REPORT ARCHIVES

 

CNAAG OBSERVERS SAVOUR THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL -

23rd, 24th & 30th July 2011

Saturday 23rd July promised to be a good night despite a forecast stiff breeze from the North and it was assumed that we would be afforded shelter from the trees around the Stone Circle - how wrong could we have been. Arrival on site around 9.30pm found the Stone circle side already occupied for some Druidic or similar event . With CNAAGer Anne Marie and visitor Jonathan White from Abingdon already on site we eventually opted to set up in the Kings Stone field despite the longer grass and buffeting wind . DH soon assembled the magnificent 16" Dob he had been working on ready for its first light . Mel Gigg successfully imaged , amongst other things , the faint Comet Garradd My 8" Dob managed to glimpse Saturn before it fell over the western horizon ( Saturn that is , not the telescope). The 16" proved its worth despite being knocked about by the breeze . Views of M13 , M81 & 82 , M31 , Jupiter and the rising last quarter Moon gave us all an interesting evening especially supplemented by many satellites passing Nth - Sth. Of great interest , and slightly unnerving , were the flashing lights and soulful wailing's emanating from the activities from the Stone circle - made all the more surreal by a gutsy chorus of 'Happy Birthday'. The wind forced an early finish but , on the spur of the moment we agreed to meet again on the next evening , Sunday . Despite only 3 of us it proved a far more comfortable session with good observing going on into the early hours . This time , with clear views to the South we observed several objects in and around Sagittarius including M20 & M16 and the Wild Duck cluster. SATURDAY 30TH JULY The following weekend saw the proposed Friday meeting at the old airfield scuppered by cloud cover. However the Saturday night proved far better at the Rollright Stones , this time by the stone circle but without the accompaniment of Druidic activities . The 16" Dob , my 8" & Kevin Worvills 80mm refractor formed the the 'heavy artillery' whilst Mel G & John Vincent set up the 'smart weapons' precision tracking with 35mm DSLR's . An early highlight was a bright Iridium flare close to Cassiopeia imaged by MG & JV. Encroaching thin high cloud threatened to bring things to an early close but perseverance proved worthwhile and as the air cooled conditions held good enough to observe Jupiter, M31, M13 , M27 and Mag 9 Comet Garradd . Kevin W showed us the views of Altair through his spectrograph attachment , splitting the light into its colours . Several visitors enjoyed views of the night skys and it was great to see Jenny H and her guests from Spain again , and the 3 officers from a local constabulary who appeared in the dark , slightly dissapointed not to find devil worshipping going on , but nontheless stayed and enjoyed the telescopes and were great to chat to. A great evening which only came to the end as the cloud eventually killed the view. Despite the inevitable late finishes of these evenings , unavoidable at this time of year , the sheer pleasure of observing in the relative warm and dry without all our optics misting up is well worth the late finish We intend to keep observing whenever circumstances allow throughout the summer months - keep an eye on the web site for the next one , dress accordingly , fill a flask and come along for some idyllic observing - bear in mind that it will not be long before our hands and feet begin to feel the cold of Autumn. Robin

 

TUESDAY 22 nd NOVEMBER 2011

NIGHT SKY DIAMONDS – OBSERVING REPORT

Tuesday 22nd , and the warming rays of the autumn Sun thankfully made their presence felt after the labouring mists and fog of a dull November day gave way to a glorious sunset and a clear darkening sky , a mere whisper of wind flowing over the hills from the northwest . The working day had gone and excitement mounted as the local weather forecast spoke of clear skies and a frosty start in the morning inferring a clear starlit night ahead for the keen CNAAG astronomers.

The preceding days had been marked by flurries of emails from a BBC2 StargazingLIVE film crew who had initially requested information about where would be suitable dark sky sites in the Cotswolds to film certain constellations Amongst the three sites recommended , our own Rollright Stone observing site was included and , much to our surprise , inspected couple of days later . With the weather forecasts all agreeing , Tuesday 22 nd was the night recommended to the BBC to film video from the Rollright monuments. The film crew were hard at it in the Stone Circle side when we began to arrive on site between 7.30 & 8.pm at exactly the same time as the only substantial bank of cloud in Warwickshire headed for the border and ground to a halt above the damp grass and molehills of the Kingstone field . The bank of 3 telescopes and one camera , hurriedly erected in the Kingstone field were forced to idle , until to everybodys relief , the cloud gradually thinned to reveal the magnificent blazing orb of mighty Jupiter augmented by a vault of a million stars against a transparent sky.

