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
(+) 5 Dec 2024 1st Sippenham Scouts - (outreach)
(+) 19 Nov 2024 9th Maidenhead Brownies - (outreach)
(+) 15 Nov 2024 1st Pinkneys Green Guides - (outreach)
(+) 6 Nov 2024 4th Taplow guides - (outreach)
(+) 23 Oct 2024 Manor Green - (outreach)
(+) 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)
Saturday 20th July 2019 - MAS celebrates the 50the Anniversary of the Moon Landing (21st July 1969) at the Maidenhead Festival
On Saturday, MAS was at the Maidenhead Festival celebrating the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 Moon landing. (Neil Armstrong, the first man to step on the Moon, did so on the following day, 21 July 1969).
Present: Matt, Tim, Andy, Percy, Steve, Lesley
report by Steve
The logistics of setting up some 80 odd stands would mean queues to access the park via the single vehicle entrance so I was determined to arrive as early as possible. This would be at 8am, so I packed the night before ! I arrived at about 10 to 8 only to be told by the marshals in their hi-vis jackets that they could not let anyone in before 8. So I parked across the entrance - no way was I letting some-one else pip me to the post ! I then got out of the car to chat with the marshals - and blag a car parking day pass for the Meadows - only to see Andy walking across the road from the small car park opposite. Seems he was even earlier than I, but not, perhaps, as determined to keep his place in the queue :-)
It was a drive all along the back of the park to own designated pitch, which, I found, Lesley had managed to get moved to the end of the isle - this was a tremendous help since there were would be no other stands getting in our way during the set up. The organisers had put in place a one-way system for cars, however with plenty of space I was able to park, unload and start setting up before needing to move the car.
Matt arrived soon after I and he was soon setting up his posh works Gazebo - my rather poor Homebase BBQ party cover looked very flimsy beside it, however we roped the two together to provide some extra stability. It was lucky we did, because mid-morning there was a sudden heavy rain shower and, during the rest of the day, whilst mostly sunny there were some gusts of wind.
Left: The MAS banner goes up on Matt's Gazebo first ! Percy is ready for rain, however after one heavy shower it was a fine, mainly sunny, day
Right: Next to up is the BBQ Gazebo. The frame is constructed from many different length rods, so the instructions were vital !
With the Gazebo up, next was setting up the telescopes for Sun watching.
The Society Lunt Solarscope with it's hydrogen alpha filter (foreground), Dobsonian in Solar Projection (under the grey rain cover), 3" refractor with solar filter (background) - click on the photo for (slightly) more detail.
Left: Almost ready
Right: All setup and ready for the public 
Left: Percy removes the spotter scope from his refractor - the magnification might be low but anyone looking through it at the Sun would do serious damage to their eye.
photo by Lesley
Right: Matt adjusting the Society Solarscope
photo by Lesley
Left: Andy points out the Apollo landing sites.
photo by Lesley
Right: Members of MAS relaxing between visitors.
photo by Lesley
Left and Right: Members of the public visiting the stand
photos by Lesley
After an exhausting day with many dozens of visitors, we were glad to pack up and be ready to load before 5:30. Andy and I then went off to fetch our cars from the Meadows carpark. Unfortunately, the organisers allowed vehicles to stop and load on the access road. After the first 20 minutes of watching the typical White Van Man, who had blocked access for everyone else by parking on the path, load one small item at a time into the back of his vehicle, Andy left his car and went to pick up our gear from the pitch. After another 10 minutes or so, during which time Andy had made two trips, 3 marshals turned up and made Mr. Man move his Van, prompted, no doubt, by the way cars at the end of the queue had managed to find their way past the trees and were now driving across the grass !!
This note last modified: 30th Jul 2019 11:21.