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MAS Events
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Saturday August 15, 2026, 8:00 PM – Donald County Park
Public Star Party at Donald Park
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Friday September 4, 2026, 8:00 PM – Devil’s Lake State Park
Public Star Party at Devil’s Lake
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Friday, Sept 11, 2026, 7 pm, Memorial High School
Building a Collapsible Telescope
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Tuesday October 6, 2025, 7:00pm.
Public Outreach Star Party at Anderson Farm Dog Park, Oregon
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Friday, October 9, 2026, 7 pm, Memorial High School
The Music of the Spheres – Peering Inside Stars with Asteroseismology
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Friday October 16, 2026, 6:30pm-9:30pm – Monona Terrace Conference Center
Moon Over Monona Terrace
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Building a Collapsible Telescope
Friday, Sept 11, 2026, 7 pm, Memorial High School
Keith Swartz
Telescopes come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Changing their shape and size is not easy, if possible at all, but Keith Swartz tells the story about how he modified his homemade 10-inch Dobsonian telescope to better suit his needs. Following the tradition of a few recent speakers, he will also share a bit about his journey with this great hobby.
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Capitol Skies Newsletter
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The Capitol Skies newsletter is the continuation of a tradition that goes back to the club’s origins in 1935. MAS is happy to extend this tradition today. If you would like to be a contributor, contact editor Jack Fitzmier, at madisonastro.info@gmail.com.
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First MAS Seestar Collaboration
In the spring of 2026, MAS member and Seestar owner Jack Fitzmier had an idea. Having read about a Seestar collaboration in China, Jack wondered if we could do something like that here. Maybe a few of our Seestar owners could be persuaded to contribute to a large group project. It seemed like it was worth a try.
By the time the project concluded at the end of July, we had 12 participants with Seestar S50s and S30 Pros.
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Lights Out Wisconsin!
Lights Out Wisconsin is a coalition of Wisconsin conservation groups and dark sky organizations working together to reduce the impacts of light pollution.
Nearly 80% of Americans can no longer see the Milky Way from where they live because of light pollution. Whole generations are growing up without ever seeing our own galaxy, and without dark skies, meteor showers become invisible as well.
By taking simple steps at home, you can help restore night skies across Wisconsin so everyone can enjoy the wonders above.
💡 Useful – Light only when and where it’s needed.
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⬇️ Targeted – Aim fully shielded lights downward.
✨ Low Level – Use the lowest brightness needed.
⏱️ Controlled – Use timers or motion sensors.
🟠 Warm-Colored – Choose warm lights (2200K or lower).
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History of the Madison Astronomical Society
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September, 1950 MAS meeting at the Washburn Observatory. The Madison Astronomical Society has continuously operated as a club for over 90 years. But, like many organizations, we have paid only passing attention to documenting our own history.
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MAS Member Photos