Jupiter reigned supreme escorted by the four visible moons and ,over the evening , an anomaly was noticed in the lower gas band and speculation for some time was that it was the shadow of Io . Sometime later , the feature did not appear to move in harmony with Io and it may have been one of the strange ‘barges' that appear from time to time in the gas bands. Jupiter is around for a while and although past opposition is still a grand sight .With Venus moving further and further away from the Sun , before long there will be two opposing bright planets as the giant outer planet Jupiter competes with the much smaller inner planet Venus for dominance of the night sky. Mary Edgington was probably the first to image the planet with her excellent little 130mm reflector . David Henderson , after ensuring the cloud was gone , assembled the huge lovely lightweight solid tube homemade16” Dobsonion , the extra light grasp being evident in all his images. The aluminium stepladder proved a stable platform once it had dug its way into the soft ground.

Orion gradually began to rise above the tree line and plenty of images were available of the great nebula and the young stars forming amongst the hot gas and dust. Several shooting stars were observed ranging from delicate short tailed to long and bright , one in particular bringing and audible ‘Oooh ! ‘ from the film crew in the stone circle – hopefully it will have been caught on video.

M15 was observed to the lower right of Pegasus , now beginning to nosedive towards the horizon in the west. At 110X magnification it was perhaps just over its best with the Orion 8” , a much better contrast at 58 X although the growing layers of mist above the horizon played their part . M31 was found by Geoff & Jeanette who had come along equipped specifically for a night of astro photography only to find that a most crucial piece of equipment had been left at home - I think we have all been there at some point . However , those plucky Cotterills as ever , squeezed the best out of the evening .

Doing his impression of Captain Oates , Mel Gigg separated himself from the rest of us to work his magic with his camera set up . The change of venue had thwarted his plans to image Orion which called for a quick reschedule. Kevin Worvill and his reliable Vixen refractor carried out some photo spectroscopy on Belelgeuse however , Kevin was not the only one to begin to find dewing up to be a big problem . Where we had set up , the Kingstone field underfoot was spongy with longish wet grass interspersed with numerous soggy molehills , the moisture levels were exceptionally high and the wind from the north west , despite being light made the damp air feel cold to the skin.

Calling a brief respite later in the evening , the 4 remaining astronomers trundled on over to the Stone Circle side to try and see how the filming was going only to be asked to remain quiet as they were conducting an interview with the astronomer Mark Thompson. Their equipment was very high tech with ultra sensitive ccd cameras imaging the stars in unprecedented detail , the end result promises to be stunning . Immediately noticeable was the difference in temperature and humidity on the stone circle side , a far more pleasant place to observe from . We were introduced to the team who were all busy working through their programme to get as much filming done on a superb night . Originally only planning to stay until 10pm , at midnight they were still going and as a tribute to the quality of our dark skies , it was remarked that some of the crew , being London based , had never seen a star filled night sky as good as this one .

A fabulous nights observing with the stars and Milky Way at their most splendid – heres to the next one

Robin

 

 

MIDWEEK STARGAZING

The evening of Wednesday 19th October found a few of us out at the
Rollright Stones under a clear cold sky with bands of thin wispy high
cloud approaching from the North . However , Jupiter shone like a beacon
and was the obvious main target for the 3 telescopes . David Shirt got
very excited as it was the first real try out of his new 6" Makutsov
Cassegrain scope on a motorised alt-az mount . My faithful 8" Orion on
homemade Dob base produced some very pleasing views of Jupiter , M31 ,
M57 & M13 and quite a few visitors managed to get some good views of
Jupiter before the first band of cloud drifted across forcing us to
stand down for a short while . The NW wind which would have caused us
problems up at the airfield site was thankfully deflected over us by the
trees making it bearable but the damp making it cold to the feet . Mel G
set up with 35mm DSLR and big lens thingie to grasp some long exposures
of an object I cannot begin to prounonce properly , we will have to
wait for the pictures . Jupiter , through David S's new toy was crisp
and rock steady . Kevin W set up later having first set up in his back
garden to show Jupiter to his next door neighbour before setting out
for the Stones . CNAAG members and friends all managed to have some good
views of main targets , constellations and asterisms before the cloud
came back in and , as our feet were now starting to feel the cold we
slowly packed away , Kevin W gamely hanging on till the last minute to
take a spectroscopic photo of the red giant star Formauhalt not far
above the SW horizon - the star that is , not Kevin ! . A great evening
and it was fantastic for everyone to turn out for a cold night under the
stars - with the observing season well and truly here , this meeting
heralsd the start of a fantastic CNAAG observing season

MOONWATCH 2011 at the ROLLRIGHT STONES

SATURDAY OCTOBER 8th.

