Society for Popular Astronomy
 | |
| Abbreviation | SPA |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1953 |
Region served | United Kingdom |
President | Prof Lucie Green |
| Website | www |
| Remarks | Vice Presidents: Robin Scagell |
The Society for Popular Astronomy (SPA) is a national astronomical society based in the United Kingdom for beginners to amateur astronomy.[1]
History and overview
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2023) |
It was founded in 1953 as the Junior Astronomical Society
The term "Junior" was used to denote its role compared to the long-established society the British Astronomical Association. The name was changed in 1994 to make clear that the society was for beginners of all ages, and for those who wanted a less technical approach. In 2007 a new Young Stargazer category of membership was introduced to cater specifically for members aged under 16.
The society's first patron was Dr J G Porter whose
The SPA aims to show that astronomy can be fun and to promote an interest in observing the sky among its members. The SPA has a number of observing sections whose work members can participate in. These cover observations of
The society publishes a magazine, Popular Astronomy, which from 2011 is being published every two months. Previously it was a quarterly publication, but it now includes material that was carried in now-defunct separate regular printed News Circulars. A members-only email newsletter provides immediate news of major discoveries as well as information and reminders about society meetings and events.
The SPA offers advisory services on choosing a telescope, electronic imaging, photography and the GCSE astronomy examination.
Observing sections
| Section | Description | Director |
| Aurora | Observing the annual occurrence of the aurora and noctilucent cloud | Sandra Brantingham |
| Comet | Information and observations of cometary objects | Stuart Atkinson |
| Deep Sky | Everything beyond the Solar System including double stars, galaxies, starclusters and nebulae | David Finnigan |
| Lunar | All things related to observing the natural satellite | David Graham |
| Meteor | Meteors and how to observe them | Mark McIntyre |
| Occultation | Observing and recording occultation events | Mell Jeffery |
| Planetary | Observing the planets of the Solar System | Alan Clitherow |
| Solar | Information and advice on SAFELY viewing and learning more about the nearest star | John Chapman-Smith |
| Variable Star | The SPA Variable Star Section observes a mixture of naked eye, binocular and telescopic variables | Matthew Barrett |
See also
Notes
- ^ SPA website (About page)
- ISSN 1361-4126. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
References
"Popular Astronomy", Popular Astronomy, Society for Popular Astronomy,
