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Manchester Astronomical Society
Established 1903
Weekly Meetings
Each Thursday we meet in The Godlee Observatory (apart from the Public Lecture evenings and the Christmas/New Year break, when the Observatory will be closed), from about 19:00. Any scheduled talks will start at about 20:00. Weather permitting, we may also observe using the telescopes until as late as people want to stay. If you are interested in coming to any of these meetings please see the visitor information page.
During the Coronavirus pandemic, our "physical" meetings are suspended and we are using ZOOM video-conferencing. You can see what's in the night sky for the next month by visiting our JOURNAL page, or clicking on the SkyNotes link
January - April 2020
2nd January - No Meeting Tonight - Christmas/New Year Break
9th January - SkyNotes for January
SkyNotes for January
16th January - Public Lecture at MMU - The Godlee Observatory is closed this evening
Public Lecture at Manchester Metropolitan University,
John Dalton Building, Chester Street, Manchester M1 5GD, commencing at 19:30
See Lectures page for more information23rd January - Informal Evening - Including setting up your telescope
An Informal Evening which will include a hands on demonstration of setting up a telescope
30th January - SkyNotes for February
SkyNotes for February
6th February - Light Pollution - Steve Hurley
A talk by Steve on the causes of Light Pollution and the effects on astronomy and Dark Sky initiatives.
13th February - Saturn - A Travellers Guide to the Planets (Video)
Saturn - A Travellers Guide to the Planets
20th February - Public Lecture at MMU - The Godlee Observatory is closed this evening
Public Lecture at Manchester Metropolitan University, John Dalton Building, Chester Street, Manchester M1 5GD commencing at 19:30
See Lectures page for more information27th February - SkyNotes for March
SkyNotes for March
5th March - Informal Evening
There is no planned talk by the President this evening - this is an oportunity for members to perhaps show some of their images or maybe give a short talk themselves. As a Plan B, there is a possibility of an astronomical video.
12th March - The Best of the Rest 2
Choose the best of recent images (November 2019/February 2020) posted on our Facebook group by NON-Members of the Society. The winning image will be posted to our new Facebook Page Photo Album
19th March - GODLEE OBSERVATORY CLOSED
The Society Council has now taken the decision to suspend ALL meetings of the Society for an indefinite period of at least 30 days from 17th March 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
UPDATE 19/3/2020: The University of Manchester has placed all the buildings into lock-down. Only essential UoM staff will have access; therefore, the question of when the Godlee re-opens and meetings recommence is in the hands of the UoM, not the MAS.
26th March - SkyNotes for April - CANCELLED
SkyNotes for April - During the Coronavirus pandemic, our meetings are suspended - but you can see what's in the night sky for the next month by visiting our JOURNAL page.
2nd April - The Steady State Theory - Steve Hurley - POSTPONED
The Steady State Theory - An alternative to the big bang theory in which the universe has no beginning and no end. This was a very popular theory in the 1950’s but by the late 1970’s had been generally discarded
9th April - NO MEETING
16th April - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - MEMBERS ONLY - POSTPONED
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - Members ONLY tonight please
The meeting will commence at 8.00 pm prompt
23rd April - NO MEETING
30th April - SkyNotes for May - CANCELLED
SkyNotes for May - CANCELLED - See www.manastro.org/journal.html
May - August 2020
7th May - NO MEETING
14th May - NO MEETING
21st May - NO MEETING
28th May - SkyNotes for June - Cancelled
SkyNotes for June - CANCELLED - See www.manastro.org/journal.html
4th June - ZOOM meeting
11th June - ZOOM meeting
18th June - online via ZOOM
Online meeting via ZOOM
25th June - SkyNotes for July - online via ZOOM link
SkyNotes for July - online via ZOOM link
2nd July - ZOOM meeting - 19.30
9th July - ZOOM meeting - 19.30
If wished, a 20 minute video, "Clash of the Titans - Hubble's Universe Unfiltered" may be shown
16th July - ZOOM meeting - 19.30
23rd July - ZOOM meeting - 19.30
30th July - ZOOM meeting - 19.30
SkyNotes for August
6th August - SkyNotes for August
13th August - Zoom meeting - 19.30 to 20.10
Zoom meeting 19.30 to 20.10 - Council meeting 20.30 to 21.10
20th August - Zoom meeting - 19.30 to 20.10 - Council meeting 20.30 to 21.10
Zoom meeting 19.30 to 20.10 - Council meeting 20.30 to 21.10
27th August - SkyNotes for September - ZOOM meetings 19.30 to 20.10 and 20.15 to 20.55
SkyNotes for September - ZOOM meetings 19.30 to 20.10 and 20.15 to 20.55
Member's Notice Board
Posted 16 June 2020
Society Meetings at the Godlee are temporarily suspended - online meetings via ZOOM are now available.
