The Astronomical Society of Glasgow (ASG) was founded in 1954 in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, by amateur astronomers and is dedicated to promoting an interest in

Astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...

Membership of the Society

Membership of the Society is open to everyone and all ages are welcomed. The society organises regular public events but there are a number of member only events and benefits, including a newsletter, Dark Sky observing events and access to the Acre Road telescope at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

.Official website
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Events

Public Lectures

The Society holds nine regular monthly lecture meetings from September through to May each year. Lectures are held in the

University of Strathclyde The University of Strathclyde ( gd, Oilthigh Shrath Chluaidh) is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal chart ...

in Glasgow City Centre at 7.30pm and are normally on the third Thursday of each month, however this does occasionally vary to accommodate the speakers. All topics of Astronomy are covered in the lectures from

Planetary Science Planetary science (or more rarely, planetology) is the scientific study of planets (including Earth), celestial bodies (such as moons, asteroids, comets) and planetary systems (in particular those of the Solar System) and the processes of their f ...

Astrophotography Astrophotography, also known as astronomical imaging, is the photography or imaging of astronomical objects, celestial events, or areas of the night sky. The first photograph of an astronomical object (the Moon) was taken in 1840, but it was no ...

and The Search for Life Beyond Earth. The lectures are free and are open to members and non-members alike.

Outreach Events

The Society is involved in a number of outreach events, bringing

to the people of

and further afield. * From October till March, the Society run Stars Over The Botanics events for the public at

Glasgow Botanic Gardens Glasgow Botanic Gardens is a botanical garden located in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland. It features several glasshouses, the most notable of which is the Kibble Palace. The Gardens has a wide variety of temperate and tropical flora, a h ...

. With a number of different scopes, the public have a chance to observe some of the wonders of the Night Sky; the craters on the

moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

planets A planet is a large, rounded astronomical body that is neither a star nor its remnant. The best available theory of planet formation is the nebular hypothesis, which posits that an interstellar cloud collapses out of a nebula to create a young ...

and distant

galaxies A galaxy is a system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, dark matter, bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Greek ' (), literally 'milky', a reference to the Milky Way galaxy that contains the Solar System. ...

. If the skies aren't clear, there are number of presentations and talks on various astronomy topics in the

Kibble Palace Glasgow Botanic Gardens is a botanical garden located in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland. It features several glasshouses, the most notable of which is the Kibble Palace. The Gardens has a wide variety of temperate and tropical flora, a h ...

. * In September and April, the Society organise Sun Over the Botanics events, which are free events and, with the special sun filters and PST telescopes, enable the public to see features on the surface of the Sun, such as

sunspot Sunspots are phenomena on the Sun's photosphere that appear as temporary spots that are darker than the surrounding areas. They are regions of reduced surface temperature caused by concentrations of magnetic flux that inhibit convection. Sun ...

granulation Granulation is the process of forming grains or granules from a powdery or solid substance, producing a granular material. It is applied in several technological processes in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Typically, granulation invo ...

and prominences. In past few years, the Society has also been involved with events a
RSPB Lochwinnoch
and

Rouken Glen Rouken Glen Park is a public park in East Renfrewshire, to the south-west of Glasgow, Scotland. History The lands of Rouken Glen Park originally belonged to the Scottish Crown, and then to the Earl of Eglinton, presented to Hugh Montgomeri ...

. They have also organised Astronomy Weekend Courses wit
Kindrogan Field Centre
In 2011, the Society organised a free Stars Over The Botanics as part of the BBC's

Stargazing Live ''Stargazing Live'' is a British live television programme on astronomy that was broadcast yearly on BBC Two over three nights every winter from 2011 to 2017. The series was primarily presented by scientist Brian Cox and comedian and amateur a ...

and in 2012, they were part of the BBC's Discovery Night, based at the

and the nearb
Oran Mor
In 2014, the Society took part in a Stargazing Evening at

Whitelee Wind Farm Whitelee Wind Farm is a windfarm on the Eaglesham moor in Scotland. The main visitor centre is located in East Renfrewshire, but the majority of turbines are located in East Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. It is the largest on-shore wind farm in ...

with

Glasgow Science Centre Glasgow Science Centre is a visitor attraction located in the Clyde Waterfront Regeneration area on the south bank of the River Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Queen Elizabeth II opened Glasgow Science Centre on 5 July 2001. It is one of Scotland's m ...

