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The Cotswold Astronomical Society

Serving Amateur Astronomy in Gloucester, Cheltenham and environs

gray and brown mountain formation
The Society
The Cotswold Astronomical Society serves amateur astronomers in the Cotswold area centred on Cheltenham and Gloucester. Our members come from all walks of life and range from beginners just starting out to experienced amateurs with a wealth of knowledge. Members have varied interests from cosmology to telescope making, from lunar and planetary observing, to supernova hunting. Not all members are active observers, and the society caters equally well for the armchair or internet astronomer.
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Main Activities
Our main event is a monthly meeting; in the first half a guest speaker talks on a topic of astronomical interest, followed by a break for tea or coffee and biscuits. The second half is generally ‘open house’ often with a “what’s up in the sky” talk, display of members photographs, or discussions about equipment or observing techniques.
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Meeting Schedule
The main club meeting occurs on the second Saturday of every month – please see the meetings page for full information and directions. For telescope workshop dates and times please see the full list of meetings.


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Getting Started in Amateur Astronomy

One of the first questions all new amateur astronomers ask is "What telescope should I get?" 
That is where our society comes in - Join Your Local Club!

Many articles suggest the best thing to do when starting in amateur astronomy is to find and join your local astronomy club.
In order to answer the question you first need to find out what interests you most, since each area has differing requirements in terms of equipment. 

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