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 laser pointer at an outreach event. Children under the age of 18 and non-approved adults are not permitted 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).
Future Public Events |
This page is dedicated to events promoted by Maidenhead Astronomical Society aimed at bringing an awareness and appreciation of astronomy to the general public. Almost all of the Events listed here are run by MAS (the few that are not are plainly marked)
Details of future planned events are limited to those open to the general public (Members should look in the Members Only section for details of future events not open to the public - which includes most of our local Outreach activities (schools, cubs, brownies etc)).
Future events are listed in date order, next planned first. Be aware that events can change (usually due to the weather :-) ) so please check nearer the event before making a journey
Note. MAS holds Public Liability Insurance via our membership of Federation of Astronomical Societies. The Policy Document for 2022-23 (pdf) is available on request (it can be found in the Members section)
(+) 7 Mar 2025 (and 22) Major Lunar Standstill
(+) 29 Mar 2025 Partial Solar Eclipse
(+) 12 Aug 2026 Solar Eclipse
(+) 26 Jan 2028 annular Solar Eclipse
(+) 1 Jun 2030 annular Solar Eclipse
(+) 13 Nov 2032 Transit of Mercury
(+) 7 Nov 2039 Transit of Mercury - (2nd of pair)
(+) 28 Jul 2061 Halleys Comet returns
(+) 23 Sep 2090 Total Solar Eclipse - (the next visible from UK)
Reports from our Outreach & Event activity |
Here you will find reports of MAS events held in the last 10 years or so (i.e. since the MAS web site effectively 'took over' from printed newsletters as the primary means of 'reporting back' to the membership). Some details have been removed to allow for public viewing
The Members Only section contains details of MAS History going back to our formation in 1957
(+) 2 May 2024 Newlands Girls School - (outreach)
(+) 26 Apr 2024 1st Britwell Scouts - (outreach)
(+) 27 Feb 2024 1st Cookham Beavers(2) - (outreach)
(+) 26 Feb 2024 1st Cookham Beavers(1) - (outreach)
(+) 6 Feb 2024 7th Windsor Brownies - (outreach)
(+) 15 Jan 2024 Cookham Dean Primary School - (outreach)
(+) 12 Jan 2024 1st Cippenham Cubs - (outreach)
(+) 6 Dec 2023 Bisham Brownies - (outreach)
(+) 22 Nov 2023 Furze Platt Cubs (2nd pack) - (outreach)
(+) 21 Nov 2023 Furze Platt Cubs (1st pack) - (outreach)
(+) 10 Nov 2023 Trinity St Stephans School - (outreach)
(+) 2 Sep 2023 Cookham Regatta
(+) 19 Apr 2023 Newlands School - (outreach)
(+) 18 Mar 2023 Highfield Prep School Look to the Stars - (Public Event)
(+) 4 Mar 2023 Maidenhead Big Read - (Maidenhaed Library)
(+) 23 Feb 2023 Bourne End cubs (2nd pack) - (outreach)
(+) 22 Feb 2023 Bourne End cubs (1st pack) - (outreach)
(+) 8 Feb 2023 Western House Academy - (outreach)
(+) 18 Jan 2023 1st Cippenham Beavers - (outreach)
(+) 12 Jan 2023 6th Windsor Cubs - (outreach)
(+) 21 Nov 2022 Cookham Dean C of E School - (outreach)
(+) 12 Nov 2022 White Waltham Academy - (outreach)
(+) 8 Nov 2022 1st Maidenhead Sea Cubs (2nd visit) - (outreach)
(+) 1 Nov 2022 1st Maidenhead Sea Cubs - (outreach)
(+) 25 Oct 2022 Partial Solar Eclipse
(+) 3 Sep 2022 Cookham Regatta
(+) 15 Jun 2022 Newlands KS3 Science Club - (Outreach)
(+) 18 Mar 2022 21st Maidenhead Scouts - (outreach)
(+) 10 Mar 2022 Wargrave Cubs - (outreach)
(+) 9 Mar 2022 Wargrave Cubs - (outreach)
(+) 28 Jan 2022 Western House Academy - (Outreach)
(+) 14 Jan 2022 1st Cookham Guides - (Outreach)
(+) 9 Dec 2021 Windsor Cental Scouts 2 - (Outreach)
(+) 8 Dec 2021 Windsor Cental Scouts - (Outreach)
(+) 2 Dec 2021 Furze Platt Beavers - (Outreach)