Childrens drawing competition and planet spotting event results:-

 

CNAAG AUTUMN MOONWATCH 2011-10-10

Our Autumn MoonWatch for 2011 was held at the Rollright Stones on Saturday 8 th October and , not surprisingly , looked like it would be a short affair as the forecast was for the wind to ease slightly but with no less than 2 warm fronts bearing down on us from the north west . Undeterred, a clutch of plucky CNAAGers assembled on site and erected the 9mtr by 3 mtr great white gazebo in the lee of the trees close to the stone circle . Dave Beeton , main man of the Black Knights Model Rocket Society , obviously harnessing a huge plethora of gazebo knowledge , soon had us all plugging in the poles and putting the roof on , it looked magnificent . Like a well nurtured crop responding to spring sunshine, telescopes suddenly appeared , laid out in gay abandon (…. are you allowed to say that anymore ? - Ed) in the open in front of the gazebo ranging from small refractors right up to DH's 16” whopper of a Dobsonian , a better cross section of equipment than we could have ever wished for given the forecast . With our new superb pull up banner of Mels pictures plus the CNAAG banner and tables , we had laid out our stall which was attracting interest well before the 2pm startime. A photographer from the Cotswold Journal also managed to get some shots for inclusion in the paper . A few telephone calls ( where would we be without mobiles ?) assured us that the all female crew of Lizzie Bryant and Lucy Evershed of the National Trust had successfully launched from Stonehenge and were on their way up at the same time as the urgently needed hot food and beverage ‘OASIS' supply craft of Susan and Martin was steadily closing in for . Meanwhile rocket man Dave Beeton set up his comprehensive ground display and launch pads and was seen to be meticulously priming his wicks ( not sure about that either ! - Ed). Of outstanding success was the ‘planet spotting simulator' activity organised and run superbly by John Vincent . With planets stuck on poles arranged down the fence lines , children ( and adults) could observe pictures of the planets and enter the drawing competition – a steady stream of customers throughout the afternoon with brilliant drawings . After two tricky rendezvous through a narrow opening , OASIS and Stonehenge were hard docked and proceeded to do the business , NT with displays and comet building apparatus and OASIS with much needed sustenance . Despite the cloud which at times appeared threatening , a steady stream of interested people took the time to come over and spend some time with us . Highlight was the launch of Dave Beetons rockets at around 4.30pm , First launch of a very small rocket was impressive with the spent casing plummeting into the eastern tree line . The small UFO type craft provided an amusing sight as it curved and spun as it spewed out fire . A failed ignition system caused a temporary ‘hold' of the launch of the 3 rd and largest rocket as the motor had to be carefully tweaked , the resulting spectacular roar catching us unawares as the rocket ascended on a pillar of flame soaring almost to cloudbase before its streamered descent kept it within the field boundary - superb . The band of stalwart CNAAG astronomers brilliantly kept the customers satisfied , brazenly and unashamedly demonstrating their equipment ( ….steady lad – Ed) making the afternoon a pleasant and sociable occasion . The raffle prizes were drawn and the drawing competition judged by our Stonehenge guests . By this time , 6.15 ish , the clouds were producing some very light drizzle and it was deemed wise to pack up the displays and gazebo , soon followed by the telescopes By this time people numbers had dropped to almost nil with only the occasional bemused stone circle visitor emerging from the gathering gloom . As if to taunt us , after packing away and preparing to leave blue patches began to appear in the clouds , a faint brightness teasing us toward the Moon . With decisions made and goodbyes exchanged , CNAAG MoonWatch 2011 came to a close without an astronomical observation taking place at all – however , the only observation that mattered was of the CNAAG members pulling together to make the day a huge success and , with that display of support from everyone involved , we can look forward to our successful and expanding future - my thanks to everyone who came along and took the time to make it happen , superb effort .

