see the galaxy the way we do

Founded in February 1997 by two local enthusiasts, Mr Sandy Morrison and his wife Eileen, the East Antrim Astronomical Society (E.A.A.S) started from humble beginnings. It soon attracted a number of local residents with the same love of astronomy. At first, there were insufficient numbers to invite guest speakers and to arrange a yearly programme of meetings.

Now  we have a programme of top speakers from the astronomical cream of Northern Ireland and this has now extended to guests from the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain. We have joined with other clubs and societies from all over Ireland in forming the Irish Federation of Astronomical Societies (I.F.A.S.)

In January 2009 the EAAS changed the club’s name to the Northern Ireland Amateur Astronomy Society (NIAAS) to accommodate it’s expanding membership.

In June 2009 the society applied to the Inland Revenue and successfully achieved charity status, Registration No.XT18196. As of 25th July 2014, the society is now also registered as a charity with the newly formed Charity Commission of Northern Ireland, our charity number is NIC100233.

We meet monthly from September to May on the first Monday starting at 8pm at Ballyclare High School, with speakers from the Astronomical community both in Ireland and from the mainland, as well as members themselves.

We provide a bi monthly magazine, “Azimuth”.

We hold regular outreach events where we go to schools, youth groups and organisations like the National Trust, we do talks and live stargazing using some of the best telescopes money can buy!

Our members enjoy meeting up for stargazing nights at our private observing site.

Our aim is to help everyone see the galaxy the way we do!

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