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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. 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, 7th November 2025 Exoplanet Observation (Adrian Jones)
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 2026TBA ( ) |
Friday, 7th November 2025Exoplanet Observation (Adrian Jones) |
Friday, 3rd April 2026TBA ( ) |
Friday, 5th December 2025Christmas Quiz (members) |
Friday, 1st May 2026TBA ( ) |
Friday, 2nd January 2026Telescope Parade (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)
2 Oct 2025 2nd Burnham Guides - (outreach)
2nd October 2025 - 2nd Burnham Guides (outreach)
MAS Team:- Robin (lead), Arthur, Adrian, James Q. and Steve (report)
This was the first outreach of the new season and, as might be expected, the skies were full of clouds. Indeed, I actually had a few drops of rain whilst loading my telescope into the car ! So it would be the 'cloudy weather' plan.
The venue was down an ally and through a gate. Having been warned of this, I had loaded my hand trolley into the car, with which to move my Dobsonian tube. As usual we all turned up early, about 6.55. Lucky the few spots of rain had stopped and by the time we had unloaded and started to stack up kit along the ally, the guide leaders had arrived and opened up.
Soon the guides were arriving - a total of 12 - and the meeting started at soon after 7:30.
The first task, led by James (who turned up just in time !) was to build a model Solar system. The hall turned out to be just short of the distance needed for the full scale 1 AU per division marked 'string' so we went with 2 AU per division. Which led to some interesting mental arithmatic when trying to work out where to place Jupiter (5.2 AU = 2.6 divisions).
Next Robin led a talk using Stellarium showing constellations with focus on identifying the North Star (Polaris) via the 2 end 'pointer stars' of the Great Bear (or 'Big Dipper').
Arthur then took over with a short talk on how to observe the sun safely using Sun Filter / Eclipse glasses, or telescope with a solar filter, as demonstrated with bright torch by Robin.
Back at the screen and projector, Adrian explained the difference between a star and a planet, showing an illustration of the Milky Way Galaxy and where the Solar System lies within it.
Finally the guides were split into 3 groups for the 'show and tell' telescope 'round robin'. On show James's binoculars, Robin's refractor, my Dobsonian and Adrian's tablet controlled Seestar (now with EQ 'wedge' and mosaic firmware update !). About half way through the parents started to arrive at the door, so we speeded up a bit.
This note last modified: 4th Oct 2025 16:46.
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For the latest news, follow us on Twitter (javascript must be enabled for the 'button' below to work). Our latest Twitter postings can also be seen on the Observing page
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