Observing (2015/2016)

2015/2016 Archive pages:

Observing

The society has introduced a regular Observing Night at Berrington Hall (National Trust) a few miles north of Leominster.

We meet on the third Thursday each month from October through to March with members arriving at Berrington Hall from 6:30pm and activities starting at 7pm. We will defer the observing meeting to the following evening (Friday) if the weather forecast indicates it would be better. Members can bring their own refreshments and the Servant's Hall Tea Room will be left open for us to use for refreshment and talks. Look out for the latest news on this website and we'll email out any change to arrangements to members:

Provisional Schedule

If you need a lift or are able to offer a lift please come to one of our society meetings at the Kindle Centre to liaise with other members.

The society's Cole Telescope (an 8" Schmidt Cassegrain) will be available for use and members are encouraged to bring their own telescopes to view and share. On cloudy nights there will still be plenty to talk about with new and more experienced members able to share thoughts, tips, recommendations discuss problems and projects.

Berrington Hall is off the A49 Leominster to Ludlow Road at postcode HR6 0DW.

Please note that the main entrance gate will be closed. You will need to drive along the A49 a few hundred metres to Ashton and turn left. After a few hundred metres again you will arrive at the other entrance to Berrington Hall. Do not take the first entrance but proceed down the second marked deliveries only:

Total Lunar Eclipse:

Wonderful observing conditions for the total eclipse of the moon in the early hours of Monday 28th September. Here are some photographs taken by HAS members.

Mark took these using his 4" Astro Tech APO refractor on SkyTee 2 mount using a Canon 50D DSLR - a lovely sequence starting with the full moon, gradually being eclipsed by the earth and finally the rusty red and orange eclipsed moon:

Martin took these using his Canon 400D DSLR with a Tamron telephoto lens (an old 500mm cat lens) on a camera tripod, showing the moon at totality and then the brightening edge of the moon as it just begins to move out of the earth's shadow: