Basic Astronomy and Observation Programme
Welcome to Cranfield Astronomical Society.
Our regular weekly meetings are Tuesday evenings. To receive the information to join the events, please join using the registration link.
Our main communication is through emails to registered members. Our Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp are also channels used by the community.
Introduction
The Cranfield Astronomical Society aims to provide a forum at Cranfield for the discussion of all astronomical matters, to encourage amateur observation and to operate, on behalf of the University, the observatory which was built to house the telescopes.
We are a friendly group and a happy blend of novices and experts.
As we are a community of volunteers, we do not have the resources to entertain personal events like birthdays, anniversaries and ad hoc visits.
Basic Astronomy Course
As part of our regular meetings, the Society runs a Basic Astronomy and Observation course on Tuesday evenings.
The programme starts in October and runs just before Easter. It is designed to help you enjoy astronomy without any background.
The cost of membership is £10 for students and staff of Cranfield University (this includes the course and use of equipment). Persons not related to Cranfield University can join as Associate Members.
2025 Winter Term Programme
Programme from January 2025
Regular meetings are in person this term.
The location for meetings is emailed to members who registered using this FORM.
| Evenings could be cold, please come in warm clothes and thick socks.
You are welcome to bring your own instruments. | Evening sky Moon ephemeris | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Topic | Moon Ephemeris (% illuminated, Rise/set). |
| 16 Jan | Image Processing Astro Images And announcement of details for the astronomy photo competition | Moon rises 1923 95% illuminated Waning |
| 23 Jan | Cepheid variable stars and the Discovery of Galaxies | Sets 1054 Rises 0356(24th) 37% Waning Dark night |
| 30 Jan | The Galilean Moons of Jupiter A detailed look at Jupiter’s largest satellites
Skywatch for February | Sets 1800 1 day past NEW Dark night |
| 6 Feb | The Cosmic Distance Scale How distances between different astronomical features are measured. | Rises 1023 Sets 0417(7th) 66% Waxing |
| 13 Feb | An Introduction to the HR Diagram What is an HR diagram and what does it tell us? | Rises1819 Full Moon |
| 20 Feb | Synthesis of elements in the universe How and where the elements of the periodic table are made. | Rises0253(21st) 55% Waning Dark night |
| 27 Feb | The Geology of the Rocky Planets How do the other rocky planets compare with Earth? Skywatch for March | Sets1658 0.4% Nearly NEW Dark night |
| 4 & 6 Mar | Visits to Bedford AS Booking details will be sent to members by email. Places are limited so book early. | 4th Sets 0036(5th) 39%
6th Sets 0323 55% |
| 13 Mar | CranSEDS project tbc | Rises 1719 Nearly FULL Moon |
| 20 Mar | A look at the entries to the astrophotography competition and announcement of the winners | Rises 0148 (21st) 66% Waning Dark night |
| 27 Mar | Mining the Final Frontier: Strategies for Extracting Asteroid Resources A student project. | Sets 1553 2 days to NEW Dark night |
| Observing will follow each talk, weather permitting. | ||
| All programme are subject to changes. |
About us
The Cranfield Astronomical Society membership is mainly Cranfield University students and staff. It is one of the active local amateur astronomical societies and helped many to enjoy the night sky.
Meetings
The Society meetings are held on Tuesday evenings at 7:30pm on the main Cranfield campus, except when events or lectures are organised elsewhere. As much as the weather permits, observation at Loxham Observatory is prioritised. Special observing sessions are arranged, not necessarily Tuesdays, to enable newcomers to gain experience or to observe incidental astronomical events.
The Observatory
The observatory is equipped with a Celestron C11 telescope on a powered equatorial mounting. Facilities exist for simple astrophotography through the main equipment. Some computer software is available for demonstration and observation calculations. There is also a range of portable equipment for offsite observation.
Members of the Society are permitted to operate the telescopes at their own convenience, provided they are able to demonstrate competence in doing so. Training is provided.
