The Society is the oldest Astronomical Society in Wales having been formed in February 1948 (click here for the history of the Society). It possesses two fine observatories that are situated
1. at the Fairwood playing fields of the University College of Swansea; which is equipped with a 12" Meade Schmidt Cassegrain catadioptric telescope and
2. at the eastern end of the promenade on the Swansea foreshore; which is equipped with a 20" Shafer-Maksutov catadioptic telescope. This telescope, which was constructed by a Society member, the late Dr. Fred Jenkins, between 1989 and 1992, is the largest in Wales.
The aims of the Society has always been "to further the knowledge of and to stimulate public interest in the science of Astronomy, also to promote and conduct research into problems related thereto" and this is as relevant to today's Society as it was in 1948.
The Society meets every second and fourth Thursday of the months September through to May when speakers, from within or outside the Society, accept the Society's invite to talk on all matters astronomical. These meetings take place in the University of Wales, Swansea at Lecture Room 2 of Fulton House (at the head of the drive into the campus).
In addition to this, the public are invited to visit the Marina Towers Observatory site to view the heavens through the major telescope and several other telescopes, during the winter and Spring months. These events are well attended, despite the weather on some occasions, and provide the public with an insight into the fascination of exploring the Solar System and beyond.
The educational remit of the Society's constitution is satisfied by the regular school visits that are organised to the Marina Towers site each Wednesday during term time. On these visits Society member volunteers contribute their time to satisfy the 'curiosity' of the schoolchildren into the wonders, and dangers, of the Solar System.
The Society has achieved a recent prominence in the field of astrophotography with several members exploiting the relatively recent advances in C.C.D. imaging which has brought professional results within the grasp of the amateur astronomer.