Welcome to the WDAS monthly newsletter for May 2016: 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!
On the website you'll also be able to comment on articles, and if you'd like to play an editorial role in creating new content, just let us know!
Quick Summary for May:
- WDAS Society Meeting on Tuesday 3rd April from 19:30h. The final meeting of the season, with traditional quiz.
- Star Parties on 14th and 28th May. Please lend a hand if you can.
Society News
Four WDAS Members have already booked or the British Astronomical Association Summer Meeting in York on July 2nd. If you'd like to go too, please contact andi
whitby-astronomers.com and we'll see if we can arrange for another car.
The ticket cost, for WDAS Members, is a miniscule £5.00, for which you get to see five talks on Cosmology, on a theme "Probing the Dark Side of the Universe".
See more details of talks and speeakers in the Events section.
Initially requested by Libby Lavelle, assistant Head teacher of Ayresome Primary school in Middlesbrough, the original plan was to host a star party for her visiting group of two dozen 10 and 11 year old pupils at Whitby Youth Hostel, near the Abbey on March 29th. This was however postponed on the night itself, the weather was lousy, but the forecast ahead looked promising.
So it was mutually agreed to trade in the rain of Tuesday for the forecast clear skies of Thursday. For once this proved an extremely good call. Thursday evening was clear, clear enough for several hours at least, affording views of Jupiter and allow a laser point tour of the early spring sky. The location (we all agreed) also enhanced proceedings, the large courtyard in front of the Abbey visitor’s centre. The adjoining Abbey wall and access lane to the centre and Hostel ideal for propping our posters boards against and demonstrating the scale solar system, that has never looked so linear, clear and organised.
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Pupils of Ayresome Primary (Click image for full-size view) |
Pupils of Ayresome Primary (Click image for full-size view) |
Along with the 10” Dobsonian (Mark’s), Keith and Lee provided the other scopes allowing all to enjoy varied views of Jupiter and the Orion Nebula. The evening was just what Libby hoped for – an opportunity for the children to experience a darker sky and look through a telescope, and judging by the reaction of the pupils, thoroughly appreciated.
Boggle Hole YHA Event Footnote
And now here’s the flip side of the observing coin. The event planned for Boggle Hole YH on April 5th was cancelled, again by mutual agreement, due to the forecast. Timing, timing is everything on all too many occasions, and on this occasion the god-damn lousy, atrocious weather throughout the day, scooted off into the North Sea earlier than forecast, allowing a god-damn beautiful clear evening to prevail. What a let-down, the most frustrating of wrongly timed forecasts, and a wasted opportunity. That’s how it works out sometimes.
Misc
And finally, a few photos from the Fylingdales School event covered in last month's newsletter. For more photos of all our events, check out the 2016 Star Party folder in the gallery!
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Flylingdales School Event |
Flylingdales School Event |
Flylingdales School Event |
Events
Observe the night sky with us at the Bruce Observatory, Caedmaon College - Normanby campus (formally Whitby College).
Observing Nights are held weather permitting: check for a relatively clear sky before leaving home. If in doubt, Mark can be reached on tel 01947 605516.
Please note the college drive gate is now operated via a electronic key code - so anyone wishing to attend must be at the car park at the top of the drive by 19:00hrs, unless an arrival time has been arranged with Mark/Keith after 19:30hrs. Otherwise shout or bip car horn - we'll hear.
