IAA Observing at Delamont 29/3/14 ****ON TONIGHT****

[bigeye155]

ADVANCE NOTICE

The IAA's next scheduled observing session at Delamont Country Park is planned for the 28th-29th of March, which is our second choice for observing this month. The mighty Jupiter will be high in the sky plus all the winter nebulae/star clusters. If it stays clear later on, we'll have a look for some springtime galaxies in the east. Later on, Mars will be rising also, so there are plenty of targets for our scopes

Usual rules apply, wrap up well and bring something to eat/drink etc. Please take care on any icy or untreated roads in the area.

If you enjoyed the Stargazing Live events in January at QUB and Cultra, you'll find observing at Delamont much more relaxing with a more varied selection of things to look at. If you are considering buying a telescope, please come along to any of our observing sessions so you can view through a wide variety of scopes to help you decide. Plenty of good sound advice available. All members/non members/general public welcome.

Please note: If you are planning to bring a group of people to any Delamont observing sessions, please let me know so we can plan etc.

Check this IAA forum thread again at 6pm 28th, the forecast for the weekend isn't great though Saturday night is looking better than Friday at the moment.


Clear skies

David (Obs' Co-ord')

[bigeye155]

Hi Folks

Looks like the weather has beaten us yet again, with cloudy conditions and some rain about 9pm, so we'll aim for observing on the 29th, tomorrow night. There is a possibility of a few breaks in the clouds then. Please check this forum thread around 6pm for an update. Lets hope for clear skies, we deserve some good luck by now

See you there

David

[bigeye155]

Hi Folks,

Observing at Delamont 29/3/14 ****ON TONIGHT****

After a thoroughly miserable Saturday morning, it looks a bit more promising for tonight, so I'll be at Delamont from around 7.30pm. There is a lot of thin high cloud with hazy conditions and not much wind to move it on, but we may get some clearer spells, but I'm not promising anything. A night best suited for planetary observing, so we'll have a look at Jupiter and Mars and maybe some faint fuzzies in between

Don't forget the clocks go forward tonight!

Today is also Earth Hour, so all lights off at 8.30pm for an hour..........no light pollution

Also disregard any info on the front page re observing dates, tonight is our second choice for this month and its ON TONIGHT!!

See you all there

David

[bigeye155]

Hi all,

The skies at Delamont tonight were rather hazy, but I could see most of the bright stars in the constellations. By the time I left the sky conditions had improved and it was almost totally clear. Jupiter was superb, its brightness varied slightly as light high cloud passed by. As I hoped, the seeing was very good at times although there were a few gusts of wind which jostled the scope. I was treated to 1st and 2nd contact of Europa being occulted by Jupiter, its brightness dimming as it drifted behind the upper atmosphere of Jupiter. I waited until Mars began to rise between trees, and had a quick look at the polar cap before heading for home.

As no-one else turned up, I had the place to myself, so I took a quick pic, see below.

Our next planned observing session is next weekend, 4th-5th April, I do hope you can come along.

David.

[fatrick]

Me and the missus were away at Enniskillen for a wee weekend break away, otherwise we woulda been there to join you. No trips planned for this weekend, so heres fingers crossed

[paddyman]

Hi, I never even seen this until now, wasn't expecting another observing until April so it didn't occur to me to check, hope the weather suits for this weekend

[bigeye155]

No worries paddyman and fatrick, theres always next time.........

David