Robin

 

CNAAG pushes on till Dawn -all that was missing was a Bacon Sandwich 3/4 June 2011

On Friday 3rd June , CNAAG held the first of this summers 'Midnight Special' observing evenings especially designed to thwart the longer days and to uphold our presence under the stars over the shorter nights. Anticipating that observing would not be possible until , at the earliest 10pm ,early astronomers enjoyed a spectacular sunset as our star gently dipped behind the hills far away to the northwest behind the Shropshire hills, the distant stars laying in wait behind the darkening skies . A very thin crescent moon showed itself briefly before it too was lost to the horizon. Telescopes ranged from the Chairmans 8" Dobsonianand Kevin Worvills 80mm refractor , Mel Gigg , master of the long exposure, was as usual ,wandering aroundmutteringwaitingfor his shutter to shut , mapping the heavens in intricate detail with digital SLR camera , Astro Track mount and 200mm lens. Joined by several CNAAGers and an interested visitor , observing began to get good around midnight with Saturn glowing in Virgo . Numerous Messier objects were observed and imaged including the Whirlpool galaxy with its brand new , 35 million year old supernova ( imaged by Mel) . Andromeda was only just observable but close to the horizon and washing out in the pre dawn sky to the north east. It was interesting to note that the horizon , from north west right through to north east never got dark and , surprisingly , started to visibly brighten from around 03:00 illustrating that the sun is never far below the horizon this time of year.A steady stream of satellites meandering north to south and vice versa passed overhead and an observed ISS pass fading into Earthshadow gave us plenty to look at.
Albeiro , the colourful double in Cygnus was a memorable sight . At 03:30 it became obvious that the dawn was winning as gradually the faint stars and nebulae faded - at this point we realised it would be the ideal time for a good bacon breakfast , however as no one had brought one , that will have to wait for the next 'Midnight Special' where we hope you will join us for a fantastic night out !

*****

CNAAG GROWS WINGS – A VISIT TO VULCAN BOMBER XM655 AT WELLESBOURNE AIRFIELD

As a brief aside from a frantic period of astronomical activities , 16 CNAAG members took the balmy spring weather and assembled under blue skies to visit the preserved Vulcan bomber on Wellesbourne airfield , kept in working condition by the XM655 Preservation Society headed by our host Charles Brimson . Filing in from the South Warwickshire Flying Club clubhouse we were dwarfed by the huge delta winged behemoth basking in the sunshine . The elegant profile was lost as moving under the huge wing the sheer size was a jaw dropper . After a brief H&S talk Charles gave us a brief run down on the history of the aeroplane , its arrival at Wellesbourne and the work his team does to keep it in running condition . Splitting into 4 groups we were taken great care of by the 655 Preservation team with detailed explanations of the function of the many different systems and empennages . Being ushered to safe areas we were treated to a start up of the auxiliary power unit (APU) allowing the flying surfaces to be moved and the spoilers above and below the wings to be cycled – if only they could just have kicked the 4 massive engines into life .We basked equally in the warm sunshine and the occasion , the buzz of light aircraft heard in the background adding an appropriate soundtrack to the ambience. In groups of 4 we took turns to climb the yellow ladder attached to the inside of the front undercarriage door and disappeared up into the black environs of the small cramped crew compartment . Festooned with all manner of very old technical equipment wherever you looked , it felt like you were stepping back in time into a era long gone , like entering the wheelhouse of an old abandoned sailing ship . Wall to wall black panels flaking paint and jammed tightly together studded with switches , knobs and dials gave an instant feeling of claustrophobia and huge admiration for the crews that spent hours at a time encased in a very small area . We were expertly and patiently guided through the crew functions and positions , all the time breathing in that heady smell only ever associated with old aeroplanes . Our expertly guided tour done , the afternoon was complete with many pictures being taken in front of the magnificent Vulcan resplendent in grey and green camouflage , wings outstretched and brooding , like a huge slumbering moth

A magnificent day out of the ordinary for all of us and after sensing the enthusiasm , commitment and pride the XM 655 people clearly possess , it underlines what can be done when a group of like minded people who share a common passion get together to make a project work - just like our superb CNAAG group.

