Milton Keynes Astronomical Society

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Milton Keynes Astronomical Society We host regular professional astronomer talks & monthly meetings where we get together to share amateur astronomy in Milton Keynes.

Join our club, which is a registered charity, to learn astrophotography and support local astronomy outreach!

Milton Keynes Astronomical Society Nominations Now Open: Society Committee & Trustee Positions (2026–2027) Dear Members,...
18/10/2026

Milton Keynes Astronomical Society

Nominations Now Open: Society Committee & Trustee Positions (2026–2027)

Dear Members,
Nominations are now officially open for the vital executive roles of Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary for the upcoming 2026–2027 term.
As a registered charity, these elected officers play a crucial role in running our society and will also serve as Charity Trustees. If you wish to stand for a position, or would like to nominate a fellow member, physical nomination forms will be available at our next two ordinary meetings.
Meeting Location & Start Time:
All ordinary sessions commence promptly at 8:00 PM. Physical meetings are hosted at our regular venue:
Rectory Cottages, Church Green Road, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK3 6BJ.
Nomination Meeting Dates:
Friday, 23rd October 2026 (Featuring our guest speaker: Mike Frost Richard Lambert Memorial lecture)
Friday, 6th November 2026 (Astrodome open members meeting)
Please note that in compliance with the MKAS Constitution, all nomination forms must be fully completed and signed by the Applicant, Nominee, and Seconder. Kindly ensure all names are printed clearly in capital letters.
Key Dates & Deadlines:
Nominations Close: At the end of the meeting on Friday, 6th November 2026. This is the final opportunity to be nominated prior to the AGM.
Annual General Meeting (AGM): Friday, 20th November 2026 at 8:00 PM.
Please note: Only members over the age of 18 are eligible to vote at meetings. In the election for Chair, the runner-up will be duly elected to the position of Vice-Chair.
If you have any questions regarding the roles or the nomination process, please feel free to e-mail a message directly to [email protected] , and a committee member will be happy to assist you.
We look forward to seeing you there and appreciate your continued support in shaping the future of our society!
Clear skies,
The MKAS Committee
Milton Keynes Astronomical Society Official Website

Who is actually up there on the Moon?When you look at the lunar surface, you are looking at a historic map of humanity's...
17/10/2026

Who is actually up there on the Moon?

When you look at the lunar surface, you are looking at a historic map of humanity's greatest minds.

But who decided which explorers got a crater named after them?

Join the Milton Keynes Astronomical Society this Friday, October 23rd at 8:00 PM for our flagship event: The Annual Richard Lambert Memorial Lecture.

Expert guest speaker Mike Frost presents: 'Who's Who in the Moon.'
Discover the history, the rivalries, and the cosmic secrets behind the names on the lunar map.

🚀 Attention all MKAS stargazers and cosmic puzzle solvers! 🚀Are you ready to strain your brain cells harder than trying ...
16/10/2026

🚀 Attention all MKAS stargazers and cosmic puzzle solvers! 🚀
Are you ready to strain your brain cells harder than trying to resolve a faint fuzzy through Milton Keynes Light pollution? Here is Christine’s 2015 crossword astronomical test of wits, and this one is a true vintage classic! 🧩✨
We are digging back into the archives for this one. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to complete the crossword originally published in Vol. 8 No. 2 (December 2015) of the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Lower Dinchope. Yes, you read that right 2015! Talk about a cosmic throwback. This crossword was devised by Christine G assisted by Pierre.
⚠️ Fair Warning: This puzzle might be slightly more difficult than usual, especially for our newer members. Why? Because some of the answers rely on ancient lore from our legendary former observing weekends in Shropshire! If you weren’t there to experience the Shropshire skies (and the local pub talk), you might need to consult an MKAS elder or a crystal ball.
Because we aren't completely heartless, we are granting you extra time to complete this interstellar challenge.
The Rules:
• Where to send: Write your answers down on a postcard (yes, old-school style!) or beam them over via email to
[email protected].

• Deadline: You have until our next Astrodome meeting on Friday, 6th November 2026 to get your entries in.

Dust off your thinking caps, dig out your old 2105 Almanacs, and let’s see who will be crowned the MKAS Crossword Champion! 🏆🌌
Good Luck and wishing you all Clear Skies

MKAS chairman David Mainwaring having his photo taken with Dr Matthew Bothwell at a recent club meeting. Dr Bothwell gav...
07/10/2026

MKAS chairman David Mainwaring having his photo taken with Dr Matthew Bothwell at a recent club meeting. Dr Bothwell gave a fascinating talk on the James Webb telescope.

25/09/2026

DR Matthew Bothwell talk tonight on the James Webb telescope. Where? Rectory Cottages. When? 8pm 25th September. All are welcome.

At our meeting tonight, club member Alan showed us this sketch he made of Saturn directly through his telescope eyepiece...
11/09/2026

At our meeting tonight, club member Alan showed us this sketch he made of Saturn directly through his telescope eyepiece.

​A lot of people think you need expensive cameras and tech to record what you see in the night sky, but you really don't. Drawing what you see forces you to slow down and look at the details.
​Saturn is well placed at the moment. It’s bright, high in the sky in the evening, and easy to find. Even an, entry-level telescope will give you a clear view of the rings.
So if you have a scope sitting in a cupboard or tucked away in the shed, clear nights this month are a good excuse to get it out into the garden and
​look at Saturn.

If you've ever tried sketching at the eyepiece then let us know in the comments.

Last night offered beautifully clear skies, so a few of our members headed out to our favourite dark-sky spot away from ...
05/09/2026

Last night offered beautifully clear skies, so a few of our members headed out to our favourite dark-sky spot away from the city lights for an evening of observing.
​The Sun set just after 7:40 PM, giving us several hours of dark skies before the Moon rose around 11:30 PM.
​The star of the show was Saturn. Climbing to nearly 30° above the horizon, it was an easy naked-eye target, but the view through the eyepiece was stunning—the ring system and several of its moons were visible. With no moonlight to wash out the faint fuzzies, we also toured a selection of deep-sky gems, taking in bright globular clusters and nebulae, with the Milky Way clearly arching overhead to the unaided eye.
​A couple of photos from the night are below - though since they were taken in the pitch black, you might need to use your imagination just a little!

02/09/2026

Burnham said "there is no way that we can see its demise, and it won't happen under my Government".

02/09/2026

We need your eyes! 🖥️🌌

Want to help discover some of the faintest galaxies in the Universe?

Introducing Rubin: Blobs and Blurs, a brand-new citizen science project on Zooniverse using data from NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory.

We’re on the hunt for extreme, mysterious galaxies 🌌 Specifically, faint "diffuse dwarf galaxies" and odd "blue blobs," that are dominated by invisible dark matter.

Because these objects are so dim and uniquely shaped, computer algorithms aren't always great at spotting them đź«Ł

By helping find them, you can help scientists better understand how galaxies form. All you need in order to participate is your curiosity! 🔭✨

đź”— zooniverse.org/rubin

📷: NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory/NOIRLab/SLAC/AURA

MKAS members Maria and Garry discussing the recent solar eclipse at our last meeting. If you have an interest in the nig...
30/08/2026

MKAS members Maria and Garry discussing the recent solar eclipse at our last meeting.

If you have an interest in the night sky then why not come along to our meetups. No experience required. We welcome everyone who wants to know more about astronomy. You don't need to own a telescope. You don't need to join the club straight away as we allow you to attend a couple of sessions for free to see if you like it.

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Rectory Cottages
Milton Keynes
MK36BJ

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