British Astronomical Association

Later, this spirit of observing the night sky scientifically was championed by George Alcock, who discovered five comets and five novae using nothing more than a pair of binoculars.

The BAA continues to contribute to the science of astronomy, even despite modern competition from space-based telescopes and highly automated professional observatories.

Modern digital sensors, coupled with techniques such as lucky imaging, mean that even modest amateur equipment can rival what professional observatories could have achieved a few decades ago.

The vastness of the night sky, together with the sheer number of amateur observatories, mean that BAA members are often the first to pick up new phenomena.

Modern communications allow astronomers in different time zones around the world to hand over the monitoring of variable stars and planetary weather systems to colleagues on other continents as the Sun comes up, resulting in a 24-hour watch on the sky.

Electronic bulletins are issued to give more immediate notice by email of discoveries, astronomical news and BAA meetings.

In 2022, after seventy-nine years of leasing office space from the Royal Astronomical Society, in Burlington House, Piccadilly, London the association moved out.

In many ways it is a counterpart to the Royal Astronomical Society - which primarily supports professional observers - and the two organisations have long shared the same premises.

The idea for this organisation was first publicly proposed by Irish astronomer William H. S. Monck in a letter published in The English Mechanic on 12 July.

[8] In addition to members making independent arrangements there have been several more or less officially organised expeditions to observe several total solar eclipses in various parts of the World.