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Article written by CMHASD Chairperson Mr Gary Hunt.

CMHASD Partial Solar Eclipse Public Outreach Event — A Resounding Success

On 12 August 2026, the Crayford Manor House Astronomical Society Dartford (CMHASD) opened its doors — and its telescopes — to the public for a special outreach event to observe the Partial Solar eclipse.  And what a day it turned out to be!

We estimate that at least 83 visitors joined us during the event, eager to see the Moon take a bite out of the Sun.

The excitement among visitors was genuinely infectious. Children and adults alike were “wowed” and awed by what they saw, while CMHASD members were equally excited to share the experience. There is something rather special about seeing the expression on someone’s face when they look through a telescope and suddenly realise that they are seeing the Sun in extraordinary detail — and not merely a bright blob in the sky.

Solar observing — safely, of course!

CMHASD provided multiple solar-safe observing telescopes, including two specialist hydrogen-alpha solar telescopes, one of which belongs to the Society. These gave visitors spectacular views of our nearest star, including features that ordinary white-light observing simply cannot reveal.

We also distributed free safe solar-observing spectacles to visitors. This was particularly appreciated given the national shortage of suitable solar glasses in the run-up to the eclipse.

Our members were particularly pleased to help children experience the eclipse safely. The enthusiasm of our younger visitors was wonderful to see, and several CMHASD members excelled themselves in explaining what was happening in ways that made sense to inquisitive young minds — without requiring anyone to sit an astronomy examination beforehand!

The weather behaved itself!  We were blessed with excellent observing weather, providing first-rate visual conditions throughout the event. The eclipse was clearly visible and the views through the solar telescopes were spectacular.

The only celestial object apparently determined to make its presence felt rather too enthusiastically was the Sun itself, with temperatures becoming distinctly warm!

CMHASD therefore did what any responsible astronomical society should do: alongside telescopes, solar filters and astronomical expertise, we provided shade and natural comforts for visitors when required. After all, there is little point in observing the heavens if the observer has melted before reaching the eyepiece!

Bringing astronomy to our local community.  CMHASD was particularly proud that this was the only officially organised public eclipse event serving the Boroughs of Bexley and Dartford.

The event demonstrated exactly why public outreach is such an important part of the Society’s work. We were able to bring astronomy directly to our local community, provide safe access to specialist equipment, answer questions, encourage curiosity and, most importantly, allow people to experience a remarkable astronomical event for themselves.

Meanwhile, several CMHASD members had travelled all the way to Spain to observe the total solar eclipse, experiencing the extraordinary spectacle of totality. Those of us remaining in Kent had to be content with a partial eclipse, although, judging by the expressions of our visitors, we weren’t doing too badly!

A tremendous team effort.  As Chairperson of CMHASD, I am immensely pleased with the success of the event. Seeing so many members of the public, and particularly children, becoming excited about astronomy and experiencing the eclipse for themselves made all the preparation and hard work thoroughly worthwhile.

I would like to give my sincere thanks to Sonia, Diane, Tina and our Society Secretary, Mike, together with the many other CMHASD members who helped organise, prepare and run the event. Their enthusiasm, knowledge, patience and willingness to help the public throughout the day were exceptional.

I would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Sutton-at-Hone Parish Council for its support of the event.

The success of the day was a wonderful demonstration of what CMHASD can achieve when its members come together with a shared passion for astronomy and a desire to inspire others.

If you want to know more about astronomy (day or night), then please do contact CMHASD, and we will do our best to answer your queries, maybe even inspire you to join us.

And perhaps the best measure of our success was not the number of telescopes, solar filters or pairs of eclipse spectacles we handed out, but the number of people who walked away saying, in one form or another:

“Wow!”

For an astronomical society, that’s a pretty good day’s work.

I would also like to say thank you to those members who shared their photos of the event too.  They really show the spirit of the day.