I hope to see you there.
A friendly local society for everyone interested in astronomy and space exploration, in Cumbria and beyond.
Welcome

Saturday, December 5
CAS Christmas Drinks
I hope to see you there.
Saturday, November 21
November 2015 CAS meeting
Our next meeting is on Tuesday 24th November. This month Robin Leadbeater will be giving us a talk;
"An Introduction to Variable Stars"
How and why many stars vary in brightness, and the vital role of the amateur observer in studying them
Friday, October 16
CAS October 2015 Meeting
Our next meeting is on Tuesday 27th October and we have a visiting speaker Dr Ian Bradley from the Lancaster University department of Physics, who will be speaking on the subject "Every picture tells a (scientific) story"
The meeting starts at 7.30pm
Sunday, September 27
Lunar eclipse tonight
Don't forget there is a total eclipse of the moon tonight. You'll need to be up in the early hours to see this one as it starts around 2am.
As usual Stuart has lots of useful information about observing the event and other things in the sky over on his Cumbrian Sky blog. .
If you take any pictures of the eclipse bring them along to our meeting on Tuesday night.
Chris
Sunday, September 20
September meeting: Equipment Night
This month we will be looking at the equipment used for astronomy. You don't need anything expensive to get started - there is plenty to see just with your eyes, or some simple binoculars. However it's not long before everyone starts to ask "which telescope should I buy?". There is a huge range of options available which can seem overwhelming and we can give you plenty of advice.
At our equipment meeting we'll have a range telescopes available to explain the different types and features. We will cover the basics of how telescopes work and consider some of the other factors that you need to think about when choosing a telescope. It's also a great opportunity to get some practical advice on using your own telescope so if you want to get more from the equipment you've already got bring it along.
Over the coming months we'll turn our attention to finding our way around the night sky and starting out in astrophotography.
As always we will also be reviewing the latest news and images from the world of astronomy and space exploration.
I hope to see you there, 7.30pm at St Joseph's Church Hall, Cockermouth.
Tuesday, August 25
No August Meeting
Just a reminder that there is no meeting tonight. Our next meeting is at the end of September.
Tuesday, June 30
June Meeting
We have our June meeting this evening. Stuart Atkinson from Eddington Astronomical Society will be giving us a guide to observing and photographing noctilucent clouds. These glowing clouds are visible at this time of year high in the atmosphere at night.
As usual the meeting starts at 7.30pm.
Chris
Monday, May 25
May 2015 Meeting - Annual General Meeting
It is also a good opportunity to look back at the last year and discuss what we would like to do over the coming year. So please come along with your ideas and requests.
We don't have a formal talk this month, but there will be time to show any photos you may have taken, so please bring them along, preferably on a USB stick
Friday, April 24
April CAS Meeting: Guest Speaker
The next CAS meeting is Tuesday 28th April and we are privileged to have another visiting speaker, Dr John Davies to speak on the subject of Infrared Astronomy From Space.
John has played a significant role in UK research into Infrared Astronomy, working both at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh and in Hawai'i on the UKIRT.
The meeting starts at 7.30pm as usual in St Joseph's Church Hall, Cockermouth. All are welcome.
Sunday, March 29
March 2015 Meeting: Asteroids
Friday, March 20
Eclipse watch report
The morning started early, with three society members arriving around 8am to set up, joined a short time later by a photographer from the News and Star. We were met with skies heavy with cloud, and a forecast that didn't look promising. However, as the saying goes, "the only guarantee in astronomy is, if you don't look you definitely won't see anything!". So we set up 'scopes and waited for the crowds to arrive and the clouds to clear.
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Not looking too hopeful . . |
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Eclipse watching via the internet |
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Totality! |
After that spirits rose, and we were eagerly watching gaps in the clouds drifting across the sky, willing them to move to just the right place to reveal the sun again. Some did, and before long we were starting to capture images.
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Eclipse glasses at the ready |
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Solar filters deployed |
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Eclipsed Sun through one of the many gaps in the clouds |
I'm sure there will be more photos to come, watch this space.
Sunday, March 15
Solar Eclipse on Friday
Wednesday, March 4
Eycott Hill Jupiter and Moon Watch - Friday 6th March 2015
We will be on the site from 7.30pm to observe Jupiter and the (almost full) Moon rising. If you are able to bring a telescope along please contact me so that I've got an idea of the number of telescopes we will have available. If you'd just like to come along and take part, that's fine too, please see the details of the event on the Cumbria Wildlife Trust website and book with them. There is no charge for the event from either CWT or CAS.
This map shows directions to the event. Basically turn off the A66 at The Sportsman Inn and follow the road through the hamlet of Berrier. The site is just outside the hamlet on the left.
Monday, February 23
February 2015 meeting
Sunday, January 25
January 2015 CAS Meeting
This month we have a guest speaker, Professor Ian Robson, from the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh who will be giving us a talk on "Active Galaxies and Supermassive Black Holes".
Following that we will have a look at the latest space and astronomy news as well as a look ahead to 2015, which promises to be an interesting year for astronomy.
See you there,