OASI is a society for people interested in astronomy. We are based at Orwell Park Observatory and Newbourne Village Hall, both situated near Ipswich, Suffolk. Members enjoy a wide range of interests in astronomy and include armchair astronomers, casual observers, and dedicated amateurs with specialist skills in visual and photographic observing, constructing telescopes, public education in astronomy and the history of astronomy.
Events
Mon 10 Nov 2025, 19:30, Newbourne Village Hall, Newbourne meeting - beginners and new members welcome!
Observing target for the month: Cassiopeia.
Wed 12 Nov 2025, 20:00, Orwell Park Observatory, General observing for members of OASI.
Mon 17 Nov 2025, 20:00, Zoom, Pre-recorded talk: The Search for the Theory of Everything by John Gribbin. (Zoom login details are provided in an email to members.)
Wed 19 Nov 2025, 20:00, Orwell Park Observatory, General observing for members of OASI.
Full events list, with contact details for further information.
[1/10] Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) imaged from Orwell Park Observatory during our 2025 open evenings. Paul Whiting, FRAS.
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[2/10] Our 2025 open evenings were a great success! Approximately two hundred and fifty visitors attended on the first evening, and a further 200 on the second. Visitors enjoyed views of Saturn, Comet Lemmon (C/2025A6), Comet Swan (C/2025R2), the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) and star clusters (M11 and others) through a variety of telescopes.
More. Our next open evenings are in 2026 TBC.
[3/10] A matter ejection event (arrowed) in the tail of Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon). 09 October 2025. Nigel Evans.
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[4/10] OASI observers along with many members of the public gathered on Cliff Road, Felixstowe, hoping to observe the Moon, in total eclipse, rising above the eastern horizon, on 07 september 2025. Unfortunately, cloud prevented visibility of total phase of the eclipse, but breaks in the cloud enabled observation of the subsequent partial phase.
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[5/10] Spiral galaxy NGC891, seen edge-on in the constellation Andromeda. 25 August 2025. Paul Whiting, FRAS.
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[6/10] A meteor camera reveals Chinese Satnet satellites a few hours after launch on 25 August 2025. Nigel Evans.
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[7/10] The Sun in H
α light. 10 August 2025. Steve McElvanney.
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[8/10] OASI attended the Latitude Festival on 25-26 July to run sessions on solar observing and night-time observing. On 25 July, there were breaks in the cloud enabling some lucky festival-goers to use the telescopes to advantage. By 11.00pm, the sky was clouded out apart from quick glimpses of the brighter stars. Photos, L->R, T->B: observing the night sky while Sting's pyrotechnics illuminate the background, setting up the OASI stand, some lucky individuals observing the Sun through solar telescopes, Professors Lintot and Fong holding forth.
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[9/10] OASI's summer picnic, on 19 July at Newbourne Village Hall, was blessed by good weather enabling solar observing punctuated by bouts of gorging on Scooby-snacks! (Photos by Neil Morley.)
[10/10] A sketch and photograph of the Sun. 11 July 2025. Neil Morley.
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