Night Sky – Bath Astronomers

What are we up to?

Nov24

24 NovPublic Car Park, Wellow, Somerset

Public stargazing session at Wellow, south of Bath. These events involve Bath Astronomers bringing along a telescope and helping visitors see objects of interest in the sky that evening. It's all about sharing. If you have your own kit, bring it along and we might be able to help you use it more effectively or give you some hints/tips. Start time is 6pm. Subject to clear skies. You can find out more about the Wellow site by visiting https://bathastronomers.org.uk/observing/sites-wellow/ We'll check the weather is suitable and issue guidance on whether things are going ahead by 4pm on the day. Guidance will be issued on Facebook and Bath Astronomers website. Do no travel until you see confirmation in this Facebook event or on Bath Astronomers website. If you register for the event on our web site, we'll email you to confirm the event is happening i.e. registration is a good idea. You should dress warmly and arrive as close to the start time as possible to avoid car lights ruining people's night vision too frequently. Wear stout, warm, waterproof footwear and consider a thermos of your favourite warm drink. If you are not a member of Bath Astronomers/William Herschel Society, you can get on our mailing list by emailing stargazing-join@bathastronomers.org.uk

Nov27

Talk by Roger Pickard, Variable Stars

27 NovHerschel Museum of Astronomy

Wednesday 27th Nov – Monthly meeting. This month we start at 7:00pm as the talk is preceded by our General Meeting and vote for the Committee. Talk starts at 7:30pm. Roger Pickard is visiting Bath Astronomers on Wednesday 27th November to talk to us about getting into variable star observing both visually and with a camera. This year Roger completed 20 years as the British Astronomical Association's Variable Star Section Director and has passed the baton on to a new director, Jeremy Shears. He remains as Assistant Director. Roger has a wealth of experience observing these variations in the night sky over 50 years and has published many articles along the way. Estimates of the changing brightness of stars can give clues to the nature of individual and binary star systems and uncover mysteries still without explanation. The talk will cover, in general, the type of star recorded by the BAA Variable Star Section and will include an outline as to what they are and how and why they change brightness. In addition, Roger will shown you how to find and estimate the brightness of a variable star. Bath Astronomers monthly meeting for all members and new comers to meet up, enjoy perhaps a new topic and a cup of tea and a biscuit. Held on the last Wednesday of every month at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, 19 New King Street. The format is open and comprises an update for the month and a talk on an astronomy topic within the reach of amateurs. All Visitors welcome and there is a charge of £5 which helps cover the cost of the venue. Reduced to £2 for juniors, students or WHS/Bath Astronomers members. Registration is not required. Picture: Simon Holbeche

Dec6

Stargazing at Wellow for all

6 DecPublic Car Park, Wellow, Somerset

Public stargazing session at Wellow, south of Bath. These events involve Bath Astronomers bringing along a telescope and helping visitors see objects of interest in the sky that evening. It's all about sharing. If you have your own kit, bring it along and we might be able to help you use it more effectively or give you some hints/tips. Start time is 6pm. Subject to clear skies - weather dependent. You can find out more about the Wellow site by visiting https://bathastronomers.org.uk/observing/sites-wellow/ We'll check the weather is suitable and issue guidance on whether things are going ahead by 4pm on the day. Guidance will be issued on Facebook and Bath Astronomers website. Do no travel until you see confirmation in this Facebook event or on Bath Astronomers website. If you register for the event on our web site, we'll email you to confirm the event is happening i.e. registration is a good idea. You should dress warmly and arrive as close to the start time as possible to avoid car lights ruining people's night vision too frequently. Wear stout, warm, waterproof footwear and consider a thermos of your favourite warm drink. If you are not a member of Bath Astronomers/William Herschel Society, you can get on our mailing list by emailing stargazing-join@bathastronomers.org.uk

Jan29

Member's Night; Short talks on your own projects and activities

29 JanHerschel Museum of Astronomy

Wednesday 29th Apr – Monthly meeting. Bath Astronomers monthly meeting for all members and new comers to meet up, enjoy perhaps a new topic and a cup of tea and a biscuit. Held on the last Wednesday of every month at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, 19 New King Street. The format is open and comprises an update for the month and a talk on an astronomy topic within the reach of amateurs. All visitors welcome and there is a charge of £5 which helps cover the cost of the venue. Reduced to £2 for juniors, students or Bath Astronomers members. Picture: Simon Holbeche

Feb26

Talk by Owen Brazell

26 FebHerschel Museum of Astronomy

Wednesday 26th Feb – Monthly meeting. Bath Astronomers monthly meeting for all members and new comers to meet up, enjoy perhaps a new topic and a cup of tea and a biscuit. Held on the last Wednesday of every month at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, 19 New King Street. The format is open and comprises an update for the month and a talk on an astronomy topic within the reach of amateurs. All visitors welcome and there is a charge of £5 which helps cover the cost of the venue. Reduced to £2 for juniors, students or Bath Astronomers members. Picture: Simon Holbeche

Mar21

Wells & Mendip Astronomers Messier Marathon

21 MarCharterhouse Outdoor Activity Centre

Wells & Mendip Astronomers are having their Messier Night on Saturday 21st March 20120 The event is open to the public and to Bath Astronomers. Discover Charles Messier’s deep-sky wonders in an almost moonless sky and listen to a Introductory talk.

