August is expected to be somewhat busier on the star party front than the past two months, with darker skies and planetary offerings - weather permitting.  

  [Read more about Star Party Schedule - August ]

Star Party - Report

Due to circumstances beyond our control; ie light evenings and lack of planets, star parties have been few and far between. That said a successful event on July 9th, meant a 100% star party success rate this summer ...   [Read more about Star Party - Report ]

In this month's edition:

  • Planetary Skylights 
  • August Meteors 
  • Noctilucent cloud - Supermoon & Sunspots
  • August Night Sky
  • August 2022 Sky Charts

  [Read more about Sky Notes - August 2022]

Brian Jones, the Editor of the Yearbook of Astronomy has organised a convention, called the Yearbook of Astronomy Convention, which he hopes will become an annual event and will include guest speakers... [Read more about Yearbook of Astronomy Convention - 2022]

By late July, evenings gradually become darker once again, allowing more time for observers to explore and appreciate the summer night sky.  

The brightest stars emerge around 22:15h: isolated jewels dotted around the heavens.  Of these, three form a large asterism known as the 'Summer Triangle', visible in UK skies until well into autumn.  The three stars, Altair, Deneb and Vega, are all bright, main sequence stars, but of very different nature.. [Read more about The Summer Triangle Stars ]

So often clouded out, rained off, even blown away, our first scheduled star party of the summer on June 11th from the West Cliff coincided with some fine evening conditions, allowing some fine views of the waxing gibbous moon, and to test out some equipment ...sort of.   [Read more about Star Party - Report and Schedule ]

Sky Notes - July 2022

In this month's edition:

  • Planetary Skylights 
  • July Meteors 
  • Noctilucent cloud sightings
  • July Night Sky
  • July 2022 Sky Charts

  [Read more about Sky Notes - July 2022]

Scorpius

The constellation of Scorpius is not surprisingly one of Ptolomy's original 48 being one of the brighter, more distinctive patterns visible in the sky. It is also littered with many fine deep sky objects. It is however best appreciated from more southerly latitudes.  [Read more about Scorpius]

It will be rather a slow start to the summer star Party season, with all the major planets not wanting to come out to play in the evening sky until early-mid August.   [Read more about Summer Star Party - Schedule/Events ]

Sky Notes - June 2022

In this month's edition:

  • Planetary Skylights 
  • Lunar Eclipse Sighting
  • June meteors 
  • Noctilucent cloud season 
  • June Night Sky
  • June sky in brief 
  • June 2022 Sky Charts

  [Read more about Sky Notes - June 2022]

It could be tricky Star Party season earlier on this summer with all the major planets not visible in the evening sky until well into August.   [Read more about Summer Star Party - Schedule ]

Our society meeting in May will be held on Tuesday 3rd, usual venue Room H1 - Caedmon College - Normanby Campus (ie Whitby College) starting from 19:30hrs.  [Read more about Society Meeting - May (final one before summer recess) ]

Coma Berenices is one of those constellations visible in the spring sky perhaps not on the radar of some astronomers as much as it should.  It is ill-defined, rather faint and sometimes mistakenly considered as a modern group.  It is not, and further more is rich in interest for the deep sky and binocular observer alike. [Read more about Coma Berenices - The Amber Tresses]

Sky Notes - May 2022

In this month's edition:

  • Planetary Skylights 
  • Lunar Eclipse - set for dawn Sky 
  • Meteors - Eta Aquarids
  • Noctilucent cloud season begins
  • May Night Sky
  • May 2022 Sky Charts

  [Read more about Sky Notes - May 2022]

With the introduction of BST (British Snow Time) it is after 21:30hrs before twilight deepens to astronomical levels in April. Spring constellations occupy much of the sky to the south and east...a direction which at this time of year offers a window onto the wider universe.  [Read more about The Window on the Wider Universe - Virgo]

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