Madison Astronomical Society

  • Fate of the Photons: Eyeballs or Pixels?

    Friday, May 8, 2026, 7 PM, UW Space Place

    Rick Wayne headshot

    Rick Wayne

    Outreach Coordinator

    Rick will moderate a discussion panel of eyepiece observers and astrophotography enthusiasts. This is a classic “clash of the titans” in the amateur astronomy world! You have the Visual Purists, who value the raw, photons-to-retina experience, and the Astro-Imagers, who are essentially part-time software engineers and heavy machinery operators. Come join us for a meetup between the ancient art of the “averted vision” squint and the modern science of the 12-hour exposure.

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    • M31, Then and Now

      blinking GIF comparing shots of M31 from the Palomar Survey (POSS) and a modern Seestar.
      The Palomar Sky Survey shot of M31 blink-compared to the one from Carol Santulis’s SeeStar. Can you tell which is which?

      Sometimes I like to sit back and marvel at the remarkable progress our hobby has seen over the past half century or so. Technology has revolutionized everything, but perhaps nothing has changed more profoundly than astrophotography.

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    All Astro News

    • MAS Seeks New Space

      MAS members sitting at a meeting, listening to a guest speaker
      MAS members at a monthly meeting in Space Place, August, 2024.

      For the first time in nearly 30 years, MAS is looking for a new home for its monthly meetings.

      Space Place, which is the UW Astronomy Department’s home for outreach and education, will be closing its doors when the lease expires in June.

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    All MAS News

  • MAS Member Photos