Mar25

Talk by Bud Martin, A Life on Mars

25 MarHerschel Museum of Astronomy

Wednesday 25th Mar – Monthly meeting. Bath Astronomers monthly meeting for all members and new comers to meet up, enjoy perhaps a new topic and a cup of tea and a biscuit. Held on the last Wednesday of every month at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, 19 New King Street. The format is open and comprises an update for the month and a talk on an astronomy topic within the reach of amateurs. All visitors welcome and there is a charge of £5 which helps cover the cost of the venue. Reduced to £2 for juniors, students or Bath Astronomers members. Picture: Simon Holbeche

Apr29

Talk by Chris Starr, Cassini and Saturn

29 AprHerschel Museum of Astronomy

NASA APOD

Mercury in Silhouette

Martin Wise

The small, dark, round spot in this solar close up is planet Mercury. In the high resolution telescopic image, a colorized stack of 61 sharp video frames, a turbulent array of photospheric convection cells tile the bright solar surface. Mercury's more regular silhouette still stands out though. Of course, only inner planets Mercury and Venus can transit the Sun to appear in silhouette when viewed from planet Earth. For this November 11, 2019 transit of Mercury, the innermost planet's silhouette was a mere 1/200th the solar diameter. So even under clear daytime skies it was difficult to see without the aid of a safe solar telescope. Following its transit in 2016, this was Mercury's 4th of 14 transits across the solar disk in the 21st century. The next transit of Mercury will be on November 13, 2032.

Good week welcoming new faces

By sholbeche | October 19, 2019

We opened our doors this week for both introductory talks at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy and a first observing session at Wellow. Between 15 and 20 people popped along to get to know more about stargazing as a hobby and try it out for themselves. Still Autumn, the skies were not truly dark and…

BA News, Events, Night Sky

Getting to grips with the night sky

By sholbeche | September 22, 2019

Wednesday 16th October 2019 from 7:00pm until 9pm at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, A talk on the night sky, how to get more involved in stargazing and ideas for enjoying astronomy. All are welcome from beginners upwards. It is intended to show you the simple science of the night skies above your head and…

Events, Night Sky

Wellow open observing

By sholbeche | June 9, 2019

A great evening of stargazing at Wellow carpark on Saturday 8th June despite the looming longest day (shortest night) and a prominent Moon in the sky. These public events, open to all, are advertised on our Facebook page and we try to run at least monthly. The vagaries of the weather mean we pencil in…

Events, Night Sky, What's Up

June Night Sky

By sholbeche | May 27, 2019

Check out what to look at in the month of June. We’ve pulled together the highlights avoiding the jargon and hopefully make it easy to follow. You can download your copy here. For a more detailed description on the June night sky, you can visit SkyMaps and download their monthly guide http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html

Night Sky, What's Up

May Night Sky

By sholbeche | April 28, 2019

The highlight of the month is Saturn and Jupiter straddling a line Due South just before dawn. Both are low in the sky but bright enough to be easily recognisable. Jupiter sits in the constellation missed from the traditional signs of the Zodiac, Ophiuchus; perhaps 13 signs would have been unlucky? Jupiter rises at midnight…

Night Sky, What's Up

March Night Sky

By sholbeche | March 11, 2019

This month offers the morning Lark the best planetary observing but there is still lots for the night owls to see including Zodiacal Light and the opportunity to see as many of Charles Messier’s list of Not-a-Comet objects in the night sky visible from Europe. You can download your own copy of the monthly night…

Night Sky

Messier Marathon – 9th March

By sholbeche | March 3, 2019

Update 9th March 17:00 – Forecast 100% cloud cover so it will be a talk and a meet up only tonight. Unlikely to see stars unless you bang your head. Bath Astronomers are invited to join Wells and Mendip Astronomers and Tiverton and Mid Devon Astronomical Society at their joint Messier Marathon evening at Charterhouse…

Events, Night Sky

Buying a Telescope

So you're considering buying a telescope and the internet is awash with advice. So what can we add?

The key advice is to not buy immediately. Try to use a variety of telescopes in the field before you buy. You can do this by going to a public stargazing event or joining a local astronomical society and going on an observing night. All you need is a pair of 10x50 binoculars and your curiosity.

You can pick up a cheap pair of 10x50 binoculars from Millets for £15 to £25 - not great quality but they'll help you find objects in the sky.

Small, cheap telescopes (less than £150) tend to be very poor value for money as the view through them is limited, often coloured or distorted, and the view wobbly. The kicker is their resale value is low too.

If you have space to store it and can confortably lift 10kgs then we'd recommend the Skywatcher Skyliner 150P and preferably 200P. These are Newtonian reflecting telescopes on a Dobsonian mount costing between £199 and £275. These push me pull you telescopes are quick to set up and simple to use. You'll need to learn your way around the sky but then that's part of the fun.

If you wish to be more "astro tourist" and SatNav than learning your way around then a small to medium sized computerised telescope is a lighter but pricier option. The most compact versions are Maksutovs and Schmidt Cassegrains comprising both lenses and mirrors.

You can see a map of telescope retailers here

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