who we are, what we do​​
M31 - The Andromeda Galaxy
Photo by club member Ara Jerahian
Click to enlarge!
SMA is a community of folks interested in astronomy, a few of us even do that as a job.
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We learn and exchange ideas at meetings that include an astronomy talk and open mic discussions of recent observing experiences or other astro-bites. The tone is light, we're in this for fun.
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We look at (or photograph) stuff in the sky at our star parties, talk about the objects we see, share views and information about our gear.
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We promote dark sky practices both directly and as a member of Dark Sky International.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND NEWS
Our annual event schedule is published! Check the Calendar or join our Google Groups for details and updates. Meanwhile, here are details for the upcoming Total Lunar Eclipse, visible from Maine, in the wee hours of March 3rd. Timing for Portland starts at 3:44am, ends at 6:15am, with maximum at 6:11am. March 3, 2026 Total Lunar Eclipse in Portland, Maine, USA. Note it will be very close to the western horizon (277°), so plan your viewing location carefully, but should be a beautiful show!
mentoring
We engage in mentorship with interested members as well as students.
star parties
SMA holds star parties involving our members and anyone else interested in the night (or daytime!) sky. Activities include naked eye, binocular, telescopic, or electronically-aided telescopic viewing with the support of trained volunteers, as well as talks or demonstrations focused on the how-to's of observing.
One of SMA's lender scopes
Learning about Hα solar scopes
SMA at Bug Light State Park
meetings
We hold monthly meetings that feature scientists and their current work, or amateur astronomy topics that are often presented by one of our members.
special interest groups
Our members have varied interests. Some do long exposure deep-sky imaging, others like to image planets, some image our nearest star. Visual observers may race in a Messier Marathon or challenge themselves to observe a list of objects. Then there are those that do citizen science.
outreach
In addition to star parties and solar viewing the club provides outreach through talks and presentations to school students and civic groups upon request. We have been participants in Maine Space Day activities in Maine schools for the past twenty years, and have provided talks about astronomy at many local libraries.
SMA at Cape Elizabeth High School