Milton Keynes Astronomical Society

23/06/2026

Heatwave fact of the day:

The Sun is so large that around 1.3 million Earths could fit inside it.
Fortunately, it's about 150 million kilometres away. Otherwise, we'd have rather more to worry about than a few hot days in Milton Keynes!

21/06/2026

Make a low tech dew heater by putting a microwavable hand warmer inside a sock tube and stretching it over your lens.

21/06/2026

Happy Summer Solstice!
Today brings the longest day and shortest night of the year. While most people are celebrating the extra daylight, astronomers everywhere are quietly counting down until the nights start getting longer again.
Clear skies from everyone at Milton Keynes Astronomical Society. The stars will be back before we know it. 🌞🔭

20/06/2026

Last night we welcomed award-winning astronomer and astrophotographer Mary McIntyre to MKAS for an evening focused on meteors and meteor imaging.

Many members had seen Mary speak before and knew they were in for a treat. As always, she did not disappoint. Mary guided us through the science behind meteors and meteor showers, and shared plenty of practical advice on how to capture meteors with modest equipment. Her enthusiasm for helping others enjoy astronomy and astrophotography was evident throughout.

After the presentation, there was the chance to examine genuine meteorite fragments that Mary had brought along. an experience that many of us will not forget.

Mary is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and was awarded the Sir Patrick Moore Prize by the British Astronomical Association for her contributions to astronomy outreach. Together with her husband Mark, she also operates several cameras for the Global Meteor Network, helping to study meteors over the UK.

19/06/2026

This sounds like it will be good.

Next week, Cambridge cosmologists head to London for the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition!

From 30 June–5 July, the Kavli Institute for Cosmology will be at Carlton House Terrace with our Simons Observatory exhibit — exploring how we're using the Cosmic Microwave Background to uncover clues about the very first moments of the Universe.

Free and open to the public. Come say hello! 🔭

https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/summer-science-exhibition/

19/06/2026

Final reminder that Mary McIntyre will be our guest speaker tonight. Come along and enjoy a night in the company of a very successful amateur astronomer.

18/06/2026

Tomorrow night at MKAS

We're delighted to welcome award-winning astrophotographer and astronomy communicator Mary McIntyre for her talk:

"General Astrophotography of Meteors"

Have you ever wondered how those fleeting streaks of light are captured on camera? Mary will explain how to photograph meteors sharing some of her experience and images along the way.

Whether you're an experienced astrophotographer or simply curious about the night sky, everyone is welcome.

🗓 Friday 19 June
🕗 8:00 pm
📍 Rectory Cottages, Church Green Road, Bletchley, MK3 6BJ

Visitors are always welcome, and your first two meetings are free.

Clear skies!

18/06/2026

Think the traffic on the Kingston roundabout is slow? ​A typical meteor slams into Earth's atmosphere at 160,000 mph!At that speed, you could zip from Milton Keynes to central London in under a second.

​When you spot a shooting star, you're actually watching space rock compress air so violently that it turns into a glowing streak of plasma (around 5000 degrees Celsius).
​Want to learn how to catch the fastest show in the universe? Come along to our next meeting! We have a talk from guest speaker Mary McIntyre who will be talking all about meteors.

​ Next Meeting: Friday18th June 7:30pm
📍 Rectory Cottages Bletchley