Always a highlight on the WDAS observing calendar, our annual visit to Hook's House Farm Campsite - on Aug 31st this year, seemed for all the world to be in doubt come evening, derailed by our old foe - pesky low cloud, spilling in off the North Sea. Earlier that day when dropping off a placard and 10" scope at Hook's House, skies had been reasonably clear. Yet strangely for Mark having studied the forecast, he was less optimistic about the evening. Afternoon turned to early evening, clear one minute, then total cloud cover within five, it was going to be one of 'those' evenings where observations may or may not happen.

People from the campsite start to gather - hoping to observe the night sky! Image - Keith D (Click for full image) 

7:20pm, and having picked up Keith and John, Mark was relieved to see Brian and Lee with the vehicular cavalry arrive at the house, where we loaded up.  The jury was still out regarding state of play with cloud cover, and we headed over to Robin Hoods Bay keeping one eye on the amount, and direction of cloud travel.   

Upon arrival we surveyed the sky vista from the observing location, a grazing meadow in front of the House overlooking the 'Bay'.  Hook's House is located on the B1447 down into Robin Hood's Bay from Whitby and enjoys fine views across to Ravenscar.  

Lee's setup.  Image - Keith D (Click for full image) 

After a little debate it was decided to chance our luck, unloading the equipment and setting up on the field, a small band of interested campers looking on.  For this event the observing suite consisted of 12" & 10", dobsonians, Lee's 6" reflector and John's 90mm ETX, sufficient for how we perceived the evening would unfold, considering the ominous looking cloud lurking to the south and east.  Matters were on a knife edge, which way would they go.  

Remarkably, having started to cloud over, a premature end of proceedings did not occur, skies clearing again within minutes. What a stroke of luck!  

Given that it was the final weekend of the summer holidays, the campsite was still quite full and from the few people watching us deploy the telescopes, numbers soon swelled, word having filtered around the field.  

People queue at the scopes.  Image - Keith D (Click for full image) 

Introductions made; both WDAS members present and telescopes in use for the evening, people were invited to gaze upon the well-travelled photons visible in the eyepiece of the brighter emerging stars, Arcturus, Vega, et al. 

The main target of the evening, Saturn, suddenly appeared low over the Bay, clear to the naked eye and queues formed behind each scope, people eager to view the 'ringed wonder'.  'Seeing' was unexpectedly steady given the low elevation of Saturn, with exclamations of astonishment permeating the air even though Saturn's rings are now closing, but still visible.  So too was Saturn's chief moon Titan, visible as a bright speck to one side.

Our luck held, and for most of the evening Saturn remained on show.  Saturn was however not the only target; sky conditions were sufficiently good to allow deep sky objects to be observed clearly.  These included the Ring nebula, M13 - the Hercules globular cluster, M31 -Andromeda galaxy, M27 - Dumbbell nebula, and greatly appreciated by all viewing them, fascinated on the nature of these objects.  

Lee explaining something. Image - Keith D (Click for full image) 

Non-DSO objects targeted included Mizar and Alcor in the handle of the Plough and Alberio in Cygnus.  The laser pointers were wielded by Mark and Keith, leading the audience on a tour around the constellations.  A bright meteor blazed across the sky - accompanied by lots of exclamations from the crowd, Mark missed it as usual.  One of the most satisfying aspects of any star party is the interaction with the public, and there were questions aplenty, some of which we could answer! 

By 10pm patches of cloud began to appear, and our potential objects pool slowly eroded - Saturn amongst them, and within the space of 20 minutes only patches of clear sky remained.  Our luck finally had run out and we called it a night, packing away the gear with still quite a few people present.  As Hook's House events go, it had turned out unexpectedly in our favour, our endeavours much appreciated by all those attending. 

We had made plans to return the following Saturday - but the weather gods having granted us clear skies once, were in no mood to do so again with proper low cloud and mizzle still clinging to the coast and hills long after the event was postponed.  

Many thanks to the Halder family at Hook's House for facilitating the event and WDAS members assisting.