WDAS Christmas Dinner Menu FREE with this edition! (^_-)
Welcome to the WDAS monthly newsletter for November 2017: 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!
Society News
Those of you looking forward to the Leeds Astromeet this year will sadly have to keep looking, cos it’s not on, cancelled, postponed, deceased?..The comment on the Leeds website reads as follows:
Leeds Astronomical Society has decided to cancel this year's Astromeet conference at Leeds University. The committee took this decision reluctantly, aware that there will be much disappointment, but after careful consideration. The reasons for cancellation include: financial constraints related to funding; rising costs at the current venue, and a number of other administrative concerns. Hopefully this isn't a binding decision - and should an Astromeet be proposed for 2018, details will appear on the New Year website.
Let’s hope it’s just a glitch this year, but it would not be a surprise if Astromeet became a biannual event.
This was our second visit to the Kettleness Scout centre, which used to be the railway station back in the day. Sleights cubs were spending the Halloween weekend camping there and had asked for a star party for evening of the 28th. Conditions, although very in keeping with Halloween, were not very conducive for observations, being rather cloudy and very windy, too windy for the scopes. Use was therefore made of the activities room for an indoor show.
Ably assisted by Keith, Mark used the screen projector and laptop to show what would have been observable in the sky. This was followed by the celestial menagerie presentation, highlighting the various types of objects astronomers look at (the pretty pictures segment).
Around 30 cubs were present along with pack leaders and considering the young age of (most) of the audience it seemed to fire up their imagination with some excellent questions being asked. Not the evening we were ideally hoping for outside, but from the interest shown i think they did gain something from our visit.
We have been invited by York AS to join them for a star party at RAF Fylingdales on Jan 18th 2018. We are however required to furnish Martin Whillock at YAS with details of all those wishing to attend by Nov 30th.
Details required are
- Full name
- Age on 18th Jan 2018
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Full home address
- Your car Reg' number, make, model and colour - regardless of whether or not you will use your car on the day.
- E-mail address
- Phone numbers
We shall discuss possible numbers etc at the November 2017 Meeting. Mark will take details (rank name and serials numbers) and then pass them on to Martin.
It will soon be time for sub renewals for the coming year. Happily society subscription rates will be kept at the same level as last year, ie. £12 for adults with subsidised rates at £8 for under 16s and over 75s.
You can bring subs along to the WDAS monthly meetings in December, January or February at the very latest. If you cannot make the meetings Cheques are made payable to;- Whitby & District Astronomical Society, Please address to Mark Dawson - 33 laburnum Grove, Whitby. YO21 1HZ.
Having bumped into Sean Paling, director and Senior Scientist at the Boulby Underground Laboratory the other week in a local watering hole, we briefly discussed the possibility of a visit to the facility down in the mine.
Sean, who was with a visiting group of scientists from the U.S, including from NASA, was only too happy to extend an invitation. Arrangements for possible dates will be made early in the New Year. I assume that numbers are still limited per visit, and it will also be during the working week. Once we have firmer arrangements, they will be included in the monthly notes, and at the next scheduled society meeting.
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.
