Astronomy Links

Scottish local societies

This should be a complete list of Scottish local amateur astronomy societies. If you know of any more, please tell us.

• Aberdeen Astronomical Society
• Airdrie Astronomical Association
• Ancrum Astronomy Club
• Ayrshire Astronomical Society
• Bellsmyre Digital Astronomy Club
• Bute Astronomical Society
• Caithness Astronomy Group
• Clydesdale Astronomical Society
• Dalgety Bay Astronomy Club
• Doon Valley Astronomy Society
• Dumfries Astronomical Society
• Dundee Astronomical Society
• Dunfermline Astronomical Society
• Astronomical Society of Edinburgh
• Association of Falkirk Astronomers
• Galloway Forest Astronomical Society
• Astronomical Society of Glasgow
• Helensburgh Astronomical Society
• Highland Astronomical Society
• Inverclyde Skywatchers
• Moffat Astronomy Club
• Moray’s Astronomy Club – SIGMA
• Renfrewshire Astronomical Society
• Shetland Astronomical Society
• Stirling Astronomical Society
• Stornoway Astronomical Society
• Tweeddale Astronomical Society
• West Kintyre Stargazers

Astronomical software

• ASCOM software standards for astronomy (free)
• EQMOD control of Skywatcher mounts (free)
• Green Swamp Server (free – alternative to EQMOD)
• Astrophotography Tool (APT) image capture
• N.I.N.A. image capture (free)
• Sharpcap image capture (free +)
• Firecapture planetary image capture (free)
• Deep Sky Stacker image processing (free)
• SIRIL deep sky processing (free)
• Astro Pixel Processor image processing
• Pixinsight image processing
• StarTools image processing
• Nebulosity camera control and processing
• PHD2 Guiding the autoguiding software (free)
• Autostakkert planetary/lunar/solar stacking (free)
• Registax planetary/lunar/solar stacking and processing (free)
• Sequator image processing and stacking for wide angle night sky image (free)
• AstroImageJ photometry/light curves/exoplanet transits (free)
• Sky charts and virtual Moon atlas for free download (free)
• Stellarium free planetarium software for Windows, Linux and OS X (free)
• Sky Safari planetarium app for iOS (not free), also for Android (search Google Play)
• Google Sky (free)
• GIMP (not strictly astro but free and useful for image processing)

Interesting astronomy sites

The Society takes no responsibility for the content on any external site.

• Charles Piazzi Smyth 2nd Astronomer Royal for Scotland
• Astronomy Picture of the Day
• Go Stargazing Pubic stargazing events int he UK
• Spaceweather.com
  But please ignore the adverts to sell you land on Mars,
  the right to name a star, and such like.
  Check out the take of the International Astronomical Union
  on such enterprises.
• Clear Outside forecast for Edinburgh
• Dark Sky Diary blog by Steve Owens
• Aurora Watch UK
• SolarHam.net
  Data on solar and auroral activity, collected by VE3EN
• Noctilucent cloud observers’ home page
• The Guardian (Starwatch)
  monthly sky preview by Alan Pickup
  Alan has stopped after 43 years and also stopped writing them for The Scotsman in 2024 after 50 years.
• Practical astronomy with your camera and computer – by ASE member Horst Meyerdierks
• Heavens Above satellite tracking site
• • customised link for Edinburgh
• Weather forecasts from MetCheck
  • customised link for Edinburgh
  • astronomy forecast for Edinburgh
• Weather graphs and maps
  • customised link for Edinburgh
• Time and Date,
  including calendars, eclipses and weather.
• NASA
  • Science.NASA
  • Latest news from NASA
  • Onine astronomy dictionary
  • NASA’s eclipse home page
• European Space Agency
• Sky & Telescope, US magazine.
  • News from Sky & Telescope
• Astronomy Now, UK magazine
• Sky at Night Magazine
• Astronomy, US magazine
• Practical Astrophotography free online magazine written by experienced amateur astrophotographers
• BBC Space homepage including The Sky at Night online
• Astronomy on coins and medals