Going along to a local amateur astronomy club, or joining a
national astronomy society, are great ways to learn about astronomy and
socialize with like-minded people.
·
They take beginners, children, pensioners, indeed a whole range of
people.
·
There will be annual subscriptions, but these are often
comparatively cheap.
National Societies:
·
Society for Popular Astronomy
(Excellent for beginners)
·
British Astronomical
Association (Founded in 1890)
·
British Interplanetary
Society (If you are purely interested in spaceflight)
Local Societies:
·
Meetings are typically an evening per month with an invited
lecturer giving a talk on some astronomy topic.
·
Typically yearly outings to places of astronomical interest e.g.
Greenwich.
·
There can also be observing nights to help you find things in
the sky.
·
Telescopes, binoculars or books can sometimes be lent to members
to borrow.
·
Often social events and quizzes.
·
Local societies also give talks to schools.
To find your nearest local astronomical society, see the back of
Sir Patrick Moore’s Year Book of Astronomy.
… or you can find them on the
Federation of Astronomical Societies web site here
Monthly Astronomical Magazines Available in the UK:
Webmaster: Dr Anthony Cook
Web version 2013/10/11
(Email: atc @ aber.ac.uk)