Welcome to the website of the Canterbury Astronomical Society.
Relax and take a look around our site. Hopefully it can answer any questions you have about us, and can assist you in discovering more about the exciting world of amateur astronomy.
Each month we have a number of meetings you can come along to...
- During the winter months we hold public open nights at our observatory, where you can have a look through our telescopes.
Open nights are held on Friday evenings and run through to September 24th. For $6.00 per person for ages 5 and above, you can come out to the Society's West Melton observatory, look through our professional quality telescopes, and enjoy the night sky. Open night bookings (for groups of 15 or more) for 2010 are now full, if you are an individual or a small group (fewer than 15 people), you are welcome to attend any of our remaining open nights that appear as Open on the Open Nights page. Larger groups, please look out for our 2011 open night season, dates for which will be announced in February 2011. Visit the Open Nights page for more information.
- A monthly society meeting, starting with a practical astronomy session for all ages and experience levels, followed by the main members' meeting with a guest speaker.
The CAS Astronomical Catalogue "CASAC", is available for download from the practical astronomy page. Members are encouraged to download the list and observing logs template. We aim to compile logs from members on there observations, and make it a great reference resource for all. The catalogue will be updated and corrected periodically, so be sure to check back now and then for the latest revisions.
Tonight's Public Open Night (Friday, July 30th)- The sky at West Melton is clear, viewing should be good tonight.
- The observatory is open to members of the public from 7:30pm to 9:00pm.
- $6.00 per person, for ages 5 and above.
- Please visit the Open Nights page for further information and suggestions to improve your viewing experience.
Click here for a map showing how to get to the West Melton Observatory.
Updated at 4:00pm
Coming attractions:
- CAS Members' Night: The August CAS Members' Night will be held on Saturday, August 21st, at the West Melton Observatory
As always on members' nights, the Society's 16" will also be open for viewing, we may even try some astrophotography.
All members welcome.
Also see the calendar for other upcoming events.
Keep up to date with Royal Society of New Zealand events here.
APanel - Observing Conditions for West Melton
APanel (Astroweather Panel) is a numerical weather forecast designed for astronomical purposes. The image below is a prediction for the observing conditions at West Melton. Please visit http://7timer.y234.cn/ for more information, or click the image to download PDF instructions for how to read APanel. CAS does not guarantee the accuracy of the predictions made by APanel.
MAP: How to get to the West Melton Observatory.
