Category: Monthly-Presentation-Section

  • The MAS/MMSD Astronomy Partnership

    Friday, June 12, 2026, 7 PM, location: Theater 300 in Memorial High School

    Ben Senson and Anne Wilcox Panzer
    Ben Senson and Anne Wilcox Panzer

    MAS is proud to announce a new partnership with the MMSD Planetarium at Memorial High School in Madison!

    The June 2026 meeting of the Madison Astronomical Society will be the first meeting in our new location.

    The meeting will start in Theater 300 (directions and map below).

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  • Fate of the Photons: Eyeballs or Pixels?

    Friday, May 8, 2026, 7 PM, UW Space Place

    Rick Wayne headshot

    Rick Wayne

    Outreach Coordinator

    Rick will moderate a discussion panel of eyepiece observers and astrophotography enthusiasts. This is a classic “clash of the titans” in the amateur astronomy world! You have the Visual Purists, who value the raw, photons-to-retina experience, and the Astro-Imagers, who are essentially part-time software engineers and heavy machinery operators. Come join us for a meetup between the ancient art of the “averted vision” squint and the modern science of the 12-hour exposure.

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  • How Do We Actually Know Things About Exoplanets?

    Friday, Apr 10, 2026, 7 PM, UW Space Place

    Max Kroft headshot

    Maxwell Kroft

    UW PhD student

    How do astronomers discover and characterize exoplanets? It’s not as straightforward as spotting them with a telescope, like you do with stars on a clear night in a park. In this presentation, Max will delve into the methods astronomers employ to measure various aspects of exoplanets, primarily by observing their impact on their host stars. He’ll also share his research on exoplanets conducted using the WIYN 3.5m telescope at Kitt Peak, Arizona.

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  • Milky Way Astrophotography: Mistakes and Second Chances

    Friday, Mar 13, 2026, 7 PM, UW Space Place

    John Rummel headshot

    Mistakes and Second Chances

    John Rummel

    Photographic mistakes take many different forms. Some can be very expensive. Like when you’ve traveled thousands of miles to be in the exact location, at the exact time, to take a very specific shot. When you screw it up, second chances can be difficult to arrange, or may just be impossible.

    In this March meeting presentation, John Rummel will talk about a multi-year plan to be in that spot, to take THAT shot, and how it all went wrong.

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