Madison Astronomical Society

  • The Music of the Spheres – Peering Inside Stars with Asteroseismology

    Friday, October 9, 2026, 7 pm, Memorial High School

    Picture of guest speaker Rich Townsend.

    Rich Townsend

    UW-Madison Dept of Astronomy

    One hundred years ago, the British astrophysicist Sir Arthur Eddington wrote that “Our telescopes may probe farther and farther into space, but they cannot penetrate a solid boulder; and the surface of a star acts as an equally impenetrable shield hiding all that goes on beneath.”

    This would seem to suggest that stellar interiors are forever hidden from empirical scrutiny. However, the late decades of the 20th century saw the development of a new technique — “asteroseismology” — that overturns this notion.

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    • First MAS Seestar Collaboration

      A crop of the 116 hour Seestar collaboration shot. Shows a field of many small galaxies and stars.

      In the spring of 2026, MAS member and Seestar owner Jack Fitzmier had an idea. Having read about a Seestar collaboration in China, Jack wondered if we could do something like that here. Maybe a few of our Seestar owners could be persuaded to contribute to a large group project. It seemed like it was worth a try.

      By the time the project concluded at the end of July, we had 12 participants with Seestar S50s and S30 Pros.

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    • Moon Over Monona Terrace

      Martin Mika at Moon Over Monona Terrace, 2023. Photo by Carol Santulis.
      Martin Mika, 2023. Photo by Carol Santulis.

      The Midwest’s Largest Star Party

      This years’ event is on Friday, October 16, 2026 (link)

      Every year since 1998, when weather permits, MAS has partnered with Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center to throw a huge star party on its rooftop terrace (known formally as the William T. Evjue Rooftop Gardens).

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  • MAS Member Photos