This Year,  National Astronomy Week  2014 celebrated Jupiter, the largest planet in the Solar System, which reached its highest point in the sky for many years in early March. NAW ran from March 1st -8th

As part of the official NAW star party venues, our scheduled society events had very different outcomes with the first of the Star Parties on Sunday 2nd being a total washout- conditions were dreadful;- wind and rain.

The event on Friday 7th actually turned out to be quite a success, with conditions almost suited to viewing the heavens. Skies were certainly not transparently clear, but were sufficiently clear to allow observations of the Moon and Jupiter much to the delight of a sizeable gathering who ventured up to the Bruce Observatory at Whitby College. Society members also brought along several scopes, including a new and impressive 12” skeleton dobsonian belonging to Warren, which was having its first ‘party shakedown’ outing. Conditions were just passable to allow a laser point tour of the sky conducted from a darker area of the college grounds. We even spotted a sporadic meteor and several artificial satellites.

Free mini night sky posters, donated by NAW organisers were distributed, with quite a number of people expressing a strong desire to come again. We shall see. Certainly one positive outcome was a £50 donation to the society from the NAW organising committee to offset any expenditure of hosting a NAW event.

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