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
(+) 20 Jan 2025 Cookham Dean Primary school - (outreach)
(+) 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)
8th December 2021, Central Windsor Scouts
Presenters:- Adrian, Robin, Steve (report by Steve)
This talk was for the Astronomy Badge, which requires actual viewing of the stars, so despite the poor weather forecast I loaded my telescope into the car anyway.
Unfortunately the forecast was right, with 100% cloud when I arrived just before 7pm. My SatNav directed me to a position half way down the road on the right, however this was obviously a private house so I parked the car and walked the road looking for the hall. I found it on the left, set back from the end of the road. This was when I discovered that Robin and Adrian had beaten me to it !
The Scouts start their meeting at 7:30pm, after the Cubs/Beavers, who use the same hall, depart at 7. So there was a short wait whilst they finished up and departed. Adrian took a look at the sky, still 100% cloud, and decided that there was no point in unloading our telescopes. In any event, the street lights would have made it difficult to see much from the hard standing or car park at the front and side of the hall.
So it would be the indoor program. We quickly masked-up in compliance with the Scout Association's current Covid "yellow readiness" status and unloaded our equipment.
The screen was set up next to the flag, as this was the direction in which the Scouts normally faced and as one of the assistances started to place chairs 2m apart facing the screen Robin got out his fancy laptop. After a bit of playing with Windows 10 screen settings and re-plugging cables he managed to get Stellarium up and running on the beamer.
The 16 Scouts soon arrived and Robin went straight into his 'constellations' talk. A 'script' he had prepared stepped through from Ursa Major, to Polaris, back to Ursa Minor and away to Cassiopeia as he explained how to find North. A quick overview of other constellations visible in the sky right now followed, including Taurus, Orion and Gemini, highlighting the major stars, including Sirius the brightest star in the sky, part of the constellation of Canis Major.
Adrian was then assisted by Robin using Stellarium in a demonstration of how the stars shift from night to night and season to season.
Next the chairs were cleared away and the Scouts gathered in the center of the hall. With me moving the moon around the group, Adrian delivered a demonstration of how the moon's gravity caused the tides. Gravity pulls the oceans towards the moon at the nearest point, causing a high tide, leaving low tides at the sides of the earth. Since the earth is closer to the moon than the oceans at the furthest point, 'away' from the moon, the earth, in effect, leaves the ocean behind. This leads to a second high tide at the opposite side of the Earth, away from the Moon. He them want on to explain how the Moon's orbit around the earth leads to the tides occurring 50 minutes later each day.
The pack was then divided into its 3 "six's" for the 'build a model of the Solar System' activity. Robin had recreated the planet diameter and solar distance ratio chart, which was shown on the screen whilst the Scouts selected from a box of balls and decided on a layout scale. All 3 completed the task with flying colours, two even selecting a ball with different colour halves and placing it on its side to represent Uranus.
With time running out, the props were cleared away and the Scouts gathered together for the awarding of Badges previously earned. As 'homework' they were asked to go out on a clear night and either photograph or sketch a constellation to complete their Astronomy Badge task.
This note last modified: 9th Dec 2021 15:41.