(+) 16 Nov 2021 Cookham Beavers 2 - (Outreach)
(+) 15 Nov 2021 Cookham Beavers - (Outreach)
(+) 8 Nov 2021 Cookham Dean School - (Outreach)
(+) 4 Sep 2021 Cookham Regatta
(+) 12 Aug 2021 Perseids meteor shower - (Ockwells Park outreach)
(+) 10 Jun 2021 Solar Eclipse - (partial from UK)
(+) 4 Mar 2021 1st Maidenhead Sea Scouts - (Outreach)
(+) 27 Jan 2021 (and 28) Bourne End Cubs (Outreach)
(+) 14 Nov 2020 Covid19 CANCELLED Public Viewing Event - (White Waltham)
(+) 9 Nov 2020 Cookham Dean Primary School (ZOOM Outreach)
(+) 4 Apr 2020 Stargazing public event - (POSTPONED)
(+) 21 Nov 2019 Central Windsor Scouts (Outreach)
(+) 11 Nov 2019 19th Maidenhead Beavers (Outreach)
(+) 11 Nov 2019 Transit of Mercury (2nd of pair)
(+) 4 Nov 2019 Cookham Dean Primary School - (Outreach)
(+) 10 Oct 2019 Holy Trinity School yr3 - (Outreach)
(+) 7 Sep 2019 Cookham Regatta
(+) 29 Aug 2019 Maidenhead Library (Outreach)
(+) 19 Aug 2019 Childrens Reading Challenge Maidenhead Library - (Outreach)
(+) 20 Jul 2019 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing - (Maidenhead Festival)
(+) 4 Apr 2019 Newlands School (Outreach)
(+) 28 Mar 2019 Bourne End Cubs (Outreach)
(+) 14 Mar 2019 Furze Platt Beavers (Outreach)
(+) 24 Feb 2019 Furze Platt cubs (Outreach)
(+) 15 Feb 2019 Scouts (Outreach)
(+) 15 Feb 2019 13th Maidenhead Scouts (Outreach)
(+) 7 Feb 2019 Burchetts Green Infant School - (Outreach)
(+) 24 Jan 2019 Sea Scouts (Outreach)
(+) 29 Nov 2018 ALLsorts (Outreach)
(+) 18 Nov 2018 Furze Platt Cubs (Outreach)
(+) 7 Nov 2018 Furze Platt Cubs (Outreach)
(+) 5 Nov 2018 Cookham Dean Primary School (Outreach)
(+) 20 Oct 2018 Furze Platt Beavers (Outreach)
(+) 10 Oct 2018 WILLIAM LASSELL by Kenlem England (MAS) - (Maidenhead Heritage Centre)
(+) 11 Aug 2018 CANCELLED Persieds Observing - (Ockwells Park)
(+) 27 Jul 2018 Total Lunar Eclipse
(+) 30 Jun 2018 (end) Maidenhead Week - (Lassell at Heritage Center)
(+) 23 May 2018 Wycombe Abbey School (Outreach)
(+) 12 May 2018 Lassell grave clear up
(+) 11 May 2018 Lassell grave tidy up
(+) 8 May 2018 9th Maidenhead Brownies - (Outreach)
(+) 28 Apr 2018 Maidenhead Arts Festival
(+) 18 Mar 2018 1st Furze Platt Brownies - (Outreach)
(+) 19 Feb 2018 Winter Hill Beavers - (Outreach)
(+) 18 Jan 2018 1st Maidenhead Beavers - (Outreach)
(+) 13 Dec 2017 Geminids meteor watch - (Ockwells Park)
(+) 22 Nov 2017 Cookham Dean CE Primary School - (Outreach)
(+) 18 Nov 2017 PUBLIC EVENT Leonids meteor watch - (at White Waltham)
(+) 6 Nov 2017 2nd Woodlands Park Rainbows - (Outreach)
(+) 5 Oct 2017 Harvest Moon - (official)
(+) 22 Sep 2017 Autumn Equinox - (early Harvest Moon)
(+) 21 Aug 2017 Solar Eclipse - (partial from UK)
(+) 12 Aug 2017 Perseid Meteor Watch - (Ockwells Park)
(+) 9 Jun 2017 MAS 60th Anniversary Meal - (Members and guest only)
(+) 1 Apr 2017 Stargazing Live
(+) 8 Mar 2017 1st Stoke Poges Guide Unit - (Outreach)
(+) 7 Mar 2017 19th Maidenhead Cubs - (Outreach)
(+) 21 Feb 2017 Furze Platt Cub Pack - (Outreach)
(+) 7 Feb 2017 St Pirans School - (Outreach)
(-) 7 Feb 2017 1st Wargrave Cubs - (Outreach)
Tuesday pm, 7th Feb. 2017 - 1st Wargrave Cubs - PUMAS (Outreach)
Present: Robin, Adrian, Steve
(report by Steve)
The second of the 'double' today, a return visit to the hall at Wargrave (with the nice long walk from the car park across (around) the cricket fields :-) )
As I set out I noted a relatively clear sky and wondered if this could be our lucky night for some observing. I arrived just on 6:30 (our target arrival time for set up) and just as I parked Robin drove up with Adrian. Since they had already off-loaded closer to the hall, they were kind enough to give me a hand.
