Over 300 people out on a cloudy night? Must be BBC Stargazing Live! :)
INTECH Weather - Central Hampshire 8 Day Forecast
Please visit site pages for up to date weather - INTECH - BAF - BUTSER HILL
HantsAstro ClearSkies Report - Latest Report due 28 Jan 2012 18.30pm Observing@QECP 29 Jan 2012 update. QECP CANCELLED. Next meeting here in Feb 2012 TBA
Skies are currently looking cloudy with rain/drizzle for Sunday evening which is a shame as it's our first meeting. Weather forecasts say cloud/rain and fronts over the Atlantic moving East towards UK make this likely. We left the decision as late as we dared, but it's a no go, Red light.
As always, keep an eye out on our website/facebook pages for up-to-the-minute details.
Join our active facebook group it's free and see what we get up to... http://www.facebook.com/groups/hantsastro/
In the meantime why not check out our forum instead and read the observing reports by Laurance Dunn and others - they are highly entertaining!www.hantsastro.net
Did you know that we now have a buy and sell area on our forum - www.hantsastro.net - check it out, the forum is a great place to get help with your astronomy queries.
Plus we are looking to do solar observing this summer from May to August, anyone interested in coming along please get in touch.
JAN 2012 dates... (all weather dependent...)
NEXT MEETING: INTECH - 14 FEB (usually end/start of month Tues or Thurs)
NEXT MEETING: BUTSER HILL (Tower side) - Reopening 2012
(usually Sunday's end/start of month)
NEXT MEETING: QECP (Visitor Centre) -29 Jan 2012 CANCELLED
(usually Sunday's end/start of month)
NEXT MEETING: BUTSER ANCIENT FARM - 10 FEB 2012 then 24 FEB
(twice monthly Fri or Sat)
FREE PUBLIC EVENTS 2012
NEXT EVENT MOONFEST Butser/QECP - tba March 2012
BUTSER QECP Solar Sundays coming May and August 2012!!! INTECH Solar Event tba
It's also HantsAstro's 4th Birthday 06 March 2012, and we're throwing a party for all of our members and supporters! Details to follow... :)
Directions to Butser Hill (tower side):
J1 A3(M) Go past the Hampshire Hog Pub , turn left into Petersfield Road, first right in to Hog's Lodge Lane. At Junction of North Lane turn right, and continue up the hill. Enter car park with ticket machine.
Barriers close at 8pm so get there early (but you can leave at any time, one way exit). We are at the top of the entrance to Butser Hill. Just head to the top by the Tower, for spectacular views of the Solent at night...
Directions to QECP (Visitor Centre):
Clearly signposted from North/South on A3 Butser. Follow road into car park. Parking charges apply to 9pm. Observing takes place on the patio area on the south side of the building. Toilets open - Tea/Coffee available at all sites.
Registered members only please to all sites and induction night if you have joined or are looking to join. INTECH is free... Parking is by the loading area, so drive up to the Centre, towards the loading bay and park up, and then you'll find us set up in the Western side of the complex, facing the A272 , walk around the side, sing the grass path, to observing area.
Strictly No Lasers @INTECH - Controlled Airspace. Now applies to all observing sites.
Tea & Coffee - Donations always welcome. Now also available INTECH... alfresco of course...
Wrap up warm. That mean sensible shoes too and something windproof. But if it gets too bad we're off down the pub early! The joy of Astronomy is also real ale and a roaring fire, with stories of the night skies. It's about as 'armchair astronomy' as we'll ever get!
As CoreTeam members we have to trust our weather forecasts. So if it's clouded over where you are, it won't be where HantsAstro is. It's rarely a wasted trip so keep checking here and our simple traffic light for each active observing site.
This is how it works:
GREEN for Go! Turn up, set up and observe, enjoy, go home... AMBER means await confirmation by e-mail on the night (if you've signed up of course!) as it's changeable weather. RED e-mail confirmation for a cosy night in with a hot toddy and a browse though Look Up! our free e-Zine.
We mash up some data and use some local knowledge and now have something that is almost to the hour accurate on the day, and 95% within 5 days of our observing sessions. Not bad? Well, it works for us but we always like to go one better. Check the website day before, we rarely call off observing unless it suddenly turns to full cloud/rain/sleet/snow/gales. We're not Southern Jessies y'know!
BUTSER ANCIENT FARM ADMISSION
Entry to the Observing Sessions at BUTSER by site pass only - Starts from 7-8pm
Observing Passes are available £15 per annum. Ages 11+ only (must be accompanied by parent or guardian). If you're not a member then sign up now!
Strictly No Lasers @INTECH - Controlled Airspace.
Ages 11+ only (must be accompanied by parent or guardian). If you're not a member then sign up now for FREE!
Please register for a SITE Pass, only £15 per Annum and helps pay for the Telescopes and Groups running costs.
See you soon!
More information can be found in Look Up!, where there are more details on our plans and progress. Registration is free (and easy...)To join HantsAstro, just download our simple PDF membership application form, save it to your PC, fill in the form on-screen, save and e-mail it back to membership@hantsastro.org. Or print it off, write and pop it in the post.
The choice is yours.
Join today, It really costs nothing to join in!
The form requires Adobe Acrobat Reader 8.0 or above, download for free.
