Learn all about us; our history and what we do.
Croydon Astronomical Society. Part 1. History and Background.
Croydon Astronomical Society. Part 2. A Visit to the Norman Fisher Observatory.
Welcome to
Croydon Astronomical Society
Croydon Astronomical Society is based in Croydon, just a few miles south of London. We hold public talks approximately every two weeks during school term time and aim to open our observatory to the public every Saturday evening. The society was founded in 1956 and operates through the donation of time from its members and donations of money from its members and visitors. If astronomy is your thing, please consider joining us as a member.
Public opening of the Observatory
We have an observatory near Kenley aerodrome which we aim to open to the public each Saturday evening. Whether we can open depends on the weather (and availability of volunteers). We can't open if it is wet, windy or cloudy. As the weather is often quite changeable we sometimes can't make the final decision about whether we can open until mid-afternoon on Saturday. We post messages here and on our Facebook page.
Saturday 9nd December.
OBSERVATORY OPEN TONIGHT
7pm to 10pm.
With clear skies forecast from mid afternoon we will be open tonight. It will be much milder than recent weeks but windy so warm clothes are still needed.
Also we have no parking on site, you need to park in Hayes Lane and walk through to us along Waterhouse Lane, which will be wet and muddy after this mornings rain. Use a torch if you need to but please don't shine them at the Observatory
Our next opportunity to open will be Saturday 16th December, weather permitting. Please check our Facebook posts and here on the website next Saturday lunch time.
Public talks
The Society holds public talks at Trinity School, Shirley Road, Croydon CR9 7AT. Further details of the talks programme and location are set out in the Talks tab.
Tonight (Dec 7th). Make a pinhole camera froma beer can to make a solargraph of the passage of the sun in the sky over half a year.
Talks are open to all, there is no charge, but we have a suggested donation of £3 towards society funds. Refreshments priced at 50p are available during the break.
Why we're here
Our objectives are to advance education in the science of astronomy and related subjects for the public benefit in Croydon and the surrounding area by:
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encouraging a popular interest in astronomy and allied subjects;
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helping beginners, irrespective of their age, to acquire a knowledge of astronomy and allied subjects; and
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providing facilities for practical work and active participation in astronomical observation.
IC 5067 The Pelican Wall
©John Mills 2021