Welcome to the WDAS monthly newsletter for July 2014: a digest of the month's latest contributions to our website.  Below you'll find Society News, Sky Notes and In-Focus articles printed in full.  There's also future events, and trailers for other articles which appear in full on the website - just a click away!

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Society News

June 7th Star Party Event

So far our only star party to go ahead this summer, but it was rather a successful one.

Unfavourable daytime conditions (wet) gave way to a fine evening, allowing Mark, Keith, Lee, Warren and Andi to break out the scopes and observe. The Qtr Moon was the perfect target in the bright twilight conditions, however the setting Sun proved an unexpected bonus with a rash of sunspots visible through the solar filter.

As twilight deepened so the planets emerged - Jupiter, Mars and best of all - Saturn, much to the obvious delight of a sizeable crowd. A passage of the ISS also created a stir. A few of the brighter stars could be pointed out - bearing in mind it was 11pm and conditions were still pretty light, so the scene was quite surreal. A most enjoyable evening outside, before going home to watch England struggle to a 0-0 draw against Hondurus in a pre- world cup friendly. Never mind, hopes were still high, optimism intact.  We should have known better... We do now!

Events

Star Party (West Cliff) Cpt Cook headland

A Public Star Party, weather permitting, near the Captain Cook monument on West Cliff  (setting-up from 21:00hrs).  Planetary & night sky Observations.

Planetary & night sky Observations.

Date:
23 August, 2025 - 21:00 to 23:00
Address:
Captain Cook Headland
West Cliff
near YO21 3HA Whitby
United Kingdom
See map: Google Maps
GB
Hooks House Farm Star Party

One of the observing highlights on the WDAS calendar.

Hook’s House is an excellent dark site location situated on the B1447 overlooking Robin Hood’s Bay. If the weather is fine the campsite should be full and as long as skies are clear, or clear enough, we should have a cracking evening.

We shall be setting up scopes around 20:00h - weather permitting. A map of the location can be found on the web site.

Date:
30 August, 2025 - 20:15 to 22:30
Address:
Hooks House Farm
Whitby Road
YO22 4PE Robin Hood's Bay
United Kingdom
See map: Google Maps
GB