Whitby & District Astronomical Society

Our inaugural event for the National Trust at the Ravenscar Visitors' Centre was highly successful. The favourable sky conditions allowed for outdoor observations, with temperatures being quite comfortable for this time of year. 

Several months ago, Heather Tennant from the NT Centre contacted Mark regarding the possibility of hosting their first Star Party at the centre. Mark subsequently met with Heather and her team to assess the venue layout and potential observation locations. The event was scheduled for February 20th, and given the gloomy, overcast, and cold conditions in the weeks leading up to it, realistic expectations were set. 

To everyone's pleasant surprise, a change in wind direction indicated the likelihood of clear skies that evening. Brian, John L, Keith, Mark, and Richard gathered at Mark's residence, loading the vehicles with equipment for both outdoor observations and potential indoor presentations (Plan A and Plan B). The skies remained clear as they made their way to the centre, arriving with nearly half an hour to spare, allowing ample time to set up both outside and indoors. Helen and her team were onsite, organizing seating within the centre, which features a mini cafe area.

Our observing area was situated around the nearby seating area opposite the centre, with a level surface adequate to securely support the Dobsonian telescopes. In addition to the 10" and 8" Dobs, John had his 90mm ETX, a 100mm Star Travel Sky Watcher that Mark had repaired from WYH, and a tripod equipped with a pair of 15x70 binoculars. This equipment was sufficient for the 25 or so attendees who had booked. 

By 7 pm, all preparations were complete—Keith set up the IT gear, including an indoor screen, while Mark, Brian, John, and Richard deployed the telescopes. Initially, extinguishing the lights in the centre proved challenging; however, once this was achieved, Mark provided a brief overview of the evening's plans before presenting a short summary of the night sky using the Starry Night program. He highlighted the celestial objects we anticipated observing outdoors.

We proceeded outside with unusual confidence. While the skies might not have been entirely cloudless and pristine, they were sufficiently clear to permit continuous observation of celestial objects without significant cloud interference.

Attendees lined up to view through the telescopes; Venus, Jupiter, Mars, the Orion Nebula, and the Pleiades were all targeted, captivating both the young and the old. The views of the planets were particularly impressive. The mild weather was uncharacteristic of February, especially after the recent cold and harsh conditions. 

An enjoyable hour quickly passed before we returned indoors for refreshments and a concluding presentation by Mark, which, true to form, extended beyond the scheduled time. However, this was not an issue for anyone present. This was followed by a Q&A session, which was well-received.

Thus, the evening concluded with a far better outcome than expected a week earlier. As we packed up, future events were discussed, with Helen expressing her satisfaction with how the night had progressed. Under the beautiful starry skies, we made our way home.

Many thanks to Helen and the team at the centre, and WDAS members for their time and assistance. Everyone agreed that the evening had been a tremendous success.