This is an observing only event at Siblyback Lake. If you are a ‘Friend of SW Lakes Trust’ then parking is free. If not we have been asked to ensure you pay for parking please.
For an idea of numbers, if you are able to let us know if you’d like to come then please comment 🤩
Observing will start at 7:30pm, when Saturn and Neptune are due South. We will have both the visual telescope(s) and the camera pointed to these planets. If you’ve never seen Saturn through a good sized telescope you are in for a real treat. At Around 8:20pm the International Space station will make a loop around the two planets which should be amazing to see.
Whilst we’re looking at the planets through the main telescope we’ll have the SeestarS50 collecting photons from some galaxies, such as NGC 891 (also known as the Silver Sliver Galaxy). It is 30 million light years away, and was discovered by none other than Sir William Herschel in October 1784. Sticking with William Herschel, he discovered Uranus in March 1781. Once everyone has taken a look at Saturn and Neptune we’ll move the telescope to Uranus (which is to the Southeast) and see why it took so long to be discovered.
By10pm Jupiter has risen, so if not obscured by trees we’ll take a look. The SeeStar will be pointed at the Great Orion nebula by then. Seeing the image for the first time on the iPad of a star forming region roughly 1300 light years away can be just as mind-blowing as seeing Saturn.
As you know, the weather is rubbish at the moment. With that in mind I’ll post on Wednesday 19th whether the event will go ahead or not.
Fingers crossed for clear skies.
