Basingstoke Astronomical Society

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Basingstoke Astronomical Society

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BAS is a friendly welcoming society of 60 like minded people of varying levels of expertise.

Meetings: 2nd & 4th Thurs (Sept to June, Bar dec with only 2nd Thurs) at 7pm at Cliddesden Primary School, RG25 2QU
Email: [email protected]

27/10/2026

Cosmic Keyhole imaged by Stefan Lloyd

27/10/2026

Ringed nebula imaged by Stefan Lloyd

19/10/2026

☄️ THE UK METEOR NETWORK: A DECADE OF VIDEO DETECTIONS 🌠

Ever wondered how we can track a meteor across the sky, calculate its orbit through space and even work out whether a piece of it might have reached the ground? 🌌

Join Basingstoke Astronomical Society on Thursday 22 October for a fascinating talk by guest speaker Mark McIntyre, exploring the UK Meteor Network, better known as UKMON.

With around 250 cameras across the UK, UKMON is one of the world’s largest video meteor detection networks. Mark will take us through its history, how it has evolved, and some of the discoveries made possible by its data.

🔭 So, how does it work?

It’s not all about giant telescopes and expensive equipment! The network uses relatively low-cost security cameras connected to specialist software running on a Raspberry Pi. These systems operate from dusk until dawn, constantly scanning the sky for potential meteors.

The software then filters out false detections and uploads the useful data for further analysis. By combining observations from multiple stations, scientists can calculate meteor trajectories and orbits, estimate their speed and even investigate their possible size and mass.

👨‍💻 Meet our speaker

Mark is an astronomer, astrophotographer and computer programmer based in Oxfordshire. Alongside his wife Mary and their many cats, he has a garden observatory, several telescopes and permanently installed meteor cameras contributing observations to UKMON Live. He enjoys tinkering with both hardware and software, helping turn observations of fleeting streaks of light into valuable scientific data.

📅 Thursday 22 October 2026
🕢 Car park and doors open at 7:30pm, for an 8:00pm start
📍 Cliddesden Primary School, Cliddesden, Basingstoke
☕ Free tea, coffee & biscuits
🎟️ £3 entry for non-members

Whether you’re an experienced astronomer, a budding astrophotographer or simply fascinated by what’s happening above our heads, this is a great opportunity to discover the science behind the shooting stars!

We look forward to seeing you there! 🔭✨

09/10/2026

Elephant Trunk nebula imaged by Pramod Karnad

09/10/2026

Abell 62 Imaged BY Stefan Lloyd

09/10/2026

Sh2-224, the Rice Hat Nebula Imaged By Stefan Lloyd

09/10/2026

Dark Shark Nebula imaged by Andy Elliott

06/10/2026

🔭 Our next meeting is a practical observing session!

We’re planning to get outside and make the most of the night sky, so bring along your telescope and any questions you have.

If the weather decides not to cooperate and the sky is cloudy, don’t worry! We’ll head inside and explore different types of telescopes, watch some videos showing what you can see through them, and take a look at image processing and how you can get the most from your astrophotography.

We look forward to seeing you there! 🌌

06/10/2026

Saturn imaged by Dave Boddington

Our next meeting is scheduled for 1900 on Thursday 8th October at Cliddesden Primary school, Basingstoke.

Doors will open at 1900 and the meeting starts at 1930

£3 for non members and tea, coffee and biscuits are provided.

This meeting is our practical meeting, where are are planning on (subject to clear night) observing, however if the sky is cloudywe will be inside working on intro to various types of scopes, some videos on what you can see through the various types of scopes and focussing on a few constellations.

We look forward to seeing you there

🔭 Join or learn more: https://www.basingstokeas.org.uk/about-us/membership

01/10/2026

Moretus and the southern limb on the Moon

Imaged by Mark Radice Refreshing Views

🔭 Join or learn more: https://www.basingstokeas.org.uk/about-us/membership

Address

Cliddesden Primary School
Basingstoke
RG252QU

Website

http://www.basingstokeas.org.uk/

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