Walsall Astronomical Society Page

05/04/2026

11,000 New Neighbours!

Following the great club lecture last week from the Vera C Rubin team:

Big news from the world of planetary defense and solar system science! The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has just released a massive haul of new discoveries from its early test runs—and the numbers are staggering.

Even before its full 10-year survey officially begins, the "discovery machine" in Chile has already:
✅ Identified over 11,000 brand-new asteroids.
✅ Tracked over 80,000 known asteroids (including many that were "lost" because we couldn't track their orbits accurately enough).
✅ Spotted 33 new Near-Earth Objects (NEOs)—don't worry, none are a threat!
✅ Found 380 Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs)—icy worlds at the very edge of our solar system.

Why this matters for us:
What used to take astronomers decades to find, the Rubin Observatory is now finding in a matter of months. It features the world's largest digital camera (3,200 megapixels!), and it's going to completely rewrite our map of the Solar System.

📖 Read the full article here: https://rubinobservatory.org/news/11000-new-asteroids

Can we observe these? 🔭
While these specific 11,000 new asteroids are currently very faint (detected by professional gear), this is a great time for club members to practice their asteroid hunting on the brighter "Main Belt" objects!

How to observe: Use an app like Stellarium or SkySafari to locate 4 Vesta or 1 Ceres. Vesta is often bright enough for a small telescope or even binoculars from a dark site.

The "Move" Test: To confirm you've found an asteroid, sketch or photograph a star field over two consecutive nights. The "star" that has changed position is your target!

Best Time: April is a great time for observing as the nights are still reasonably long. Look for asteroids when they are at "opposition" (opposite the sun in our sky) for maximum brightness.

If you’re interested in learning more about how we track the night sky or want to join us for one of our regular meetings in Walsall, check out our website for all the details:
👉 https://walsallastro.com/visit-us-and-membership

Scientists at NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, have submitted an unprecedented set of asteroid detections to the IAU Minor Planet Center, including hundreds of distant worlds beyond Nept...

01/04/2026

Artemus II Launch looking likely today. Follow along.

Artemis II, NASA’s first crewed mission under the Artemis program, will send astronauts on an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon.

10/01/2026

Keep your eyes open in case it reaches us (and the clouds clear). Sightings in Whitby at present. Just get an aurora app for you phone to monitor.

Screenshot below from aurora forcast UK.

10/01/2026

Interested in an intro to Astronomy? Whilst US EST time, still a reasonable UK time for those interested?

The official website of the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society.

08/01/2026

We've weighed up the weather and decided it looks like the snow event will happen later today. In view of this we've taken the decision to cancel tonight's meeting.
Weather permitting we'll be back next Thursday 15th Jan.

07/01/2026

As widely reported there's a good possibility of heavy snow starting to fall from mid afternoon on Thursday. If that's the case we'll be cancelling this week's society meeting.
We'll be watching the forecast closely to see how things develop. It's not worth risking it if the snow starts to fall.
Keep an eye on your email and the society page, we'll make an announcement once we have a better idea of what's happening.
Please share this information with anyone you're in contact with who may not get our emails or isn't on Facebook.

03/01/2026

Just a reminder, tonight is the Quadrantid meteor shower...downside there is a full moon, but it will be clear.

Here is a quick guide on how to make the most of it:

1. Find the Darkest Spot Possible, lights are the enemy of stargazing. If you can, head away from streetlights and tall buildings. A local park, a quiet field, or even a dark backyard will work much better than a in a town.

2. Let Your Eyes Adjust
This is the most important part! It takes about 20 to 30 minutes for your eyes to fully adapt to the dark.

Pro Tip: Avoid looking at your phone screen while you wait; the blue light will reset your night vision instantly.

3. Get Comfortable
You’ll be looking up for a while, which can lead to a sore neck. I recommend:
Using a reclining lawn chair or a thick blanket to lie on.

If you are heading out packing a few extra layers or a sleeping bag (it gets colder than you'd expect when you're sitting still).

Taking a flask of coffee or hot cocoa.

More information on link below.

Your guide to seeing the Quadrantid meteor shower, among the strongest and most consistent meteor showers of the year

03/01/2026

Clear skies forecast for tonight. Good opportunity for those with camera phones or DSLR cameras to capture the moon and Jupiter shadowing the twins of Gemini.

02/01/2026

Did Santa bring you a New Telescope or Binoculars?

If you unwrapped a new way to see the stars this Christmas but aren't quite sure how to get it focused, aligned, or aimed at the right planet—don't worry, the Walsall Astronomy Society is here to help!

Setting up a new telescope can be tricky, but you don't have to do it alone. Whether it’s a manual refractor, a pair of stargazing binoculars, or a computerized "GoTo" mount, our members have years of experience and would love to help you get started.

📍 Where & When
* When: Every Thursday Night
* Where: Rushall Olympic Football Club, Dales Lane, Rushall.
* Time: 8PM

What to Expect:
* Hands-on Help: Bring your gear along! We’ll help you set it up and show you how to use it.

* Expert Advice: From choosing the right eyepieces to finding your way around the night sky.

* Friendly Community: Meet local enthusiasts who share your passion for space.

You don’t need to be an expert to join us—beginners are our specialty! Feel free to drop in this Thursday and say hello.

Want more info about our club?
https://walsallastro.com/visit-us-and-membership

Have questions before you come? Drop a comment below! 👇

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31/12/2025

Tonight’s sky is offering a spectacular celestial double-feature to ring in the New Year!

If you look up this evening, December 31, 2025, you’ll see the 88%-illuminated waxing gibbous Moon making a very close pass by the famous Pleiades star cluster (The Seven Sisters).

This is more than just a close pass—it’s a lunar occultation, where the Moon will actually drift in front of the stars, "blinking" them out one by one.

What to look for:

The Target: Look for the bright Moon in the constellation Ta**us. The Pleiades cluster will look like a tiny, shimmering "mini-dipper" right next to it.

A Hidden Guest: The ice giant Uranus is also joining the party tonight! It will be just a few degrees away. While you can't see it with the naked eye, it’s a great target for binoculars or a small telescope.

The View:

Even with the bright moonlight, the cluster should be visible. If you have binoculars, use them—they’ll reveal dozens of stars in the cluster that the naked eye misses.

When to watch:
The Moon and the Pleiades will be high in the sky for most of the night. If you're out celebrating at midnight, just look up—they’ll be dominating the southern sky!

Happy New Year and clear skies to all! 🥂✨

24/12/2025

One for the calendar. Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock take audiences on an epic voyage through time and space.

Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock takes us on an epic voyage through time and space.

21/12/2025

Today marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. While it might feel a bit chilly, for astronomers, this is one of the most exciting dates on the calendar.

​What’s actually happening?

​The Winter Solstice occurs at the precise moment the Northern Hemisphere is tilted at its maximum distance away from the Sun. In technical terms, the Sun reaches its southern-most declination of -23.5°.

​Because the Sun is at its lowest point in our sky, we get the longest period of darkness—perfect for deep-sky observation... Of course depending on clouds ☁️☁️☁️