Newbury Astronomical Society

Interested in astronomy and looking for meetings and events in the Newbury area?

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Pegasus

The December edition of Pegasus, NAS's monthly newsletter, and the latest edition of What's Up, can be found at the link below:

Forthcoming Meetings

Once a year we hold a Member's Meeting where, rather than our standard format of a main speaker before the break, and then a couple of shorter talks after the break, we throw the meeting open to any and all members to make short (circa 10 - 15 minutes) presentations on any subject that is vaguely astronomically related. That can be a theoretical concept that piques someone's interest, an interesting place to visit, a series of observations conducted, a book that is a must-read, or more. This year we have a number of fascinating talks lined up including ones on Stephan's Quintet, Astronomy from Down Under, The Norman Lockyer Observatory, Telescope Piers, T Coronae Borealis and plans for a trip to see the Eclipse in Spain in 2026. It is shaping up to be a fascinating and enjoyable evening!

The member's meeting will start at 7.30pm and be held at the usual location of The Fair Close Centre, Newtown Road, Newbury: RG14 7BH. (click here for a map and further details of the session's meetings).

For December's Beginners Meeting, after the usual highly informative "What's Up" covering all manner of phenomena in the skies in the coming weeks, we'll first have a talk on the Drake Equation - a sometimes controversial but always thought provoking way of thinking about life in the universe. Then, after a break, we will have another practical-focussed double bill: a session on observing the Moon, and another on observing the planets in the Winter Sky. If it's clear, of course, we will get the telescopes out for some observing of some of those very objects. So loads to look forward to and bring warm clothes in case we do get the chance to get out there under the stars!

Beginners Meetings start at 7pm and are held at Stockcross Village Hall (Sutton Hall), RG20 8LN. (click here for a map and further details of the session's meetings). 

If you wish to be a member of the society for this season and haven't completed your membership form yet, please complete a copy and bring it with you to the meeting.

We also offer an ICS Calendar file of all the meetings (main & beginners) of the session to add to your phone or email client:

Recent meetings:

For slides and other details from recent meetings, head to the Meeting Presentations page. The latest addition is Chris Lloyd's excellent presentation on Astronomy Apps from a beginners meeting a few months ago.

Headlines.....

Comet 2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) puts on a display

Despite challenging weather conditions, many members have managed to image Comet 2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) since it emerged from its closest approach to the Sun and started to appear in the evening sky.  To the left is an image from George Sallit using a Seestar S50 from here in Berkshire, below one by Steve Knight taken from the summit of La Palma. There are still a few days left to get a decent look at the comet, and if you have a Smart Scope like a Seestar, do go to the Smart Scope Group page of the website for some hints and tips to get the best image

Observing Evenings

Often the nicest way to enjoy astronomy under a dark sky is with the company of like-minded friends. They can provide reassurance in an unfamiliar dark environment, give you the encouragement to keep going if you are tiring, help you if your kit misbehaves or you are struggling to find an object, or rib you mercilessly if you turn up and forgot your eyepieces (before potentially lending you one of theirs for the evening). 

One key finding of the survey NAS conducted last year was that members wanted more opportunities to observe as a group, so as a result, NAS are trialling a series of observing nights in the coming months - the first being held last month (October) - that take place at a convenient, relatively dark site near Hampstead Marshall west of Newbury. Dates have been set that coincide with key meteor showers, so even if you don't want to lug a telescope with you, you may just want to sit and enjoy the spectacle of dust grains vaporising in the upper atmosphere. The dates are:


Geminids peak - 15th December

Lyrids peak  - 22nd April

Aquarids peak - 5th May 


Obviously this is the UK, and so we have to contend with the ever-present risk of clouds. As a result, we are using the society WhatsApp group to co-ordinate. So if you're a NAS member and are interested, but not yet on the WhatsApp group, please reach out to Victoria at secretary@newburyastro.org.uk and we'll get you enrolled.

NAS chair Paul Gibson and BAA Pres David Arditti 

Solar observing in the car park

BAA Autumn Meeting 2024 

By all accounts, the joint BAA/RAL/NAS Autumn weekend was a great success, with a sell-out crowd enjoying informative talks, and even the chance of solar observing during the breaks. We will have a full write-up in the next edition of Pegasus, but for now our thanks to the NAS volunteers who worked so hard to pull it off.

Rapt attention from the capacity crowd

Outreach - call for volunteers

NAS has a thriving outreach programme as anyone who looks at the Outreach page on the website will know. Earlier this summer saw multiple events including the Tadley Treacle Fair, RAL Open Week and Thatcham Family Fun Day. The events have all been busy, but the long queues of eager visitors keen to view the sun, plus dozens of contacts gathered, invitations received to visit schools, and hopefully new members recruited shows how hugely valuable these events can be in bringing the joy of astronomy to audiences young and old. As we head into the winter, and another packed programme, the critical need is for volunteers - many hands make light work, and you don't need loads of astronomical knowledge to help out. If you can spare any time for any events on the schedule, please do let George know at Outreach@newburyastro.org.uk 

Some of the society members who helped out at the RAL Open Week