Well, the past month has been truly appalling, weather-wise, for astronomers in London. Rain, rain and more rain; perhaps two or three genuinely good clear (and dry) nights.

Sadly, we have decided it best to pull the plug on the April meeting, which means the next meeting will be a full month away, in the week starting 28th May. We understand this will be disappointing to many, but we feel that it’s better to have no meeting at the Hub rather than a wet one. We’ll still be meeting for our Pub Quiz on Monday 14th May, and as of this very evening you can now listen to the first episode of the Awesome Astronomy Podcast (hosted by Ralph and myself) which we hope will keep you good company when clouds roll in.

Once again, the April meeting has been canceled and the next meeting will be in the last week of May.

After a stunning meeting for March, we’re pleased to reveal that the latest issue of Astronomy Magazine has landed, featuring a four page article on none other than the Baker Street Irregular Astronomers!

You can pick it up at good magazine retailers, or subscribe at Astronomy.com access issues online. Once you’ve got the May 2012 issue, flick to page 54 to be greeted with a very familiar site in the urban observing section, our South-East aspect from The Hub!

We’d like to extend a special thank you to Astronomy, who encouraged and accommodated us so kindly and professionally in putting this little write-up together, and we’d like to invite all the Irregulars to share in thanks by picking up a copy and supporting them back. The BSIA has seen a rise in publicity of late, and we were thrilled to see so many new faces coming along in March to study four mighty planets, and many objects beyond.


The organisers of the BSIA feel very privileged to have brought accessible astronomy to London - a city with so much enthusiasm for the night sky. With the next window of dates already set for April (17th, 18th or 19th) we’re looking forward to the next great meeting, and all the great meetings to follow.

Due to a very confident forecast for rain on the evening of the 22nd, we have decided to postpone the February meeting by one week, placing it on the 29th at the same time, same place. We appreciate that Irregulars often make advance plans to attend our star parties, and that short notice is inconvenient, but we also realise that being battered by unfavourable weather is no fun either. We’ll soon be instigating a new system for organising dates, which should drastically increase our chances of success!

Once again...

Please DO NOT come to The Hub on the 22nd. The meeting will now take place one the 29th (one week late)

Even if it doesn’t rain, it’ll almost certainly be 100% overcast, and as stunned as we are by the enthusiasm of the Irregulars, we know January’s skies were a bit of a disappointment. See for yourself...

We’re there! Or, if you’re reading this at the show having picked up one of our leaflets, we’re here! The BSIA is pleased as punch to be infiltrating AstroFest from our base at the Widescreen Centre, stands 1-6. You might also spot a few Irregulars among the crowd, imitating our hero - Sherlock Holmes. We have it on good authority that Holmes actually invented the telescope at his home on Baker Street. Good show, Watson!

And to think many tourists espouse the notion that he’s a fictional character, and never really existed. Blasphemy! If you’re new to the BSIA, please do note that deerstalkers and pipes are not the main focus of the society, and are really only adopted by a small fringe of the very most... enthusiastic members. We do some astronomy sometimes, too.

The BSIA welcomes you to London for the 2012 AstroFest. We hope you’ll join us on our quest to bring the night sky to the nation’s capital!