.http://www.whiteleewindfarm.co.uk/visitor_centre/whats_on/stargazing_whitelee_2

History

The story of Glasgow’s astronomical societies begins in 1809 when the Glasgow Society for Promoting Astronomical Science was inaugurated. Ambitious plans were prepared for an Observatory to cost £1,500 and a site was chosen on Garnethill. The Convenor, Dr Andrew Ure, went to Largs to confer with Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane and also went to London to confer with leading scientists of the day. The Observatory was built - an ornate Egyptian-style building, equipped with some excellent instruments. However, the Society ran out of funds, the Observatory was surrounded by new building and became unsuitable for its purpose. The Society was disbanded in 1822 and some of the instruments were identified as being sold off although others just ‘disappeared’. Around 1830-32 the building was demolished. A West of Scotland Branch of the British Astronomical Society was founded in 1894 and based in Glasgow. The inaugural meeting took place on 23 November that year when members were addressed by E. W. Maunder, founder of the BAA and Editor of the Journal. His subject was ‘In Pursuit of a Shadow’ - an account of the recent eclipse expedition. In 1904, the Branch requested permission to enrol associated not directly connected with the BAA. The resulting increase in membership was so great that it was found necessary to seek a new meeting place. In October 1905, the Branch met for the first time in the new buildings of the Royal Technical College, Glasgow. (This association has happily been maintained and to this day the Society meets within the

). Also about 1905, the Branch obtained authority to enrol members resident in any part of Scotland and eventually in 1937, the name was changed to ‘Scottish Branch’. With the close of the session 1943-44, the Branch completed fifty years of useful life and this was celebrated, amongst other things, by the re-election of Professor Smart to the Jubilee Chair. There was a civic reception in the City Chambers, and a Dinner was held. The Astronomer Royal, Sir Harold Spencer-Jones, addressed the Branch. About ten years later, it was decided to wind up the Branch and reconstitute it as The Astronomical Society of Glasgow, affiliated to the BAA. This took effect on 30 April 1954.

Asteroid 5805

In 1994, the asteroid 5805 Glasgow was named for the city of

and the Astronomical Society of Glasgow. The current Logo for the Society is based around the asteroid. The asteroid orbits the sun at semimajor axis 2.6AU, has a modest eccentricity of 0.11 and an inclination of 12 degrees. Its diameter is about 19 km if a C-class asteroid or 10 km if S-class (equally likely). Thus its surface area is larger than that of the city for which it is named.

Honorary Presidents

* Professor Alexander Boksenberg CBE BSc PhD FRAS FRS * Dr Edward Bowell BSc DèsSci FRAS * Professor John Brown BSc PhD DSc FRSE FInstP FRAS, Astronomer Royal for Scotland * Professor Sir Arnold Wolfendale BSc PhD DSc FInstP FRAS FNA FRS

Affiliations

The Astronomical Society of Glasgow is a member of the British Association of Planetaria and is affiliated to the

British Astronomical Association The British Astronomical Association (BAA) was formed in 1890 as a national body to support the UK's amateur astronomers. Throughout its history, the BAA has encouraged observers to make scientifically valuable observations, often in collaborati ...

and the Scottish Astronomers' Group. The society is a member of the

Federation of Astronomical Societies The Federation of Astronomical Societies (FAS) is an international union of astronomical societies formed in 1974 and will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024. Its motto is "Supporting UK Astronomy", and there is also one member society fr ...

, and is a registered Scottish charity (Charity Number SCO15035).

References

{{Authority control Amateur astronomy organizations Astronomy societies British astronomy organisations Scientific organizations established in 1954 Clubs and societies in Glasgow 1954 establishments in Scotland Science and technology in Glasgow