Welcome to
Croydon Astronomical Society
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.
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.
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.
Summer daytime openings of the observatory.
OBSERVATORY OPEN this Sunday (21st June) for a public solar viewing day.
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Sunday 21st June is the Summer Solstice when the daylight hours are longest and the hours of darkness are the shortest. We intend to celebrate this event by opening our observatory to the public from 1pm until 4pm so that you can observe the sun safely, both in normal "white light" and with special narrow-band instruments that enable you to see activity on the sun's service.
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These events are free and there is no need to book. See this page which has details of where to find us. The important things to note are that there is no car access to the observatory (it is on private land) and no parking in Waterhouse lane which leads up to it. Please don't try to drive up Waterhouse lane as you will get stuck. Also note that we have no toilets on site.
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The weather forecast looks encouraging for Sunday but if it clouds over we either won't open or will go home early. Keep an eye on our Facebook page in case our plans change.
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Other events.
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Look out for details of when we will open to observe the partial solar eclipse on August 12th in the early evening, and the Perseid meteor watch late at night on the same day (these events will be held on the aerodrome, not at the observatory)
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We are also making plans to open for the Open House event where we will show people around the observatory and talk about how it was built. Assuming that it is sunny we will also have some solar telescopes for observing the sun. The date is afternoon on 13th September.
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We will start our normal Saturday night opening (if it is clear) from September 5th.
Public talks
The Society holds public talks, see the Talks tab for further details. Talks will be held in the Small Hall of Shirley Methodist Church, Shirley. Wel meet on the first and third Fridays of each month.
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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.
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Shirley Methodist is within walking distance of Trinity School and is easily accessible by bus from East Croydon. The postcode is CR0 8SD. There is parking on site but, if it is full, there is ample parking on nearby roads.
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Partial solar eclipse of 29th March 2025
Veil Nebula
May Aurora - Evie Faith Harvey
October Aurora - Graham Cluer
Free talks at Shirley Methodist Church, Croydon.