Report from Kelling Heath

[MarkS]

Great night skies - great company - great weather during day.

Friday night was exceptionally cear and still.  Very, very dewy and it all froze.  Viewed Saturn at 350x mag throught the C11 - rock steady  and probably the best I've ever seen it.  Robert, Mark and Carole all successfully imaging.  The Tak Epsilon's primary mirror dewed up at 1:30am so I stopped imaging.

Saturday was warm sunshine all day - Solarscope got lots of use (but no imaging).  

Saturday night sky was not as exceptional as Sunday.  Those of us still around at 4am (Mark, Robert, Julian) saw the ISS and Space Station(?) pass over - about a fingerlength apart in the sky - stunning - wish I'd known - I'd have set up the C11 for the event.   I was up 'till 5:15am.   Successful imaging from Mark and Robert but Carole had lots of problems (in complete contrast to Friday).

Sunday again was sunny.  Robert and I came home today - the rest are still up enjoying a sunny day (I guess).

Already booked for next year (pitches were booking out fast).

Images to come ...

Mark

[Fay]

Mark, i heard that it was going to be cloudy tonight, Moon too high, & possibly rain tomorrow, & made decision to pack & come home.

May have made the wrong decision, but the thought of wet tent etc & me driving home in rain, made me pack. Left at 2.15 & got in at 5.30.

Bet they have a great sky now!!!!!!

[MarkS]

You must have packed quickly - I left at 12:30 and there was no hint that you might leave!

Mark

[Fay]

I am like a little whippet when I get going!!!!!! I was reading my paper & having a drink & suddenly went into pack mode!!!!!!!!

[MarkS]

A few pictures ...

Fay's stuff:




Mark's stuff:




Tak and C11 ready for a night's action:

[Fay]

MY pictures taken with Nikon of Moon & Venus, did not come out, camera shake, they would have been good if had been on tripod!

[Fay]

Took 3 1/4 hours to get there. Very nice, lots of camerarderie, trade stands, lots of visitors come to see what you have & chat & we did the same. Lots of telescopes. Dark at night, no lights at all.

Wish I could stay up til early hours like Mark & Julian, but was in bed by around 1,30 am.

Had very good company with Mark next door. He is the equivalent of the Goldilocks zone, not too quiet, not too noisy, just right, helpful & knowledgable. 

[Fay]

My pitch


Mine & Marks pitches. Mark & Robert


Part of the group in the other part of the field



Julians pitch

[Fay]

Forgot to say. One morning Julian & friends were up around 4am next morning & saw the ISS go over followed by the shuttle........................ really bright. Surprised Mark missed it!!!!!!

[MarkS]

I saw it - look at the first post in this thread!

But I didn't realise in advance that Discovery was passing over as well - if so, I would have set up the C11 for an image.

Nice pics Fay.  Ironic that I had the smallest tent but the biggest plot size!

[Fay]

Oh thought you did not see it Mark

[Tony G]

Ironic that I had the smallest tent but the biggest plot size!

That's unlike you to be that lucky Mark...................................NOT

Tony G

[Carole]

I'm still up in Norfolk staying with a distant relative (only found each other last year).  It's sunny again today so hopefully I will try and do some more imaging this evening as they are interested to see the kit and how it all works as they have a background in photography.

As Mark said, Friday for me was very straight forward and I got my first image if M13 but Saturday night nothing went right and I gave up.  For fear of "high jacking this thread" will talk about that when I post my image when I get home.

You guys don't know what you're missing not coming up here, fabulous dark skies, a fab site, fab facilities and great company, from members and Astronomers from all over the country.  We've all booked again for next year, so if you want to come, we can let you have our numbers, but better decide quick if you want to be next to us.

carole

[RobertM]

Forgot to say. One morning Julian & friends were up around 4am next morning & saw the ISS go over followed by the shuttle........................ really bright.

Well, I believe it was just Julian, Mark and myself by then.  You missed a wonderful sight - the pair of them disappearing into the faint early morning twilight.

[Ian]

would someone mind standing up and doing a brief report on Kelling for the meeting on Thursday? I'm sure the rest of the membership would like to know how you got on...