Observing
Scheduled Club Observing Sessions take place at Hyde (Map) at the time stated below. Park in the carpark at the south of the open ground (immediately opposite the school). We usually set up within the triangle made by the pavilion, cricket square, and gorse to the east of the open space.
NB:The status of an observing session is normally updated on our Facebook page on the day, as expected weather conditions and availability of members are known. Impromptu sessions are also arranged on the Facebook page. Please check first if you are just coming along on spec. Also be aware that, in summer, it doesn't get dark enough to observe until after 10pm BST.
Visitors are very welcome to attend observing sessions. Please introduce yourself to a club member and abide by our Observing Guidelines at the bottom of this page.
The Reserve date will be implemented if the Primary date is clouded out or cancelled for any other reason.
| Club Observing 2018/19 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notable Objects of Interest | Primary | Reserve | |||||
| Saturn, Mars, Neptune, Comet Giacobini-Zinner, Late Summer Milky Way, Globular Clusters, Dumbbell Nebula, Ring Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy | Sat 01 Sep 20:30 | Sat 08 Sep 20:30 | |||||
| Mars, Uranus, Neptune, Autumn Milky Way, Globular Clusters, Dumbbell Nebula, Helix Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy, Open Clusters | Sat 06 Oct 20:00 | Sat 13 Oct 20:00 | |||||
| Mars, Uranus, Neptune, Comet Wirtanen, Pleiades, Late Autumn Milky Way, Helix Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy, Open Clusters | Sat 03 Nov 20:00 | Sat 10 Nov 20:00 | |||||
| Mars, Uranus, Neptune, Comet Wirtanen, Pleiades, Orion Nebula, Winter Milky Way, Andromeda Galaxy, Open Clusters | Sat 01 Dec 20:00 | Sat 08 Dec 20:00 | |||||
| Geminid Meteor Watch (NB: Public Outreach Event) | Thu 13 Dec 19:30 | N/A | |||||
| Mars, Uranus, Comet Wirtanen, Pleiades, Praesepe, Orion Nebula, Winter Milky Way, Andromeda Galaxy, Bode's Galaxy, Cigar Galaxy, Open Clusters | Sat 29 Dec 20:00 | Sat 05 Jan 20:00 | |||||
| Mars, Uranus, Comet Wirtanen, Pleiades, Praesepe, Orion Nebula, Late Winter Milky Way, Leo and Ursa Major Galaxies, Open Clusters | Sat 02 Feb 20:00 | Sat 09 Feb 20:00 | |||||
| Pleiades, Praesepe, Orion Nebula, Early Spring Milky Way, Leo and Ursa Major Galaxies, Virgo-Coma Galaxy Cluster, Open Clusters, Globular Clusters | Sat 02 Mar 20:00 | Sat 09 Mar 20:00 | |||||
| Leo and Ursa Major Galaxies, Virgo-Coma Galaxy Cluster, Praesepe, Open Clusters, Globular Clusters | Sat 30 Mar 20:00 | Sat 06 Apr 20:30 | |||||
| Leo and Ursa Major Galaxies, Virgo-Coma Galaxy Cluster, Praesepe, Globular Clusters | Sat 27 Apr 21:00 | Sat 04 May 21:00 | |||||
| Perseids Picnic (NB: Public Outreach Event) | Mon 12 Aug 20:30 | N/A | |||||
Observing Guidelines
These guidelines are intended to promote enjoyable, safe observing for all present. They should also give newcomers an idea of what to expect.
Our club observing sessions are informal affairs where everybody "does their own thing". Unless it is billed as a public observing event, there will be no formal tuition (although somebody will usually be happy to give newcomers a brief guide to the current night sky and/or what is happening). In particular:
- Please only use dim red light in or near the observing area. White light spoils night vision and ruins astro-imaging. If you need to use a white light (including car headlights), please give a loud verbal warning to enable others to shield their eyes.
- It is a condition of attendance at our observing events that people who are not club membersdo not use laser pointers for any purpose.
- Observing areas are necessarily dark. Please be careful when moving around.
- Well-behaved children, under the supervision of a responsible adult, are very welcome and we will make every effort to accommodate them.
- Optics do not combine well with food and drink; please keep them well separated.
- If you breathe on optics, they fog up. Instantly. This could mean the end of somebody's observing for the evening, so please be careful.
- Never touch any optical surface.
- Most observers are only too pleased to show newcomers some of the delights of the night sky, but please remember that observing kit is usually expensive and often "quirky". Please only use or adjust somebody else's kit with his or her permission.
- If you do inadvertently touch or breathe on somebody's optics, or if something appears not to be functioning properly, please do not try to remedy it yourself: you could easily cause more damage. Always tell the owner of the kit.
- Pets and observing usually don't mix well; please don't bring them.
