Welcome to the website of the South West Herts. Astronomical Society (SWHAS)
Chairman – Sean Meehan
Who we are
The Society was founded in 1968, with the aims of promoting the science of astronomy and encouraging popular interest in the subject.
From September to May regular meetings are held in Rickmansworth, usually on the last Friday of the month. Illustrated talks are given on various aspects of astronomy, presented either by our own members or by visiting speakers. The Society is fortunate to have the use of the planetarium at the RMS, where a monthly tour of the night sky is conducted.
The Society also owns its own observatory for use by members, and regular weekly observing sessions are held on Saturday nights.
The observatory is equipped with a number of instruments including an 11 inch Celestron Schmidt Cassegrain telescope and members are able to use these or their own instruments to observe from the site, which enjoys wide views of the sky with minimal light pollution.
A monthly newsletter keeps members informed about the activities of the society and the observing sessions, and also includes summaries of the talks given at the monthly meetings.
Visitors and prospective members are welcome to attend our meetings. (See below).
Would you like to join us/visit us?
We welcome new members and potential members are welcome to come to one of our monthly meetings as a visitor. For further details see the join us/visit us page click here or send an enquiry to our membership secretary using the contact us link.
You do not have to be an expert to become a member – we welcome all those interested in astronomy, from beginner to those with extensive knowledge. We number both amongst our membership.
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