WDAS August Star Parties

Aug.28, 2014

With the latter part of the summer stuck in vintage unsettled weather mode, it’s a case of making every opportunity of a fine evening when it comes along. Wednesday 6th of June was such an occasion, and an unscheduled star party was held on the cliff. How often do such events turn out to be rather successful? Quite often. So, in calm and reasonably warm conditions (ah that will be why) a very sizable crowd gathered to get a glimpse of the objects on offer in the eyepieces. The highlight was undoubtedly Saturn, which fortunately was visible just above the Royal hotel rooftop. A passage of ISS also created great excitement.

Weather patterns remained unsettled throughout folk week and it wasn’t until Friday 22nd that another event could be held (again unscheduled) Given that it is August, it certainly wasn’t T shirt weather. However skies were clear and with no moon deep sky objects were better in the eyepiece. The following night’s star party again fell foul to a bank of stubborn cloud and bad timing of precipitation, just as we would have been setting up. Still, every cloud has a silver lining, although this one was more pale amber in hue as we sort solace in the Royal Hotel bar.

Sunday night was forecast to be cloudy, so it turned out crystal clear, luckily this had been foreseen and 7 scopes were deployed on the Cook green - a splendid sight, one which drew over quite a number of people to view the Andromeda galaxy, Ring and Dumbbell nebulae, M13, Alberio and the double cluster. It was even nice to see ‘winter’ hove into view as the Pleiades - a seasonal winter treasure, climbed over the NE horizon.