By Elise Zammit
This past year has had much to offer the Astronomical Society, from periods of clear skies to an increase in
membership and public engagement. Looking back, 2025 can be considered a relatively successful year, with
membership numbers remaining steady at around 200 and observation events held on a regular basis. This success
can be attributed not only to favourable weather conditions but also to the variety of events organised, which
appealed both to Society members and to the general public.
“We’ve been lucky enough to have decent weather, so our events have gone pretty well. We’ve had a good number of attendants, including events that are strictly for members and those which are open to the public.”
– President of the ASM Connor Sant Fournier
“We had both the weather, which was quite decent…And as a response from the public and from the members, because we have both public events and members events, both were quite well attended. So we can consider this year a good year.”
– Vice President of the ASM Kurt Catania
Among the most significant observations of the year were the Perseids meteor showers, which are always highly
anticipated and well received by the public. This year, however, visibility was affected by the presence of the Moon,
which proved to be a slight disappointment. Another noteworthy observation was Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon)
in October, as well as the annual observation of Omega Centauri, a globular cluster that rises only about six degrees
above the horizon towards the end of May, making it a particularly challenging and rewarding target for observers.
Horsehead Nebula, appertaining to its distinctive
resemblance to a horse’s head. Apparatus used was the
SeeStar S50 which allows viewing on any mobile device
through the SeeStar Application.
Public engagement continued to grow throughout the year, with many newcomers being introduced to astronomy
and astrophotography for the first time. This increase in interest reflects the Society’s ongoing efforts to make
astronomy more accessible and engaging, especially for those who are just beginning their journey into the field.
One of the key new initiatives introduced this year was the launch of the Astro Tech Talks. These talks were
designed to focus on the more technical and computational aspects of astronomy, complementing the scientific
discussions traditionally held during the Space Research Nights. By separating the monthly online talks into Astro
Tech Talks and Space Research Nights, the Society highlighted the two complementary sides of astronomy: the
technical and computational side, involving equipment, software, and data processing, and the more conventionally taught scientific side, centred on astrophysics and research. This initiative helped broaden the Society’s outreach and cater to a wider range of interests within the astronomical community.
“During last year’s events, I noticed that during the space research night talks, which are our monthly talk, where we invite speakers to share their research with ASM members, that there was a little bit of a mix between those who are researching hard sciences, and those who are more on the technological side. And since nowadays, being the golden age of data for astronomy, we are looking at a lot of people whose research is more computational. We decided to introduce talks strictly on the computational side and modern astronomy named Astro Tech Talks.”
– President of the ASM Connor Sant Fournier on the motives behind the Astro Tech Talks.
Despite these successes, the year was not without its challenges. One of the main difficulties faced by the Society was the ongoing effort to establish a permanent base or residence. While discussions are in progress, a concrete solution has yet to be found, leading ASM to continue striving towards overcoming this challenge in the upcoming year.
Sant Fournier and committee member Ramon Curmi with
the Society’s best telescope; the Celestron 11-inch
Schmidt-Cassegrain.
The final observation event of the year took place on Friday, 12th December. Weather conditions were far from
ideal, with cloudy skies, high humidity, and significant dew affecting visibility. Nevertheless, members made several observation attempts, including Saturn, Jupiter, Orion, and even brighter nebulae and galaxies such as the Tadpole Galaxy. Equipment used during the event included the Seestar S50 smart telescope, which allows for remote operation and mobile-based observations, as well as the Society’s best telescope, the C11 (Celestron 11-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain).
The evening also served as an end-of-year star party, bringing members together in a festive atmosphere. Visitors
enjoyed light snacks and mulled wine, allowing the Society to close the year not only with observations, but also
with a sense of community and celebration.
Looking ahead to 2026, the Society aims to focus on consistency and refinement rather than radical change. The
systems and formats currently in place have proven effective, and future efforts will centre on making incremental
improvements. Increasing membership remains an important goal, not merely in terms of numbers, but as a means
of raising awareness about the universe around us and the challenges faced by amateur astronomers today. Chief
among these challenges is light pollution, which not only impacts astronomical observations but also has wider
consequences for the natural environment.
Overall, 2025 has been a productive and engaging year for the Astronomical Society. As the Society looks forward
to the coming year, it remains committed to fostering curiosity, encouraging public participation, and continuing
to share the wonders of the night sky through observation events, talks, and community outreach.