Whitby & District Astronomical Society

Deja Vu, groundhog day, call it what you want, but Regatta weekend was yet again a Woolworth’s pic‘n mix of weather varieties, wind being particularly prominent over the weekend, especially on Saturday and Monday. Sunday was calmer, but like Friday evening and night, the rain lashed down, abated, then lashed down harder, so sodden Sunday was a complete wash out. Having said that a slight improvement in conditions just around the time the Red Arrows showed up allowed them to perform as the cloud base lifted, though not sufficiently for said cloud base to escape the atmosphere completely and allow some form of star party to occur!

Our location for the Solar viewing pitch this year turned out to be adjacent to the paddling pool - near the old trampoline pits. Not quite where we thought we were going to be. But, we were next to Marcus at Grovers Optics, who had heroically come along for all three days of Regatta this year. Access was much easier for loading, so it proved quite a successful location. Better still, there were some nice sunspot groups to observe. The only down side was the gusty wind which played havoc with the poster boards and any items not nailed down on Marcus’s trestle tables. 

Sun projected onto card at the Regatta Solar Viewing on 11-Aug-2014. (Photo by Keith) Click thumbnail for full-size image.	Sun viewed through scopes with solar filters at the Regatta Solar Viewing on 11-Aug-2014. (Photo by Keith) Click thumbnail for full-size image.

Sun projected onto card at the Regatta Solar Viewing on 11-Aug-2014. (Photo by Keith) Click thumbnail for full-size image.	Visitor looking seaward through Grovers' binoculars, while Mark observes the sun at the Regatta Solar Viewing on 11-Aug-2014. (Photo by Keith) Click thumbnail for full-size image.

Members were busy manning the scopes for visitors during the solar event, and didn't get pictures.  But Mark and Warren have photographed the sun this recently, jewelled with sun spots.

Sun photographed by Warren on 15-Aug-2014. Click thumbnail for full-size image.	Sun photographed by Mark from his garden on 08-Jun-2014. Click thumbnail for full-size image.