Whitby & District Astronomical Society

In this month's edition:

• Planetary Skylights: Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn
• Meteors: Ophiuchids, June Lyrids
• Summer Solstice
• Noctilucent Cloud
• June 2018 Sky Charts

Continuing the tour of stellar objects crossing the meridian line this month: two objects from the small 'Hunting Dogs' Galaxy, officially called 'Canes Venatici'

• Star: Cor Coroli or ‘Charles's Heart’.
• Galaxy: Sunflower Galaxy (M63 or NGC 5055)

It’s been a pretty frustrating winter and early spring with regard to Sunday evening observatory sessions, averaging out at just over one a month... "poor".  Still, we have managed to get up in the last few weeks... [Read more about Observatory Nights]

The ‘summer‘ star party season is almost upon us and as per other years we shall be hosting events from the Captain Cook headland area – West Cliff and some from the Archery Green area later in the summer... [Read more about Event Horizon – future Star party events]

The now annual visit to the Whitby Youth Hostel by visiting pupils from Ayresome Primary School in Middlesbrough coincided with the early Easter holidays, a period which is often susceptible to the weather, and so it proved with cloud and or rain for much of the week.  Fortunately Thursday 5^th was the exception and clear skies during the day lasted into the evening (more or less), making observation possible for the 3^rd year in succession... [Read more about Ayresome Primary School visit - Whitby Youth Hostel]

In this month's edition:

• Planetary Skylights: Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn
• Meteors: eta Aquarids, Orionids
• May 2018 Sky Charts

After a 3 year break, all being well Paul will return to Whitby on May 8^th to give a presentation on the Voyager.  Entitled “Triumphs of Voyager Part 1: Journey to Jupiter / Splendours of Saturn”.  This was planned for last year but due to family illness at the last minute, Paul was unable to make it.  Apparently though this talk has now become one of his most popular, along with part 2 of the voyager story.  It promises to be a very entertaining evening. [Read more about Paul Money Lecture]

Continuing the tour of stellar objects crossing the meridian line this month: a double-star in the 'Sickle' of Leo, a field barred spiral galaxy also in Leo, knwon to its friends as "NGC 2903"; and the 'Ghost of Jupiter' planetary nebula in Hydra.

• Star: Algieba: the ‘The Lion's Mane’.
• Galaxy: NGC 2903.  Discovered by William Herschel in 1784, this barred spiral galaxy lies in Leo near the top of the lion's head, to the right of the sickle asterism
• Nebula: NGC 3242 - ‘Ghost of Jupiter’ nebula.

Following recent further correspondence with Dr Sean Paling regarding a visit to DMF at Boulby, it has been established that Friday’s are difficult for Sean and his team.  We're discussing other dates...

  [Read more about Boulby Mine – Dark Matter Facility visit]

Just to reminder that we shall be hosting a star party event for visiting pupils from Ayresome Primary School & Lego Innovation Studio up at the Whitby Youth Hostel on April 3^rd 2018...

And the Star Party season on the West Cliff will commence from May...  [Read more about Event Horizon – Future Star Party Events]

In this month's edition:

• Planetary Skylights: Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn
• Meteors: Lyrids, Virginids, Alpha Scorpiids
• April 2018 Sky Charts

Together with other events at Dalby Forrest and Sutton bank, this was part of the NY National park’s dark sky awareness programme.  February is always a tricky month weather wise, it could be anything, so it came as a relief that Saturday 17^th proved to be a pretty quiet, clear day, a little chilly, but you expect that. [Read more about Danby Moors Centre – Dark Sky Party]

This was a last minute event – organised by the youth hostel.  Conditions on the evening were actually very good with clear skies and little wind.  Initially we thought hardly anyone was going to turn up, but by 18:30h a sizeable gathering had mustered on the front quadrangle in front of the Abbey Visitor centre... [Read more about Dark Sky Week – Whitby Youth Hostel Event]

The start of April offers up an interesting stellar challenge, testing the observing dexterity of astronomers; casual or otherwise in a race against time..  This is all about spotting first magnitude stars; those ranked brightest in the sky.

Piercing the spring twilight dotted around the sky, no less than thirteen of these are currently visible, more than at any other time of year.  However the window of opportunity in which to identify these stellar jewels rapidly diminishes as we head deeper into April... [Read more about The Stellar Baker's Dozen Challenge 2018]

The date of the Vernal Equinox and officially the start spring in the northern hemisphere falls on March 20th this year.  This is when the Sun's path - the ecliptic, first crosses the celestial equator on its apparent journey northwards into the sky.  The orientation of the Earth at the spring or autumnal equinox is such that neither of the poles are inclined towards the Sun and all locations experience equal hours of daylight and darkness - hence the term equinox... [Read more about Spring Equinox 2018]