Welcome to the WDAS monthly newsletter for June 2019: a digest of the month's latest contributions to our website. Below you'll find Society News; past and coming events; a tour of the Seas and Craters of The Moon; and, of course, Sky Notes including notes on the Summer Solstice and noctilucent cloud.
Society News
After skies cleared quite late for our scheduled star party on the May11th, (and having not erected any placards as a result), we decided to utilise the conditions by trying out the LX 200 and power pack for a pre-season shakedown run.
Keith, John, Phil and Elaine all came up to the college where we hoped to have a good shakedown test of the Meade scope. Initially, things did not look promising, problems with the power station/power cable, locking/motor synch mechanism and hand controller, gave some cause for concern.
Eventually the scope was coaxed into action and slewed to the desired target with fairly decent accuracy, allowing views of mostly stellar objects (still wasn’t dark enough for deep sky objects). We concluded that the power pack may require changing and the scope’s hand controller is not responding as it should every time and also likely wants replacing. We may also consider getting the scope serviced. It is after all 16 years old, and parts do wear out.
The event on the 18th was clouded out (just as well the forecast more or less was proved right as Mark had bunked off to watch a Bowie tribute act in Scarborough). Anyway nobody knows… sshhh.
The event on the 26th also fell victim to the more familiar bank holiday type weather we have grown accustomed to – ie cloud. So May was not very fruitful, at least not on scheduled event dates. Let’s us hope June (which is always awkward due to the very light nights) has something better to offer.
Our annual pilgrimage over to Hook’s House has been booked for Aug 31st, that’s the Saturday after bank holiday, so the site should be pretty full and with a new Moon, skies should be dark!
Could be a great evening!
Not a great deal to tell, the college has the estimate of the work involved, the methods of how this will be tackled has been somewhat amended since the last update.
The felting on the roof etc may have to be removed after all as it has ‘bubbled’ in places, and a stable surface is required for the fibre glass to adhere to. It is hoped work will commence sometime in June. We will keep you informed.
Events
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.
A Public Star Party, weather permitting, near the Captain Cook monument on West Cliff (setting-up from 20:00hrs). Planetary & night sky Observations.
Planetary & night sky Observations.
A Public Star Party, weather permitting, near the Captain Cook monument on West Cliff (setting-up from 20:00hrs). Planetary & night sky Observations.
Planetary & night sky Observations.
We shall once again be travelling over to Westerdale to host a star party on Friday Oct 9th.
The venue will be the village hall / car park area within the village. Start time is 19:30hrs for the public.
Directions: The Village Hall is located in the centre of the village to the west of the main street. Turn past the Phone and Post boxes and after 20 metres proceed up the gravelled track on the left. Point your SatNav to post code: YO21 2DT. All welcome.
Whitby School - Room H1.
In Members' monthly meetings we usually take a tour of the night sky for the coming month using the Planetarium program. Have talks and presentations on various topics of astronomy/space etc, and discuss future events etc. New members welcome.
