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Welcome
Welcome to the website of Reading Astronomical Society. Our site offers information about the Society and astronomy. You will find:
- All about the Society, who we are, what we do, where we are, how to join etc.
- Monthly newsletter and information
- A gallery of members' images
- Scripts, software and other useful resources
We hope you enjoy the website and find it useful. For more information regarding any aspect of our activities please email info@readingastro.org.uk
Reading Astronomical Society is on Twitter. Follow us to catch up on the latest news, heads up alerts, meeting reminders etc.
"Had a great time lecturing to @ReadingAS last night. A really friendly and engaged bunch of people." - Dr Stuart Clark
Telescope Nights and British Science Association Exhibition
British Science Association
11th and 12th March 2011
starting at 7:30pm at Dinton Pastures
"Just got back from your viewing at Dinton - many thanks for that. It was a really helpful insight into what is really going on in the night sky and how best to view it. I have already dashed out into the garden with my binoculars to see if I can see the moons of Jupiter.
I am involved with the cub scouts and when the time comes for them to work towards the astronomer badge I will contact you to see if you are able to help at all.
Once again many thanks"*
* Testimonial from one of our happy guests - 24th October 2009
Latest News
Telescope Night and British Science Association Exhibition - 13th March 2010
Pointing the Way
Although it clouded over during the evening all the guests had good views of the planet Mars and other sky objects. Many thanks to the volunteers of the British Science Association for the exhibition and the tea and coffee provided and the welcome shelter from the cold.
The cloud cover helped the large attendance for the astronomy slide show in the Emmbrook Room later. As always it was the Hubble Deep-Field image that sent everyone home impressed.
Before the clouds there were several telescopes pointing at sky objects. We also had the excitement of seeing the ISS pass overhead and disappearing into the Earth's shadow.
The evening was part of Reading Science Week 2010.
Partial Lunar Eclipse - 31st Dec 2009
Partial Lunar Eclipse
The last day of 2009 heralded a Blue Moon (the second Full Moon in a a calendar month). Not only that but it was also partially eclipsed.
Some Reading AS members were lucky enough to have clear breaks in the clouds to catch a spectacular view of the Moon with 8% of the surface hidden by the shadow of the Earth.
This image is a stack of five images taken with a Nikon D40 DSLR camera at the prime focus of a 200mm f/4 Newtonian telscope within a few minutes of mid-eclipse.
Star Camp - 13th-15th Nov 2009
Milky Way from Wales
Eleven members and friends braved the heaviest rain (and floods) of the season to find a dark sky at our usual outpost in Wales.
Saturday evening gave us some success as this stack of 5x30secs images taken by Canon400D through Sigma wide-angle lens shows.
Star Camp - 4th-7th April 2008
Reading AS Members prepare
for another clear night
Reading Astronomical Society held its first Star Camp for members at a dark sky site in Wales.
Around twenty members camped, stayed in a B&B or self-catered at a farm in Powys and we were blessed with clear skies each evening. We saw the darkest skies many of us had seen for several years and fantastic telescopic and binocular views were enjoyed.
We plan to make this a regular event for members in the coming years.
The Star Camp was featured in Astronomy Now magazine.
Telescope Nights - 28th-30th Mar 2008
Vistors to Dinton are shown
the Sun safely
Reading Astronomical Society invited members of the public to Dinton Pastures for two evenings of star gazing. Views of Mars and Saturn were enjoyed by visitors to the park in the gaps between the clouds.
On Sunday afternoon the society set up solar telescopes and interested passers by were shown safe views of our nearest star.