The Cotswold Astronomical Society serves amateur astronomers in the Cotswold area centered on Cheltenham and Gloucester. Local membership reaches to Swindon, Evesham and Worcester too. Their 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.

Their 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 “whats up in the sky” talk, display of members photographs, or discussions about equipment or observing techniques. Mercury is the societys newsletter published every two months. Mercury includes articles written by members and covers a wide range of topics written by members, and a regular column of astronomical events over the following two months. The Cotswold Astronomical Society is a member of the Federation of Astronomical Societies (FAS).

For more information, please visit http://cotswoldas.org.uk