Madison Astronomical Society

  • Next Meeting

    • Perspectives on Distance

      Friday October 10, 2025, 7:00 PM – UW Space Place

      “Perspectives”  examines relative distances in the universe and the possible distances achievable through manned and unmanned space flight and through amateur and professional telescopic observation. Examining scales from the human altitude record to the four cosmological horizons, the program discusses astrophysicists’ current thinking about several significant questions:

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    • M31, Then and Now

      blinking GIF comparing shots of M31 from the Palomar Survey (POSS) and a modern Seestar.
      The Palomar Sky Survey shot of M31 blink compared to the one from Carol Santulis’s SeeStar. Can you tell which is which?

      Sometimes I like to sit back and marvel at the remarkable progress our hobby has seen over the past half century or so. Technology has revolutionized everything, but perhaps nothing has changed more profoundly than astrophotography.

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    All Astro News

    • Moon Over Monona Terrace

      Martin Mika at Moon Over Monona Terrace, 2023. Photo by Carol Santulis.
      Martin Mika, 2023. Photo by Carol Santulis.

      The Midwest’s Largest Star Party

      This year: Friday, October 3, 2025 (link)

      Every year since 1998, when weather permits, MAS has partnered with Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center to throw a huge star party on its rooftop terrace (known formally as the William T. Evjue Rooftop Gardens).

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    All MAS News

  • MAS Member Photos