Thursday, 2019-04-18 was an informal observing evening and whilst not ideal with an almost full Moon, we had lots of telescopes out and other members learning how to use the Peter Hindle Telescope.
We had a clear night on Thursday 21st February 2019, and before the Moon rose a few members had a go at the Orion Star Count, showing the diversity of eyesight and experience in our group.
The moon rose above the trees as a golden gibbous Moon and some of our group took to observing it with one of the Societies telescopes, affectionately known as Anita.
On the right is an image from Honor Wheeler taken through Anita, a Fuller Scopes 8" F8 recently converted to a Dobsonian by a couple of our members.
Other members were experimenting with the new CCD camera purchased by the society for the Peter Hindle telescope, a 16" LX200, using the F3.3 focal reducer we got a wide field view of the Orion nebula (M42) and M1 the Crab nebula.
The Dick Chambers Observatory was open for observing the 'blood moon' on the evening/morning of the 20th-21st January and for a change the weather was good. Other members observered from their homes and below are a few images by members.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version="3.25" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="3.25" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Images by Jim Burchell" _builder_version="3.27.4" global_module="3222" saved_tabs="all" global_colors_info="{}"]
Comet 46P Wirtanen was billed to be brighter than ever this apparition and when at its brightest it would be passing within 1 degree of M45, however the UK weather conspired against us, some members got images from outside the UK and others from before it reached its brightest, but our visit to Ashdown forest was cancelled due to 100% cloud cover and rain.
On Thursday 13th December 2018 many members observed the comet at the Dick Chambers Observatory, through binoculars (a very faint fuzzy blob only visible with averted vision) and through the 16" Peter Hindle telescope.
I've been lucky to have imaged the comet twice myself, once on Friday 7th & again on Sunday. The seeing has been pretty poor but it was just visible in 10x50 binoculars and looked pretty good in my 72mm refractor and 40mm eyepiece.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version="3.25" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}" column_structure="1_3,2_3"][et_pb_column type="1_3" _builder_version="3.25" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Image by Kevin Langford" _builder_version="3.27.4" global_colors_info="{}"]
Below are a selection of fun photos from Honor Wheeler, Mike Rushton & Martin Crow of the evening member Debra Holton gave a talk about 'Spectra'.
Honor has also provided a great summary of evening too - Thank you Honor.
''As part of our Beginner primer talks given by members, our week 11 Informal meeting became a Spectra Spectacular! Member Debra Holton introduced us to the universe in light, the Electromagnetic Spectrum, the Doppler shift relating to redshift and blue shift and the distances & velocities of Stars and Galaxies.
The evening began with the members becoming acquainted with a number of interesting implements such as Diffraction gratings & glasses along with professional and homemade Spectroscopes.
Debra began with a simple introduction to the wavelengths of light from the Radio to Gamma rays and our very own rainbow of colours from our Sun, the visible spectrum. She then went on to describe how we see the elements that surround us, that atoms absorb and emit photons and in doing so how we can observe the emissions or absorption lines to learn what the distant Stars and Galaxies are made of.
After a little refresher on the spectra of stars and the Doppler shift using online resources, we progressed to a little more down to earth investigation.
Following on from a rather energetic display of the Doppler shift utilizing a hairdryer (you had to be there!) we moved on to the spectra of different light sources.
Thanks also go to member Gordon Collings, who many years ago rescued old laboratory spectroscopes, light boxes and lamps, as we had the opportunity to observe the spectra of a Mercury light & Sodium light and to bathe in the rather eerie light of a Sodium lamp.
Thank you to Debra for a fun and educational evening and to Gordon for his Light entertainment (Sorry couldn't resist!)''