 

SATURDAY APRIL 16TH - A CNAAG take look around the Avro Vulcan bomber XM655 at
MAPS Wellesbourne. www.XM655.com

 

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CNAAGs BUSIEST WEEKEND YET 17TH , 18TH & 19TH JULY

Long Compton Festival on Saturday 17th saw a small flurry of telescopes
and display items appear outside Long Compton Village Hall as we set up
for a pleasant afternoon in the warm sunshine. Plenty of interest
throughout the afternoon and we were able to provide upside down views of
the trees in the distance .

This put us in good shape for the Chipping
Norton Town Festival on Sunday 18th. Setting up on the slope almost
opposite Smiths Newsagents initially proved a problem for DH's
18.5"Dobsonian but this was solved fairly easily. Views through the big
Dob and 12" Revelation were restricted to the Co Op statue and the town
hall clock and bell - people were able to read the foundry lettering on
the bell itself at fairly low magnification. Newlywed CNAAGers , Mr &
Mrs Gigg were on hand with lots of photographic gear .

Lots of public interest throughout the day which put us in even better shape for Monday
nights CNAAG Summer Special event at Over Norton Village Hall with guest
speaker Nick Pope , author and recognized expert on the UFO phenomena .
An enthralled audience were treated to a fascinating talk by Nick which
went into detail about his time at the MoD and the 'official' attitudes
towards UFO's , citing some fascinating specific sightings followed by a
spirited question and answer session . Train times dictated Nicks quick
getaway but not before he had signed books for raffle prizes and being
persuaded to come back again in the near future .

A fitting end to a fantastic CNAAG weekend - to everyone who helped and supported the
events , a huge 'thank you' and , once again , it demonstrates that the
strength of our little astronomy club lies with its members and their
commitment to the success of CNAAG - fantastic!

Robin

CNAAG GOES SOUTH – OUR TWO NIGHTS AT STONEHENGE 2 ND & 8 TH APRIL 2011

The local weather on Saturday 2 nd April and the 50/50 forecast did not bode well for those planning to trundle the 70 odd miles to participate in the first of our two evening events with the National Trust . However , there was enough conflict and doubt in the forecast for the Salisbury area that a team of 3 intrepid , nay , downright stalwart CNAAGers decided to go and met with Warden Lizzie Bryant at the site café prior to moving on site behind the ancient burial mounds of the Curser Barrows . Set up of gazebo , generator and all associated paraphernalia was complete before the first group of people appeared – by this time the cloud was beginning to decay and break with clear gaps appearing – the prospects were good. Adorned with light stick neck and wristbands , around 50 members of the public received our short talk very well and , right on cue , Orion broke into view just as it was mentioned in the talk . Observing through the 3 telescopes we moved from Orions nebulae and a glorious Saturn bringing plenty of oohs and aahs from the observers . The sky was clear enough to point out the major constellations and Lizzies accompanying storytelling of the constellation myths were spellbinding – particularly as Lizzie was adorned with a wizards cloak suitably embossed with red stars and moons . Lucy Evershed , our host and NT coordinator supplied hot drinks and food . A highly successful evening despite getting home in the wee small hours .

The following Friday (8 th ) was a far better day with clear blue skies and warm sunshine all day . After a wonderful trip down 7 CNAAGers massed in the café before moving off , in convoy , to the site . A quick set up ensured we were ready to go well before sunset allowing plenty of views of the sun with its sunspots and glimpsing the crescent Moon against a darkening blue sky . The illustrated talk was accomplished under an increasing starlit sky with the moon glowing brighter by the minute . The 7 telescopes were then kept busy as everyone revelled in views of the Moon and its craters , Saturn magnificent despite the glow from Tidworth , Orion nebulae , M81 & M82 , M13 , the Plaides and a magnificent chance to tour the constellations accompanied by Lizzies wonderful storytelling and everyone sustained by Lucy and her team

Both nights were a terrific success and , judging by the huge amount of interest and enthusiasm from everyone who attended on both nights , astronomy certainly is a highly popular subject appealing to all age groups . Early feedback via the National Trust shows that CNAAG has struck a chord with the public and we are already responding to a request for another event in the Autumn . Thanks to the National Trust and , to all CNAAGers who made it there a huge thanks from me as , once again it illustrated the vitality and enthusiasm that exists in our unique and fantastic astronomy group.

