From October to April, Sunday evenings at the Bruce Observatory in the grounds of Whitby School are for observations, open to members and the public. The observatory houses an f15 - 5" Cooke refractor from the late 19th century, an instrument ideally suited for lunar, planetary and multiple star observations. Living in the UK we have to accept that weather conditions are far from perfect, and truth be told 70-75% of Sunday dates are unsuitable for observing. Nevertheless, we persist in our efforts.

The Bruce Observatory. (Click for larger image)

Since early December Sunday observing sessions have been particularly thin on the ground. For some reason Sunday evening being the one night of the week most likely to fall foul of poor conditions. Cloud, rain, excessive wind, hard frost, have all nullified our observing ambitions and disappointingly all January dates were ‘no shows’.

Should February continue in a similar vein, the idea formulated last winter after a similar run of poor weather may yet come to fruition. Yes, a RADIO telescope!!

WDAS members, steps and Cooke refractor. (Click for larger image)

Please note, the school drive gate now operates with an electric key code system accessible only to certain WDAS members. Try to arrive at the top car park by 19:05hrs or pre-arrange a time with Mark. Otherwise, you may need to use your car horn, headlights, or shout to get our attention as the gates will be closed.

'Night vision mode'. (Click for larger image)