Public talks

We meet approximately every two weeks for talks on astronomy and related topics. These talks are open to the public - no need to book.

Our meetings are in the small hall, Shirley Methodist Church, Eldon Avenue, CR0 8SD and will be held on the first and third Friday of each month. Our meetings will run, as now, from 19:30 – 21:30.

Shirley Methodist is within walking distance of Trinity School and is easily accessible by bus from East Croydon. There is parking on site but, if it is full, there is ample parking on nearby roads.

Programme

The dates for the rest of 2026 will be the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month:

We will meet on October 2nd (note we can not meet on 16th), November 6th & 20th, December 4th & 18th.

October 2nd

Our main talk is about Saturn. Come and hear about the great ringed planet, its history, what we know about Saturn and its satellite's today and future plans.

October 16th

We are not able to meet at Shirley Methodist this week, so we are inviting members to visit the Observatory at Kenley.

We will be there from 7:30pm to 9:30pm minimum, regardless of the weather, and if clear may be there longer.

November 6th

A rather special meeting. Tonight we welcome Casper Dyne who will be speaking about the astronomer John Goodricke. Goodricke was profoundly deaf, as is our speaker tonight. Casper will be signing the talk and he has an interpreter who will translate into the spoken word. Specially suitable for anyone you know who is interested in science but has a hearing disability. After the break Konrad Malin-Smith will give a short talk on Multiple Stars.

November 20th

We welcome back Les Brand who will tonight tell us about the "350th anniversary of the Royal Greenwich Observatory". Les is a volunteer at Greenwich, normally presenting in the Peter Harrison Planetarium, and will be able to give us an insiders knowledge about the Observatory. After the break there will be a short talk - TBA.

December 4th

Michael Lucibella is currently Media Relations Officer at University College, London. But before that he worked for the U.S. Antarctic Program between 2015 and 2021. Tonight we will hear about his time in the Antarctic and the research that was being carried out there. After the break there will be a short talk - TBA.

December 18th

Our last meeting of 2026 and our Christmas Social. There will be food and non-alcoholic drinks and a Quiz. all are welcome to celebrate another successful year for Croydon Astronomical Society.

Location

The church is between Wickham Road and Eldon Avenue, but the entrance is in Eldon Avenue.

If driving from West Wickham turn right down Shirley Avenue then first left to Eldon Avenue.
If driving from Croydon or London Eldon Avenue is a turning on the left off the dual carridgeway.
If driving from New Addington go right at the roundabout into Wickham Road, then left into Shirley Avenue then left into Eldon Avenue..

There is a small parking area in the church grounds, otherwise park on the local roads (Barnfield Avenue, Eldon Avenue or Shirley Avenue for example).

These buses stop close by and all of them connect with East Croydon Railway Station and tram stop.

119: Croydon Airport to Bromley Catch the bus at stop E1

194: West Croydon to Lower Sydenham Catch the bus at stop E1

198: Shrublands to Thornton Heath Catch the bus at stop E1

466: Caterham-on-the-Hill to Addington Village Catch the bus at stop E3

If coming from East Croydon get off at Valley Walk. This stop is on the dual carriageway. Walk up the slight hill, left into Eldon Avenue, and the church entrance is on the right.

(Note that to go back to East Croydon you will need to go to stop M (named Upper Shirley Road) in Wickham Road and catch the 119, 194 or 198 )