Having got all the kit off-loaded and into the hall the mostly clear skies prompted a discussion with the Pack Leaders - should we set up the telescopes or prepare the talks first ? Although the sky was not perfect our universal recommendation was 'go for it' (in our experience, the British weather only ever gets worse :-) ).
So I went for a walk around the hall looking for some 'hard standing' to place our telescopes - and soon discovered that only one side of the hall was without exterior lights. This was, of course, the side that backed straight onto the grass = and even then was not as dark as it might have been, as the flood lights of the nearby football fields could be seen. However this spot did provide a line-of-sight to the south (Orion) and east (Venus and Mars), with the Moon to the west visible over the roof of the building, so that's the where I decided to set up.
After re-attaching my finder scope (which had fallen off as I transported the OTA on my fancy trolley along the paved foot-path), I aimed my Dobsonian at the Moon and aligned the finder to match.
Whilst I was doing this, Robin set up his SC telescope and placed his short refractor on a tripod, and Adrian was setting up the beamer and screen indoors. Going back in I found the cubs had all arrived (approx 14) and after they went through their 'opening ceremony' we immediately announced our intention to do some observing whilst the weather co-operated.
The cubs split into 3 groups and were 'assigned' one to each of the telescopes. Robin had set up to look at the stars and Nebula in Orion and at Venus and Mars whilst I kept my Dob. on the Moon. My first group consisted of 6 cubs who were soon observing the 3/4 Moon, whilst I kept up a narrative about the telescope and 'Q and A' about the Moon. The cubs queued up for a look but the queue never seemed to get any shorter ! .. after about 20-25 mins, they had all had at least 2 chances at the eyepiece, so I suggested a change-over was called for .. and the groups reluctantly switched over. The second group was again about 6 cubs, so after another 20 mins or so I called for anyone who had not seen the Moon to come over and the final 4 arrived.
Adrian manned the small refractor that Robin had mounted on a camera tripod and this gave quite a nice wide field view. Through this the cubs got a sharp view of the whole Moon with the main features clearly visible. Adrian then turned the telescope to Venus and the cubs were able to make out the crescent phase shape. Adrian explained that the two planets inside the Earth's orbit showed phases like the Moon because of the changing angle of the Sun's illumination. After that it was on to the stars. In the telescope, Betelgeuse clearly showed its reddish-orange colour (due to its lower temperature than our Sun). Then down below Orion's belt the cubs were just able to make out the fuzzy patch of M42, the Great Nebula. Then up to the Pleiades cluster, with many 'Wow!'s from the cubs as they had a lovely view of the seven bright bluish-white coloured stars of the cluster and many fainter stars sprinkled amongst them.
So in the hour or so that we were able to observe, all the cubs looked through three different telescopes and saw a wide range of objects:
- The Moon with its craters, 'seas' and mountains
- Two planets
- Several constellations
- The different colours of some bright stars
- A nebula
- A star cluster
We hope this will encourage the cubs to try for their Astronomer badges!
By now the clouds were starting to make the Moon look rather 'misty' and Mars had totally disappeared, although Venus and much of Orion (and the sky to the east) was still clear. Robin even managed to point out Polaris and Cassiopeia, although Ursa Major, low on the horizon, was now largely in the clouds. With everyone starting to feel the cold, when 'hot chocolate' was announced we all rushed back indoors.
I was surprised to find it was already well after 8pm, so with very little time left, as the cubs (and us) enjoyed some hot drinks Adrian ran the two Moon videos (formation and cratering). Robin finished off with a short talk about the use of Star Maps and volunteered to get Stellarium going. As his laptop refused to co-operate, I pointed out the relative sizes of the Planets (which I had lined up on one of the side tables). Adrian did a 'wrap up' with the Sun and we just had time for a couple of questions.
As the coffee cups were being washed up we started to pack up - Adrian was good enough to help me move all my kit back to the car park, whilst Robin was dismounting and packing his telescopes. As I loaded up I noted that the sky was now 100% clouded over - plainly our decision was vindicated !
After 2 trips I was all packed, whilst Robin was only on his first - with Adrian assuring me that he and Robin could cope with the rest of the kit, I made a run for it :-)
This note last modified: 8th Feb 2017 10:16.