Adur AS are now Sussex Practical Astronomers

Adur Astronomical Society have changed their name to Sussex Practical Astronomers and have a new website Sussexpracticalastronomers.org.uk

If you are wondering where to find them, you can check the SAGAS membership map on Google which is convenient way to find our members.

Jan 2024

Welcome back Lewes AS

We are delighted to welcome Lewes AS who have joined SAGAS in March 2023

After running for many years as a quite small society, especially during the pandemic years, membership has been growing.

Lewes AS have monthly talks (except for July and August) which are well attended and work closely with Eastbourne Astronomical Society at their observing evening events.

We are looking forward to including Lewes in our April meeting at the South Downs Planetarium.

Feb 2023

A guide to Zoom meetings

Bruce Longstaff, and James Fradgley of Bournemouth Natural Science Society and Wessex Astronomical society have put together a handy guide to running online meetings using Zoom.

A PDF can be downloaded by clicking on this link

This is a great example of one of the key benefits of SAGAS membership, in the willingness of Societies to share their experience and help others.

Back to in-person meetings!

Meetings on Zoom were essential during the pandemic and are more convenient when trying to gather a group of attendees from diverse locations in the South of England.

Also sustainability and fuel costs are in everyone’s minds so meeting online also helps us be more environmentally friendly.

But seeing each other on camera does not entirely replace the benefits of meeting in person, particularly when some have not met outside the virtual world.

So at the SAGAS January meeting we decided to hold our annual AGM and April meeting at the South Downs Planetarium and come together for the first time in several years.

That said, we do not want to exclude any members who can’t travel so we plan to make it a hybrid meeting to give the possibility for some to join online.

There will be a second chance to get together in July and we are planning a Summer Convention with a day of talks……more details to follow soon.