User:Arthurbannister

Airdrie Astronomical Association
Airdrie Astronomical Association (AAA), is an astronomical society which adopted its constitution in May, 2009, when originally called the Association in Scotland to Research into Astronautics (ASTRA) Airdrie Branch.

AAA has applied to be registered as a Scottish charity in 2009.

AAA holds meetings, events, invited guest speaker lectures, and more, in Airdrie Arts Centre, Airdrie, Scotland. Catering for complete beginners, interested amateurs and those with a more academic slant, the membership is wide-ranging across age (from schoolchildren to coffin dodgers!), gender and expertise.

AAA's aims are to promote the advancement of knowledge and the spread of education and particularly the dissemination of knowledge on space activities and all branches of science pertaining to such activities, and to stimulate public interest therein".

History
In 1978, ASTRA saved Airdrie Public Observatory, atop Airdrie Public Library, from being scrapped – the previous curators had not taken great care of the observatory and it had suffered badly in a storm. ASTRA offered to repair the telescope and drive if the then Monklands District Council would repair the dome. This they duly did and ASTRA had been running the observatory, on behalf of North Lanarkshire Council, until 2008.

In 2008 ASTRA stopped managing Airdrie Public Observatory

In 2009 Airdrie Astronomical Association (AAA) became curators of Airdrie Public Observatory