We’re a nonprofit group that enjoys the science and mystery of astronomy, and we relish sharing that with others. We host meetings and stargazing events open to all. We’re in our 21st year.
We have a board of eleven directors from Cape Elizabeth to Phippsburg. All have a passion for our mission of sharing our interest with fellow members and the general public, particularly school children. We are very active in efforts to limit light pollution and preserve our dark skies. We have about 140 members from Bar Harbor to Kittery, with several out of state.
We had an opportunity to share space at Brunswick Landing a few years ago that offered us storage for our equipment, meeting space, and a convenient location for stargazing. And Brunswick is a convenient location within our membership footprint.
There’s room for everyone in our hobby–all that it takes is curiosity and a friendly spirit. You don’t need to have a background in astronomy, just an openness to learn. You don’t need to have any equipment. We have telescopes to lend, and our members happily share theirs at our public star parties. We hold monthly Zoom meetings with knowledgeable speakers. You don’t even need to be a member to participate in any of these activities–just come and check us out! You can find us at southernmaineastronomers.org. If you can’t remember that, just Google astronomy clubs in Maine, and you’ll find us.
Beautiful celestial objects change with the seasons, so there are always interesting things to look at year-round. At every monthly meeting, we highlight five or six special objects to see and provide explanations of what they are and how to find them.
Zero! All our events are free. If someone wants to join, our regular membership is $35, with a family membership at $45 and a student membership at $10. Membership provides a quarterly astronomy magazine, the ability to borrow equipment, and other benefits.
We think all BDA members are worthy of support and patronage for having created a great organization and business climate in Brunswick. But for us, organizations like the Brunswick Topsham Landing Trust and Teens to Trails, organizations that get people outside to enjoy our daytime and nighttime environment, are especially worthy of support.
Public events on the mall in all four seasons. We’ve been a regular at the September Community BBQ offering views of the Sun through specially-filtered telescopes.
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