The final star party in October, requested and organized by Chloe Barker and tied into ‘The Unblinking Eye: 55 years of space operations on Fylingdales Moor’ exhibition at the museum, looked most unlikely to go ahead less than six hours before it was due to start. Rain was still failing during Saturday afternoon 24 hours after it had started! However the forecast (and crucially the timing of it) was right for once, with colder, clearer conditions spreading down by late afternoon, just in time for the event to get a green light... [Read more about Star Party on 26th Oct 2019 for the ‘Unblinking Eye’ exhibition]
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As you may know this was originally intended to be a two evening event, however as interest was more forthcoming for just the Saturday, Colin and Vicky dropped the Friday evening from the program. Friday, as it transpired was a clear night, great for observing. Saturday was ‘orrid (at least it wasn’t windy), and although the BBC forecast still offered some optimism, the Met office one did not. The Met office was correct and any lingering hopes of some clear breaks were quickly extinguished by the rain... 
It’s been a while since i was last in the ‘drill hall’ on Bagdale, spent many an hour there in the past. This was (and always has been) the venue for the Scouts, and as conditions in the sky were once again no good for observing, it was our destination on 3rd October 2019. 
In this month's edition:
This is part of the Dark Sky festival involving all the North York Moors dark sky sites. We will be hosting the event for Danby Moors Centre on November 2nd. The public book to attend the event, but places at the Danby Moors Centre are limited to 60. The event is now due to start at 18:00h and not at 18:30pm as previously stated. We are therefore looking to be on site by 17:45h (setting off no later than 17:20h)... 
With heavy rain showers peppering much of the country, the outlook for the annual Westerdale event did not look overly encouraging. Having packed a couple of the manual ‘Dobs’ into Mark’s Car; just in case, together with all the ‘plan B’ equipment for the indoor presentation, Mark and Keith set off for the Village hall in yet another deluge. It soon became apparent looking at the skies on the way over, that there was a chance of being able to observe something after all... 
This event was requested over a year ago by the Women’s Institute, but the actual composition and likely format it would follow only emerged on the day itself. In other words the weather decided what was possible on the evening, and although the heavy rain which fell for much of the afternoon had ceased, it was still cloudy!.. 
The following three Saturday evening star party events from the West Cliff, had varying success. The event on the 6th proved reasonable, The following Saturday cloud prevented any direct observations although, the rising moon adjacent to the Abbey was a hit with the photographers until it disappeared in cloud... 
Early weather forecasts for the Hooks house event initially looked rather unfavourable, however, predicted heavy showers failed to materialise and by late afternoon it looked more likely skies would clear and so it proved. It was not though the balmy conditions we had enjoyed just a week earlier for the bank holiday, the northern air mass brought with it a decided chill, the kind that a warm padded coat only alleviated... 
Booked over a year ago – this will be held (weather permitting) on the Archery Green, West Cliff on Sept 24th from 19:00-21:00h. If cloudy/rainy we will be setting up in the Spa Pavilion for plan B or C. Plan A is to be on the Archery green for 18:45h. 
Our annual jaunt over to Westerdale is towards the end of September this year on Friday 27th. The start time is 19:00h finishing around 22:00h at the latest. If skies are clear it should be an excellent evening with dark skies and some familiar faces to meet once again. If you are intending on coming along meet at Mark’s for 18:15h. 
This has to go down as one of the warmest star party nights we have ever done, still around 23 degrees at 22:30h! It was not a surprise therefore that the west cliff was pretty busy. Keith, Mark and John manned the four scopes deployed, Keith’s 12” Dobsonian, the LX 200, the 6” Dobsonian and John’s 5” SCT... 
Another bank holiday weekend and... ‘stone the crows’... another heat wave (what is it about bank holidays and unusually hot weather this year...doesn’t seem right)
