Skip to content

Category: observing

Published 2025-03-30

2025 April Update

Next Members Meeting

This month we will be holding an online/zoom only meeting which is scheduled for Tuesday 1st April 2025 19:15 for 19:30 meeting start.

This month we are delighted to have James Fradgley who will give a talk “Astronomical Causes of Climate Change”. Please see our newsletter (download link below) for further details and a speaker bio.

If you’re not a member and you are looking to join, please drop an email to us (see contact page) and request the Zoom access code. We kindly ask that after two “try out” member meetings, that you take out an annual membership, see membership page for details.

Newsletter

Once again thanks to Simon Barnes, our chair, for editing the newsletter and providing our monthly “Report from the Chair” amongst other details about the society and a new “whats up” “Beginners” section this month. Please check it out. If you have any feedback about the newsletter, then we would love to hear it, so get in touch via our contact page.

Download Newsletter

Observing

For the second month in a row we have successfully held an observing evening, thanks to all those attended. There was plenty on show and we made the most of the night prior to the clock change.

Then, 12 hours later we met again at Lacock for the Partial Solar Eclipse. The sun gods smiled on us and we had a super turnout for our outreach event, choc full of families, with plenty of “wow” moments.

Please check out the newsletter for images from the day. A big big thank you to the volunteering team and all members that attended, thank you again.

If you have any feedback or comments on how to improve any aspect of the observing events, please let us know via our contact page.

Download our observing schedule for the next event.

Download Observing Schedule

Mailing List

Please make sure you are subscribed to our mailing list to get the society monthly updates by email and also the observing reminders.

Clear skies

Wiltshire-AS

Published 2025-03-25

Partial Solar Eclipse Viewing Session

This Saturday 29th March we have arranged an extra daytime observing session to view the Partial Solar Eclipse, subject to weather conditions. Read more about the Partial Eclipse in this month’s Sky and Telescope magazine and see flyer.

The society will set up safe observing equipment will be in playing field adjacent to the Red Lion pub in Lacock (1 High Street, SN15 2LQ), the event is planned 09:30 to 12:30. Please note this is different to the normal picnic area that we use.

The society will have a range of solar observing equipment, plus safe solar eclipse viewers for the public to use.

Note. You should never look at the sun directly or through observing equipment unless safeguards are in place. Only official eclipse viewers or specialised solar observing equipment must used, as not doing so could damage your eyesight. Please follow the instructions of the observing team on the day.

The event is free to attend and no sign up or registration is required, just turn up on the day.

An event notification will be sent on Friday if weather conditions do not look favourable. Please subscribe to our mailing list to receive these observing related notifications.

Clear skies

Published 2023-07-28

2023-2024 Observing Season

The WAS observing team has published the upcoming dates for the observing evenings for our 2023-2024 season, starting in September.

The full information is available on our observing page. The observing schedule is available as a PDF download.

Clear skies

Published 2022-09-15

2022-2023 Observing Session Published

A new season of scheduled observing sessions have been published by the Observing Team, see our https://wasnet.org.uk/observing/ page for more details.

The first session is scheduled on Friday 16th September, but will be subject to weather conditions. Look out for a ON/OFF email notification which will be sent to the dedicated observing mailing list that will confirm if the session will go ahead.

To subscribe to the observing mailing list to get email notifications, please see our https://wasnet.org.uk/observing/ page.

Published 2020-11-27

December Observing Suggestions

Wiltshire Astronomical Society Observing Suggestions for December 2020 @ 21:00

We have updated the observation targets this month for those with binoculars or smaller wide field telescopes to have something to search for.

The WAS Observing Team will provide recommended observing sessions for you to do while maintaining social distancing away from the home or as part of your social bubble at the homes of close friends or relatives. Please always follow the latest government guidelines if observing away from the home.

These observing recommendations will continue until we can start our group observing again (hopefully) in the new year.

Most target objects can be found around due South and South-West at about 21:00.

Where To Look This Month:
This month we concentrate on the constellation of Taurus.
Just select ‘What’s Up’ link below to get the PDF file.
What’s Up Link: http://wasnet.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/WAS-2020-12-observing-notes.pdf

Published 2020-03-10

Messier Marathon March 2020

We will be attempting the Messier Marathon on Saturday 21st March which will take place at Pewsey Down Car Park at grid reference SU 11585 63805 (link to map). While subject to confirmation on the day, Chris Brooks is planning to get there for sunset at around 18:30 to set up. If it is called off on the Saturday we will check the forecast for other possible evenings during the week but keep it to the same location and time.

Please sign up to our observing mailing list to follow updates there about this event and our regular monthly observing sessions, the sign up form is on our https://wasnet.org.uk/observing/ page.

We hope to see you there!

All messier objects (numbered).jpg
Credit: Michael A. Phillips, source

Published 2019-04-01

Smoke messiered things up …

Last Friday’s (29th March 2019) Wiltshire Astronomical Society observation session was very well attended and much interest was shown. Unfortunately, the attempted messier mini marathon was spoiled somewhat by a nearby bonfire obscuring many setting objects and the skies never quite became clear enough to make out anything remotely faint.

Of the planned 30 major targeted objects, I only managed to find 13 in total. However this was using the old fashion method of finding them i.e. star charts and finder scope. It was a good evening though with lots of friendly banter throughout and thanks goes to the observing coordinators and all members who attended.

Member post by Chris Brooks

Published 2019-03-29

Scheduled Observing Session Tonight

There is a scheduled (subject to email confirmation) observing session tonight, Friday 2th March 2019, meeting at 19:30 at Lacock, Wiltshire. Please see our observing page https://wasnet.org.uk/observing/ for further details.

Source: Wiltshire Astronomy Society

The observing team are hoping to chase down targets in a Mini Messier Marathon, see this list of suggested viewing order for Messier Objects (link) and this finder booklet to messier objects (link).

IMPORTANT NOTE. The final “ON”/”OFF” email alert on whether the session goes ahead will be sent to the Wiltshire AS Observing Email List usually by the afternoon of the day of the session. Members and non-members can subscribe to the observing mailing list through our observing page https://wasnet.org.uk/observing/. Please use the mailing list as the confirmation.