The Astronomical Society of Singapore was established in 1991 by a group of amateur astronomers for whom astronomy was not just a hobby but a life-long passion. It was not enough for this group of amateur astronomers to indulge in their passion. They wanted to share their passion with others and promote amateur astronomy, especially among the young people of Singapore.

Through its efforts and activities over the past 20+ years TASOS has infected thousands of people with the astronomy fever. Although hard- core amateur astronomers currently number only in the hundreds, many thousands, especially among the students of secondary schools and tertiary institutions, are now more aware of astronomy, not just as a science, but as a hobby to be enjoyed like video games and soccer.

The Astronomical Society Of Singapore (TASOS) was formed with the following objectives:

• The promotion of an interest in astronomy for beginners as well as the advanced.
• The encouragement of all aspects of observational astronomy and the association of observers at all levels for mutual benefit.
• The circulation of current astronomical information and observational materials.
• The support of regional and international cooperation among astronomical organisations.

In a city state like Singapore, the high degree of light pollution means that Singaporeans have few opportunities, in their day-to-day lives, to see and appreciate the wondrous beauty of the night sky and stop to ponder the mysteries of the universe they live in.

TASOS tries to create the opportunities by organising or co-organising activities that not just tell people about the wonders of astronomy but show them the wonders of the night sky through various activities that include:

• Obtaining permission of the Science Centre Singapore (SCS) for TASOS members and members of public to use the Centre’s observatory (with its 16 inch Cassegrain Telescope) every Friday evening to observe objects of interest in the night sky; and assisting at these observation sessions by guiding observers and answering their questions
• Organising “Astro camps” or guided observations for members as well as students at sites in Singapore that are relatively dark and suitable for observations including nature parks, Ministry of Education Dairy Farm Adventure Camp at Dairy Farm Road, Pulau Semakau Landfill
• Organising special observations and events for members, schools and public to coincide with astronomical phenomena such as meteor showers, transit of planets, solar and lunar eclipses, appearances of comets, ...
• Organising “Astro tours” for TASOS members and their family to places of interests (astronomical and otherwise) in Peninsula Malaysia, Indonesia and even further afield in places like Hawaii )
• Organising overseas expeditions that have taken some TASOS members to places in Malaysia, Thailand, Germany, China and Australia to view Total Solar Eclipses, Meteor showers, Comets and other celestial events.
• Conducting talks for TASOS member, interest groups, secondary and tertiary school students on a wide range of subjects on Astronomy from ‘basic astronomy’ to ‘astrophotography’. Some of the talks are conducted by internationally renowned professionals such as Dr Guillermo Gonzalez, Associate Professor of Astronomy at the Iowa University, USA (‘Life in the Universe’) and Professor Russell Hulse, Nobel Prize in Physics (1993) for his discovery of the binary pulsar ( a Video conference)
• Conducting 8-lesson Astronomy Course for members when demand is high

An annular solar eclipse will occur on 26 December 2019 and Singapore is well placed to view this great event. So, with so much activities and excitement leading ahead. NOW is the best time to begin your journey as an amateur astronomer by joining TASOS.