that it was likely too cold for the class to be allowed outside, I parked up and reported to Reception. As the first to arrive, I suggested that we all sign in at the same time. Further, the room we would use was right next to Reception with fire escape doors opening onto the entrance. So I decided to unload my kit against the wall alongside the doors.
Then Arthur turned up, but had some difficulty getting the main gate opened. After some random pressing of buttons the gates opened just as Adrian arrived and who drove in with him. Adrian had much less to unload - just his Seestar - and was able to assist me. By the time we were finished the class teacher discovered our arrival and arranged to have the fire escape doors opened so we could move the equipment straight into the hall. We then signed in and started to set up. We were finished with plenty of time to spare, by which time Robin had arrived.
The class teacher was good enough to supply us with coffee / tea whilst Adrian setup his Seestar outside and tried to achieve a WiFi link. Whilst this was possible from the window, by the time he moved his tablet to the projector desk it had dropped out. We had a quick discussion about wifi extenders, during which time the sun went behind the clouds.
Then the 29 pupils arrived !
The Plan called for 4 teams to lay-out separate solar systems. Fortunately, the class could be divided into their 'houses' - of which there were 4. When I asked for the 'house leader' to identify themselves, the class teacher chose from amongst those who volunteered. It was at this moment I realised that school pupils are not like the Scouts - unlike the 'sixes' of cubs and scouts, 'houses' did not have 'leaders'.
I quickly passed out the planet size / orbital distance scale cards to the designated leaders and explained how we had to use two different scales to get the model solar system into the hall at the same time as making the planets big enough to see.
Laying out the solar system would be a 2 step task - first select correctly sized planets from the boxes of balls and then place them at the correct distances from the 'sun'.
Needless to say, chaos ensued. Each 'house team' was soon discussing the planet scales. This led to different 'sets' of planets being selected. One group seemed to divide the task into two parts and ended up with the 4 inner planets to one scale, the 4 outer to a second. Another team selected 5 or 6 inner planets whilst mixing up the orbital distance with the planet size ratios. When it came to laying out to the correct scale distance, 3 teams did get all 8 planets in the hall - but with various different views on the correct distances between each - whilst the 4th got the correct distances for 7 planets but then realised they would have to put Neptune outside in the road !
Realising that I had rather over-run, the discussions were stopped and I delivered a quick recap of the hugeness of space and smallness of planets, even managing to mention where Proxima Centauri should be placed when the Solar System fitted in the hall (near London).
Adrian then took over, delivering a talk on the differences between stars and planets (starts shine like light bulbs, planets reflect light like a mirror) .
He then went on to explain how a Solar Eclipse was caused when the Moon got between the Sun and Earth, using a 'moon on a stick' (whilst I held the blow-up globe Earth and Robin used a torch to simulate the sun).
Next he delivered a demonstration of moon phases. Walking around the whole group of students who gathered in the center of the hall using a 'Jupiter' (baseball) from the Solar System kit to represent the Moon whilst Robin continued to shine his 'sun' torch.
The pupils where divided into their houses again and Robin handed out his meteorite collection. Each of the 4 trays contained 6 or 7 fragments, along with a magnet - allowing metallic to be distinguished from rocky types - and a magnifying glass - allowing the crystal structure to be seen.
We discussed the source of the meteorites, how they were formed and how they were found. This generated many questions which led to the formation of the solar system, demise of the dinosaurs and evolution of humans. I even had to field a question on how dinosaurs might be resurrected, Jurassic Park style (my suggestion was to start with their descendants - the birds - and use gene manipulation in a number of generations, gradually getting bigger and more dinosaur like with each one :-) ).
All too soon our time was up and the class departed.
This note last modified: 25th Nov 2025 22:45.
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We now have our own Facebook page !
exit to: Maidenhead Astronomical Society on Facebook
Laser Pens |
Maidenhead Astronomical Society may use Laser Pens as a pointer during outreach events and talks. Any such use will comply with our Laser Pen Policy, which may be downloaded from here (.pdf)
Essentially, only responsible adults pre-approved by MAS are allowed to use a pointer at an outreach event. Children under the age of 18 and non-approved adults are not be allowed to use the laser pen at any time. Any member of the public bringing their own device (without pre-approval) is asked not to use it during one of our events (and will be asked to leave if they are not willing to comply with this request).
Links
Robotic Telescopes (MAS Links page)
Where we meet (MAS About page)
'Frequently Asked Questions' (FAQ, MAS Beginners page)
exit to: Maidenhead Arts Council (MADAC) MAS web page
exit to: Tim's list of Asteroid Occultation observation opportunities
exit to: European Asteroidal Occultation Network
exit to: Space Weather
exit to: Heavens-Above - times of everything passing overhead, especially ISS, satellites and Iridium flares
exit to: The Astronomer on-line - magazine for the advanced amateur
exit to: BAA (British Astronomical Association)
exit to: SPA (Society for Popular Astronomy) - especially suitable for younger stargazers !
Benefactors and Supporters
Maidenhead Lions, Platinum Award (2022, celebrating the Queen's 70 years on the throne)
O2 goto our O2 award report page
Baylis Trust Cash-for-the-community
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (Lottery Grant)
RBWM-Education Directorate
Mr B.Smith of Shottesbrooke
Mrs P.Haymes
The Telegraph newspaper
exit to Oregon Scientific
exit to Telescope house