CNAAG's 2nd event at Stonehenge was on Friday 8th April 2011

Photo by

Fritz Curzon photos@fritzcurzon.co.uk

 

*****

CNAAG at Stonehenge photos also by cnaag members.

Lizzie Bryant

 

THE BLACK KNIGHTS MODEL ROCKET DISPLAY OCT 2ND 2010

 

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Great events thanks to NT Wardens Lucy Evershed and Lizzie Bryant for their part in setting up the event

*****

THROTTLING UP FOR THE AUTUMN SEASON

The end of September saw a flurry of activity for CNAAG as we crammed in 3 events in the final week of the month. Wednesday 29th was the first of three of our evenings with Chipping Norton school as part of their 'Family Focus' project .Unfortunately the cloud cover put a damper on any observing but the truncated talks on astronomy and mirror making were well recieved by the 2 groups of pupils and parents. Our next meetings are Monday 11th and Wed 20th October . With barely time to pause for breath ( or unload the cars ) Thursday 30th found us in Long Compton village hall by the kind invitation of the Britsh Legion . This time for the full presentations which was followed by an interesting and lively question and answer session . Positive feedback from both the school and the British Legion shows the high interest in astronomy and the CNAAG groups activities.My thanks as ever to the omnipresent CNAAGer Mr David Henderson for his unstinting support and enthusiasm . Saturday 2nd October was our , slightly earlier than usual, Autumn StarWatch at the Rollright Stones . It turned out to be the driest day between 2 dismal wet days which allowed us to put up a range of telescopes giving us some great views of the sun and sunspots between cloud , Mel G's Coronado H Alpha resolving the granular nature of the suns surface . Dave Beeton , chairman of the Black Knights Model Rocket Society brought along a stunning array of projectiles and impressive display items which attracted a great amount of interest , the enthusiasm and professionalism from Dave was outstanding . Highlight of the afternoon was the impressive launch of 3 rockets from the Kingstone field , unfortunately the wind strength prevented the 'monster' rockets - 6 - 8 feet long !- from flying but it was still very impressive - The Black Knights Model Rocket Society will return . Due to unforseen circumstances expert archeologist(and our landlord) had to cancel his talk at the last minute which we will reschedule for another time .With the wind now backing to South and gathering clouds bringing the threat of a sudden downpour, , instinct dictated a reluctant early pack away , a race to the fish and chip shop everyone finally heading back to the Gothic portals of CNAAG mansions as the first drops of rain hitting the windscreen heralded the wet Sunday to follow.
Special thanks to KevinW, DH, Mel G, John V and Lefty( Bryan) Hunt for all their help . ....... Robin

 

 

LATEST OBSERVING REPORTSThursday 3rd June
After one of the hottest days so far , the temperature dropped away
rapidly as we assembled at the Rollright Stones for the first of our
2010 'Midnight Special' observing nights . Arcturus quickly followed by
Vega first pierced the twilight at around 10.15 heralding the ignition
of a million other stars as the sky darkened .Saturn , now well past
South remains a good target , 3 Moons well visible in the big
18.5"Dobsonian . M57 in Lyra again displayed its 'puff of
smoke'appearence but much later , with high magnification , the full
ring effect was dramatic . M13 , again at high mags ,  was a stunning
object with individual stars easily made out- someone remarked that it
almost looked 3D !Venus however proved dissapointing with an unsteady
disc and atmospheric wobble . The Dumbell Nebulae was another wonderful
target , looking like a smudge on the lens . As the sky darkened the
famous dumbell shape was obvious . A 'WOW'highlight for this author was
locating M81 & 82 in Ursa Major , the Cigar' galaxy being edge on
displayed some structure in its gas rings .Mel Gigg and friend spent the
evening taking wide angle shots of the constellations with their guided
35mm digitals . Hats off to David H & John Vincent for attempting to
image the  very low  Sombrero Galaxy . Looking like they were about to
fire an artilliary round towards Stow they were forced to give that one
up for another night .Clusters there were aplenty as the Milky Way began
to glow . The southerley breeze began to be felt as we passed the
01:00am mark . Before packing up we managed to image brightening comet
Mc Naught which is a firm observing tartget throughout the warm summer
evenings . We eventually packed up at about 02:00pm but well worth
staying up for
Another great CNAAG evening and possibly one of the best nights so far-
Many thanks to everyone who came and we are all looking forward to the
next one - keep an eye on your emails & text messages
Great Stuff

Robin

Observing night Friday (21st May) at the Rollright Stones -

A good night's observing of the Moon and Saturn+moons along with M13, M81/82 and more, quite a large gathering of members and visitors.