Posted: 30 August 2020
Subscriptions are due 1st October - As a thank-you to our Members, we have reduced the subs by up to 45% for 2020/21: £11.00 for Adults and £6.00 for Students, payable by PayPal preferably.
If you absolutely MUST use a cheque, please initially e-mail the President for an address to post your cheque to.
NEW members are required to pay the full subscription of £21.00 for Adults and £11.00 for Students.
See the payment links on the Home page.Posted: 23 July 2018
The MAS website has pages devoted to images of the night sky, as well as the Sun and Moon, and that images may be submitted to the website via e-mail to the webmaster, in addition to posting on the MAS Facebook page.
Details about image submission can be found here.
September - December 2020
3rd September - ZOOM meetings from 19.30 to 20.10 and 20.15 to 20.55
ZOOM meetings from 19.30 to 20.10 and 20.15 to 20.55
10th September - ZOOM meetings from 19.30 to 20.10 and 20.15 to 20.55
ZOOM meetings from 19.30 to 20.10 and 20.15 to 20.55
17th September - ZOOM meetings from 19.30 to 20.10 and 20.15 to 20.55
ZOOM meetings from 19.30 to 20.10 and 20.15 to 20.55
24th September - ZOOM Meetings from 19.30 to 20.10 and 20.15 to 20.55
"SkyNotes for October" & "Variable Stars"
1st October - ZOOM Meetings from 19.30 to 20.10 and 20.15 to 20.55
ZOOM Meetings from 19.30 to 20.10 and 20.15 to 20.55
8th October - ZOOM Meetings from 19.30 to 20.10 and 20.15 to 20.55
ZOOM Meetings from 19.30 to 20.10 and 20.15 to 20.55
15th October - Public Lecture at MMU - Prof. Ben Stappers - University of Manchester - Jodrell Bank - "Fast Radio Bursts"
Prof. Ben Stappers - University of Manchester - Jodrell Bank - "Fast Radio Bursts"
22nd October
Choose the best of recent images posted on Facebook by NON-Members of the Society. The winning image will be posted to our new Facebook Page Photo Album
29th October - SkyNotes for November
SkyNotes for November
5th November
12th November
19th November - Public Lecture at MMU - Dr Sarah Crowther, University of Manchester - "Moon, Meteorites & More"
Dr Sarah Crowther, University of Manchester - "Moon, Meteorites & More"
26th November - SkyNotes for December
SkyNotes for December
3rd December
10th December
17th December - Public Lecture at MMU - Emma Bunce, University of Leicester - BepiColombo, Mercury Bound
Emma Bunce, University of Leicester - BepiColombo, Mercury Bound
24th December - No Meeting Tonight - Christmas / New Year Break
No meeting tonight. The Godlee is closed.
Wishing a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to the Whole World
31st December - No Meeting Tonight - Christmas / New Year Break
No meeting tonight. The Godlee is closed.
Wishing a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to the Whole World
Health & Safety Notice
Safety procedures within the Godlee Observatory are maintained for the safety of members, staff and visitors to the observatory.
All visitors must be accompanied by a warden or a trained society member when entering the Godlee dome.
Please note that due to Health and Safety restrictions, persons under 11 years of age are not allowed to use the spiral staircase nor enter the Godlee dome area (where the telescopes are situated).
The walkway on the outside of the dome is not accessible.
All persons in the Godlee Observatory complex must observe all safety procedures and notices as indicated or advised.
All visitors will receive safety instruction upon arrival.
All group visits must be pre-arranged to ensure there are an appropriate number of trained personnel present; this may require a risk assessment. There is a maximum occupancy of 40 persons; this number includes any MAS personnel required to supervise the group.
Manchester Astronomical Society, Godlee Observatory, Sackville Street Building, University
of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL
Tel: +44 (0) 161 306 4977 (24 Hour Voicemail)