The Association was founded early in 1999 by a small group of local amateur astronomers who recognised the need for an active group operating in the Falkirk area. An exhibition, held in a local hotel, had an encouraging turnout confirming that there was interest in the area for an astronomical group. The Association now has a membership of nearly 40.
Membership
Currently annual subscriptions are £10 for adults, £5 for Juniors and £16 for Families. The Association magazine, Ad Astra (To The Stars), is published quarterly. You can become an Associate Member and receive at least 4 issues of Ad Astra plus any other newsletters issued to members. Click here for more information.
Meetings
Members nights are usually held on the second Wednesday of the month in the Old Peoples' Welfare Hall, Laurieston, near Falkirk, (Go to this page for more detailed information) except for June and July, when there is a recess. Meetings commence at 7.30pm (doors open around 7pm) and finish around 10.00pm. These cover discussion of events of current interest, reports from the Committee, followed by the main event of the evening which is a presentation by an Association member or Guest Speaker describing a topic of general interest. Observing equipment is always available to use after the meetings, but weather conditions are rarely favourable, unfortunately!
Affiliations
| The Federation of Astronomical Societies | 
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The Scottish Astronomers Group | 
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Observing
Weather permitting, sessions are usually held at weekends (unless something really special happens!) at our dark site situated on farmland, 3 miles west of Falkirk, or at various darker sites further afield. We do not have a permanent observatory as yet, until then we make do with our own scopes having apertures of between 4 and 8 and of various optical designs.
Other activities
We are active in giving talks on astronomy to local community groups, such as the Scouts and Guides, and as a source of astronomical information to the local media. We hold free exhibitions at frequent intervals to promote amateur astronomy in the local community. An annual Astronomy Weekend is held in Glen Lyon, Perthshire, which is always well attended and voted a great success. The Association also played a significant part in the very successful first Scottish AstroFest, held in Wigtown in November 2000. We have close ties with the Astronomical Society of Edinburgh and the Stirling Astronomical Society and joint meetings are usually held during the year.
Contact
Those who wish to find out more about AFA should contact Walter on 01324 716344 or e-mail . Follow this link for a complete list of contacts.
