1st 2015 visit to Hook's House:
Sausage rolls, scale solar system
and some star viewing against the
backdrop of a lightning show.

Certainly one of our observing highlights on the WDAS calendar, the first of our two visits to Hooks House this proved to be an interesting affair.

I believe it was Wellington, who after Waterloo commented that the battle was ‘a dam close run thing’ The same could apply to the state and proximity of the weather and thunder storms on Saturday 22nd.

Although appearing ominous, luckily for us the storms slid just to north and west of Whitby, pushed away by a helpful southeasterly breeze. Not a drop of rain fell, but the light show teesside way was quite spectacular. Its a few years since a star party has gone ahead in such circumstances, but we rode our luck (good judgment) and eventually the sky cleared enough for a worthwhile star party.

Four scopes manned by Andi, Kieth, Lee and Mark were kept busy throughout the later evening, with more than enough present to help with the scale solar system.

Campers also enjoyed sausage rolls, Frankfurters and cheese on cocktail sticks, (Andi and Mark had been busy in the kitchen) All went down well (literally) the only down side was the reluctance of the moon and Saturn to escape the cloud over in the west, but we shouldn’t grumble, the campers certainly didn’t. The next event at Hooks House will be on Sept 5th, 8pm start.