About Us
We're a friendly astronomy group based in Lewes, the county town of East Sussex. Whether you're passionate or just curious about astronomy, an expert or complete novice, everyone is welcome. Our activities are designed to suit all levels of interest, knowledge, and experience within the field of astronomy.
Our heritage dates back five decades as a small group known as the Lewes Astronomers. Astronomy has made significant strides during that time, yet it remains one of the few scientific disciplines in which amateurs can play a useful role.
Relaunched in 2022 as the Lewes Astronomical Society, we now attract about 150 members each year. Yet our ethos remains simple: to promote all aspects of astronomy in a friendly and inclusive environment for people living in and around the Lewes area.
Join Us
Our membership season runs for 12 months from 1st September each year. Membership includes free admission to our public talks which are usually presented by a guest speaker. These meetings are normally held on the first Wednesday of each month (except July and August) at the Subud Centre in Lewes.
We also arrange other events throughout the year, such as stargazing evenings. Our events are a great way to meet amateurs and professionals in the field of astronomy and make new friends.
Join us now to enjoy full membership until 31st August 2026. See our membership page for more details.
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Next Event
Mapping the Universe: A Journey Through the Past, Present, and Future of Sky Surveys
Behnood Bandi
6th May 2026 at 7:30pm
For centuries, astronomers have been mapping the night sky. We began with star catalogues made by eye, and we now have digital surveys that measure billions of stars and galaxies. Each new survey has changed what we know about the Universe: it has revealed the shape of the Milky Way, found exploding stars and powerful collisions, and helped show that the expansion of the Universe is speeding up.
In this talk, we'll go on a journey through the story of sky surveys and see how they shape modern astronomy. We'll start close to home with surveys of our own Galaxy, including the Gaia survey. We'll then look at surveys that keep watch for sudden events in the sky, from supernovae to other short-lived flashes. After that, we'll travel farther out to surveys that map distant galaxies to trace the cosmic web and learn about dark matter and dark energy. Finally, we'll arrive at the next generation of major projects—q4MOST, DESI, LSST, and Euclid—which will build the most detailed maps of the cosmos yet. Together, they will help us tackle some of the biggest questions in astronomy: How did galaxies grow over time? What is dark energy? And how does our Milky Way fit into the Universe?
Everyone is welcome. Non-members £4.
Contact Us
For general enquiries about our society, please send an email to secretary@lewesas.org.uk. Alternatively, you are welcome to contact any of the team members shown on our committee page.
Find Us
Our monthly public meetings are held in the Assembly Hall at the newly-renovated Lewes Subud Centre, East Sussex BN7 2DS (formerly Lewes New School). Entrance is in Talbot Terrace. Municipal car parks are free after 5pm. The Brook Street car park is just a few minutes easy walk from the venue.
Latitude 50.8765N Longitude 0.00835E /// tripled.collide.flattens