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
Non-local organisations
- Royal Observatory Edinburgh
- Mills Observatory, Dundee
- Scottish Dark Sky Observatory, Dalmellington
- British Astronomical Association (BAA)
- Society for Popular Astronomy (SPA)
- Scottish Astronomers’ Group (SAG)
- Astronomy Scotland Facebook Group
- Central Scotland Observers Group
- Lothian Astronomy
- Federation of Astronomical Societies (FAS)
- Royal Astronomical Society (RAS)
- American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
- Society for the History of Astronomy
- Webb Deep-Sky Society
- International Astronomical Union
Beyond astronomy
- Glasgow Science Centre
- Aero Space Kinross
- Royal Scottish Society of Arts
19th century “useful arts” are 21st century “science and technology” - Royal Society of Edinburgh
- Institute of Physics in Scotland
- National Museums of Scotland
- National Museum of Flight
- Your Edinburgh
- Old City Observatory
as a museum of the City of Edinburgh - One o’Clock Gun Association
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 PickupAlan has stopped after 43 years but still writes in The Scotsman.
- Practical astronomy with your camera and computer – by ASE member Horst Meyerdierks
- Heavens Above satellite tracking site
- Weather forecasts from MetCheck
- Weather graphs and maps
- Time and Date,
including calendars, eclipses and weather. - NASA
- European Space Agency
- Sky & Telescope, US magazine.
- 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
UK astronomy suppliers online
The Society does not favour or recommend any particular suppliers. In alphabetical order:
- 365 Astronomy, Worthing, West Sussex
- Ace Cameras, Yate, South Glouchestershire
- Altair Astro, Norwich, Norfolk
- Astronomica, Leeds, West Yorkshire
- Astronomiser, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear
- Atik Cameras Scientific and Astrophotography cameras
- Explorers Astronomy Tours, Alton, Hampshire
- F1 Telescopes, Sittingbourne, Kent
- First Light Optics, Exeter, Devon
- Foresight Optical, Blair Atholl, Perthshire
- Grovers, Northallerton, North Yorkshire
- Harrison Telescopes, West Molesey, Surrey
- Ian King Imaging, Paddock Wood, Kent – Moved to First Light Optic s
- Modern Astronomy, Purley, Surrey
- Northern Optics, Barton upon Humber, Lincolnshire
- Nottingham Precision Astro Engineering, Nottingham
- Optical Vision, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
- Opticstar, Sale, Greater Manchester
- Orion Optics, Crewe, Cheshire
- Pulsar Observatories, Downham Market, Norfolk
- Rother Valley Optics, Rotherham, South Yorkshire
- Sherwoods Photographic, Morton Bagot, Warwickshire
- Telescope House, Lingfield, Surrey
- Tring Astronomy Centre, Tring, Hertfordshire
- UK Astronomy Buy & Sell – UK’s Largest Trading Place for New & Used Telescopes and Accessories
- UK Telescopes
- Viking Optical, there’s one in Rose Street, Edinburgh
- Wex Photographic, Norwich, Norfolk
- Widescreen Centre, London
Some suppliers offer beginner advice: