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Please use the anchor links below to find out more, or simply scroll
down the page.
Officers | Our
aims | Members | Membership
fees | Journal and website | Meetings
| Night sky observing | Our
recent activities
Officers
| Founder | |
Chris Rose - 1990 |
| Patron | |
Sir Bernard Lovell - O.B.E.,LLD.,DSc.,FRS. |
| President | |
Sir Francis Graham Smith - 13th Astronomer Royal |
| Vice-President | |
Professor Emeritus Rod Davies - C.B.E., FRS Jodrell Bank Observatory |
| Honorary members | |
Sir Patrick Moore - C.B.E., FRAS Ian Morison - Jodrell Bank Observatory |
| Chairman | |
Andrew Greenwood |
| Vice-Chairman | |
Chris Hall |
| Secretary | |
Mike Williamson |
| Treasurer | |
Malcolm Beesley |
| Observing co-ord/Editor | |
David Ogden |
| Librarians | |
Christine Elliot Judy Quinlan |
| Jodrell Bank liason | Megan Argo | |
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Additional help is given by Alan Banks (editor) and Mark Craven (refreshments) |
Our aims
Our long-term aims are to provide a focal point for contact between local astronomers and also to make astronomy accessible to the general public.
We would be pleased to hold Astronomy evenings for local schools and youth groups, to encourage interest in astronomy and to provide support for it as part of the National Curriculum.
Members
Many of our members have considerable experience in various aspects of amateur astronomy such as astrophotography and CCD-imaging. If you are considering buying a telescope, talk to our experienced observers who will happily offer advice and guidance. The Society owns several telescopes and binoculars, which are available for hire by members. We also have an extensive book and video/DVD library from which titles may be borrowed.
Membership fees
Individual membership costs just £15.00 per year, payable on 1st September with reduced rates for those joining mid-term. Additional family members may join for a reduced fee of £7.50, but children under 16 years are entitled to free membership.
If you would like to join the Macclesfield Astronomical Society, please feel free to visit one of our meetings and collect an application form from one of the Committee members. Alternatively, e-mail Malcolm Beesley at treasurer@maccastro.com
Journal and website
‘What’s Up?’ is a free bi-monthly newsletter providing up-to-date Society news and astronomical information. It is available in A4 print from our monthly meetings and also in electronic form, from this website.
We aim to update our fully featured website on a regular basis. Please add our URL to your Bookmark listing. For your reference, our web address is: http://www.maccastro.com
Meetings
As previously mentioned, there are two official meetings held by the Macclesfield Astronomical Society each month. We hold a Workshop, at the famous Jodrell Bank Observatory on the first Tuesday of each month and provide a Lecture by a visiting speaker on the third Tuesday of every month at the Village Hall in Goostrey. This lasts for one hour with time for questions afterwards, followed by coffee and a chance to talk with other members.
Night sky observing
Informal observing sessions are held from time-to-time when the weather permits. These will be announced at meetings or via our website or at Workshops and lectures. Members and their guests are welcome to use the Society’s equipment or bring their own.
Dark sky field trips
On a regular basis we arrange weekend visits to Harris House (kindly provided by William Hulme Grammar School) in Hardraw to observe under wonderful, dark Yorkshire skies. The trips run from a designated date on a Friday evening to the following Sunday morning. Announcements are made well in advance of the event to allow members to register their interest.
Join us and see the night sky as Nature intended it to be ...
Our recent activities
The case against light pollution
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| Click to download (1.6mb) Right-click (Windows)/Ctrl-click (Macintosh) and choose 'Download link to disk'. |
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However, we believe the problem is yet to be taken seriously enough to force the Government into taking the appropriate action. The issues will not be solved overnight, so we urge as many people as possible to write to their local council, MP, or the Prime Minister himself requesting immediate action.
Please feel free to download our report.
Two-thousand and five, another fantastic year
The year 2005 was once again productive. We staged and attended events ... To name but a few:
- Three successful trips to our dark sky site at Hardraw in Yorkshire
- The purchase of a new 80mm semi-apochromatic refractor for members' use
- Heightening public awareness against the issues of light pollution
- Frequent and sustained exposure within the UK's premier astronomy magazine - Astronomy Now
- Celebration of our fifteenth anniversary
- Jan - Galileo - the Martyr who brought his own Firewood– Dr.
Allan Chapman
Feb - Radio meteors – Chris Heapy
Mar - The SpacedOut project – Dr. Nigel Marshall
Apr - Project Spaceguard – Jay Tate
May -15th anniversary address – Megan Argo
Jun - The alternative history of Jodrell Bank – Prof. Rod Davies
Jul - From the incredibly small to the incredibly large – Prof. Sandy Donnachie
Aug - Unveiling Saturn – Ian Morison
Sep - Variable Stars – Tony Markham
Oct - Mars through historical eyes – Andrew Greenwood (MAS Chairman)
Nov - Hubble Deep Field – Tom Muxlow
Dec - Astrofestival party
What's in store during 2006
We have various plans for this coming year, some of which are listed
below:
- A total if six Hardraw dark sky field trips
- A trip to the stunning Bridgewater Hall for an astronomically-themed concert
- The continuation of or successfully attended Jodrell Bank star parties
If you wish to find out more, or join the Macclesfield Astronomical Society, please contact us.
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 March
and April updates ...!Apologies for the late updating of the MAS website for March. As a result I decided to put twice as much work into the update and include April too ... Some of us (depending on when you're reading this) will be either getting excited at the prospect of going to see March's total solar eclipse, or wondering when on Earth the next one will be - thinking 'I simply must see another one!' No doubt images of the beautiful event will adorn the pages of this website in the coming weeks. The following sections have been updated: This month's night sky, Observations and Gallery. 
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Header images courtesy of the Hubble Heritage Project