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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)
6 Nov 2025 6th Windsor cubs - (outreach)
6th November 2025 - 6th Windsor cubs (outreach)
MAS Team :- Robin (lead), Andy, Arthur, James Q. and Steve (report)
Target arrival 5:30 for a 6pm start, and, as usual, my Sat Nav managed to confuse me. I ended up in a residential area with no obvious Scout Hut. Fortunately after a bit of looking for an allyway into a field and just before I had to resort to using my phone to get directions I suddenly realised where I was. We had been to this venue more than once before and the hut was half a mile down the road just before the bend ... so I was only around 10 minutes late !
The small car park meant I had to park behind Robin blocking him in. The others were already unloaded and setting up inside, however the cubs had not yet arrived so one of the Scout Masters helped me unpack.
With 100% cloud it was obvious we would be going with the 'Cloudy Weather' option. In Robins plan I would be on first. So I quickly set up for the 'string solar system'.
Soon the 14 cubs had arrived and I was 'doing my bit' with the planets Q&A and layout along the (half scale) AU 'string'. The cubs were quick to identify each planet and, with the help of James, place them at the correct distance from the Sun. I only realised that I was over-running when Robin prompted me to 'get a move on' !
James then explained the difference between a planet and star. Using a torch, model moon and inflatable earth, Andy demonstrated how the a solar eclipse is caused by the moon casting a shadow onto the earth.
Robin then used Stellarium to show the constellations, pointing out how to locate north via the Big Dipper and Polaris. He pointed out the various 'circumpolar' constellations and demonstrated how the rotation of the earth and it's movement around the sun caused the view of the stars to rotate around Polaris whilst the portion of the sky seen differed from season to season.
Then came a new section using Robin's meteorite collection. The cubs were divided into 4 groups and each group examined a set of half a dozen meteorite fragments using the illuminated magnifying glass provided.
The fragments consisted of the usual metallic and rocky items (the difference being identified by the cubs using a magnet) and a 'tektite' - a form of impact glass. This caused much interest with one cub suggesting it 'smelled of peanut butter' !
At this point it was realised that our time was up and both Arthur's sun observing talk and our telescope demonstrations had to be dropped,
This note last modified: 12th Nov 2025 10:14.
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Follow @MaidenheadAstroIf the fancy Twitter button doesn't appear above, you can exit to Twitter using this old fashioned URL link :-)
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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