Welcome!

You have reached the official website of Macclesfield Astronomical Society. We hope you enjoy your visit ...


	Star party! At Tegg's Nose country park ... Macclesfield Astronomical Society along with Cheshire East Rangers will be holding a star party on Saturday, May 12th from 2030. The cost will be £5.00 per person. For enquires and bookings, call 01625 383777 or contact Martin James


	Stop press! Announcement ... There has been a break in at the Astronomy Centre in Todmorden. The Centre is a public outreach facility and is Peter Drew's life work. Please be on the look out for new advertisements for solar 'scopes that have been modified and large binoculars. Please contact Todmorden Astronomy Centre with any information.


	Announcement! MAS June Workshop ... Please note that the 5 June 2012 MAS Workshop has been cancelled. This is due to an unforeseen Bank Holiday on the same day. The event will not be rescheduled.


	For sale - high resolution PST conversion kit ... The high resolution H-alpha images on this Flickr page were taken with this scope. It's also stunning to look through, with the caveat that the PST blocking filter limits the field of view to about ¼ of the solar disc. It is also worth noting that the PST can still be used in its normal state. The items for sale are: • 90mm Baader D-ERF • Custom filter cell to fit a TAL 100RS • Shortened TAL 100RS – the tube is slightly shorter than it strictly needed so the focuser is sealed in place with silicone sealant. Please note that the OTA only works as part of the modified PST setup • PST etalon to 2" focuser adapter • Long Skywatcher dovetail • Starsharp solar finder The cost of these items new is just over £700.00, and involves chopping the TAL tube and retapping the focuser threads. All items are being sold for £450.00 (excluding PST) To purchase the equipment or for further details, please e-mail Tom Hudson


	Join us! Download our membership form ... If you wish to become a member of Macclesfield Astronomical Society you can download our application form and return it to us with your membership fee at any of our meetings.


	Delectable deep-sky objects ... Even though day-by-day the evening twilight and darkness is being whittled away by the lengthening days, mysterious objects still lurk within the vastness of interstellar space. Two beautiful examples are shown here - M13 the Great Globular Cluster and M51 the Whirlpool Galaxy. Paul Brierley who captured these images notes: M51 is a 56 minute exposure using 5 minute subs, all controlled from my study using an Aspire 5535, a Windows 7 laptop and my 254mm f4.8 plus Canon 1000D. The camera included a CLS clip filter. Guiding was done through a 9x50 finder with a special adaptor which connects to my Q5 camera. The other image is about a 19 minute exposure using three minute subs. Images: P. A. Brierley


	New for 2012 - Highlights of 2011 ... If you missed any of the wonderful astronomical images captured by the members of our Society during 2011, you can enjoy them here ...


	Visit the MAS Wiki ... For the latest Society and astronomy news plus articles by our members, please take a look at the MaccAstro Wiki. Click here ...


	Start astro-tweeting with @MaccAstroSoc ... Why not start telling us about what you're looking at in the sky right now, or let us know if you are going to observing later. Twitter is a great way of keeping in touch with other members of the Society, so why not join today? Click here ...

Our members come from all walks of life, ranging from novices to those who have spent a lifetime in astronomical research. Whether you are an armchair astronomer or a keen meteor-observer, you will find a kindred spirit within the Society.

There are three official meetings held by the Macclesfield Astronomical Society each month. Lecture meetings are held at Goostrey Village Hall, Beginners' classes at Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School and Workshops at Macclesfield Heritage Centre, unless stated otherwise.

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All meetings begin at 2000.

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	Keep up-to-date with Society events and subscribe to the electronic version of our newsletter - 'What's Up?' ... Click here.

The night sky awaits you ...

If you have not visited our Society before, why not come along?

If you've ever looked up at the starry night sky and been enthralled by what you've seen, we'll be more than happy to show you more and help you understand its beauty ...

Clear skies to all!


	For the latest Society and astronomy news plus articles by our members, please visit the MaccAstro Wiki ... Click here.


	Would you like to join our newly formed visual observing group? We will now be holding regular observing sessions at some of our dark-sky sites across Macclesfield. If you would like to be added to our contact list, don't delay ... Click here.


	For information on our observing field trips to Hardraw, Yorkshire ... Click here.


	Our Workshops continue to be a great success. As a result we are looking for more of you to participate and give your own short presentations to Society members. Let us know if you'd like to get involved ... Click here.

Will you be observing tonight? Click here ...

Header images courtesy of the Hubble Heritage Project