Outreach and Public Observing
Unless otherwise stated, Public 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.
Please abide by our Guidelines at the bottom of this page.
| 2019 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Date | Time | Details | |
| 2019 | ||||
| July | Sat 27th | 12:30 - 16:30 | Frogham Fair Astronomy Display and Public Solar Observing in the field alongside the Foresters Arms, Abbots Well Road, Frogham. SP6 2JA (map) | |
| August | Mon 12th | 20:30 - late | Perseids Picnic Public Observing at Hyde Common. Wrap up warm, bring a chair or recliner, and come along with a picnic to enjoy the Perseids meteor shower, the late summer constellations, ruddy Mars, giant Jupiter, the ringed Saturn, and the fainter gas giants Uranus and Neptune. (NB: Date subject to change if another night promises better observing conditions) | |
| November | Mon 11th | 12:30-15:30 | Transit of Mercury Public Observing at Fordingbridge Recreation Ground. Come along and use our specialist solar telescopes to watch the planet Mercury move across the surface of the Sun. | |
| 2020 | ||||
| June | Sun 25th | 11:00 - 15:00 | International SUNday Public Solar Observing at TBC | |
| July | Sat 29th | 12:30 - 16:30 | Frogham Fair Astronomy Display and Public Solar Observing in the field alongside the Foresters Arms, Abbots Well Road, Frogham. SP6 2JA (map) | |
| August | Wed 12th | 20:30 - late | Perseids Picnic Public Observing at Hyde Common. Wrap up warm, bring a chair or recliner, and come along with a picnic to enjoy the Perseids meteor shower, the late summer constellations, ruddy Mars, giant Jupiter, the ringed Saturn, and the fainter gas giants Uranus and Neptune. (NB: Date subject to change if another night promises better observing conditions) | |
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.
When you arrive at a public observing event, please go first of all to the information area (ask, if its location is not obvious).
In particular:
- If the session is in the New Forest, please use a designated parking area and DO NOT PARK ON FOREST VERGES
- Please only use dim red light in or near the observing area. White light spoils night vision.
- It is a condition of attendance at our observing events that members of the public DO NOT USE LASER POINTERS for any purpose.
- Observing areas are necessarily dark. Please be careful when moving around.
- Always dress for about 5° colder than you think it will be.
- 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.
- Please remember that observing kit is usually expensive and often "quirky". Please only use or adjust somebody else's kit with their 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 don't mix well; please don't bring them.