 

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CNAAG 2010 Spring MoonWatch Report

Without the added benefit of the 'International Year of Astronomy'that we had last year and following on from our Autumn MoonWatch experience , it made sense to try and cover almost a complete week of astronomy to give us maximum exposure and best chance with the weather . Given this we ran MoonWatch  from Monday 19th to Saturday 24th April .
Monday 19th - The talk about Asteroids in the Fox Hotel in Chipping Norton was well attended and recieved by around 25 people ( and 3 potatoes !) , unfortunately the weather was not good enough for any observing afterwards
Tuesday 20th - Jeremy W & David H held vigil up at the Rollright Stones huddled together in the lee of the trees to keep from the cold North wind .  David was suffering from the after effects of a flu like bug so understandably , the cold dictated an early retreat for both of them - but not before chatting to a couple of interested people
Wednesday 21st - A practically clear night for observing from the paddock behind the Red Lion pub in Little Compton . Mel G , Jeremy W , Robin S & John V provided 4 telescopes to allow plenty of observations of the Moon at perfect 1st quarter , Saturn ,Mars and a few of the Messier objects in Auriga . Although restricted to views S East through to SWest , the site proved ideal - especially with the pub close to hand . Probably around 15 - 20 people did some observing , a mixture of CNAAG members and pub customers. The landlord was very impressed and it looks like we will be returning to the Red Lion in the Autumn . Its always confusing to have two pubs both called the Red Lion sitting within 3 miles of each other and it is NOT  in the slightest way AMUSING to hear tale of one or two CNAAGers sitting on their lonesome in the car park of the wrong Red Lion wondering where everyone else was - for future reference , this venue is known as 'The Salty Chip' or 'Leo Major'
Thursday 22nd - What began as a lonely evening developed into a lovely evening observing the moon & Saturn through my 8" reflector with 3 people who had heard about the weeks astronomy. After seeing some great results on his mobile phone camera , John from Kingham has given me the idea for a mobile phone Moon photo competition
Friday 23rd - Oliver S , John V & Mel Gigg assembled their kit in the calmer and warmer winds and enjoyed a great nights observng with several interested people
Saturday 24th - What can I say - the weather co operated and CNAAGers rose to the fore erecting 2 gazebos and , during the course of the afternoon displaying about 12 different telescopes . Hugh M brought out his partly restored 1860's huge brass refractor and stately stand , John V with a great homemade plywood 'Sun Scope' with  a wonderful viewing screen .Mel G & Oliver S both set up their state of the art computer guided scopes plus laptop monitor giving is all something to aspire to.Kevin W set up his fathers Vixen refractor on an impressive steel alt - az stand which seemed to stand up to the breeze better than anything else . David H's huge 18.5" 'Leviathan' of a homemade Dobsonian was a fitting centrepiece and produced the best images of Saturn through the thickenening cloud later in the evening . Many other members , and non members brought along their telescopes and hopefully everyone has a better idea of how to set up the site scope . George Lambrick , head of the Rollright Trust and a great supporter of the CNAAG group fittingly gave a talk about the Rollright Stones at sunset to a gathering of about 50 people crowded around a gazebo to see the projected pictures - power & set up of projector , lap top etc by our very own Bryan 'Lefty' Hunt . Thickening cloud cover meant that our observing was restricted to the Moon , Venus and Saturn eventually cutting short our intended midnight finish by about and hour and a half . It was a fantastic end to a fantastic week of amateur astronomy and proved beyond all doubt that CNAAG performs a unique and valuable part in promoting astronomy to a greater public. Space prevents me from thanking everyone in this short piece but the enthusiasm of the CNAAG members , once again, showed itself to be its outstanding asset as everyone gave up their time to make the week work - to everyone who helped out or came along - thank you very much
NOTE : Planning has started for an even better  'StarWatch' in the Autumn


Robin

 

 

APRIL SKIES 8th & 10th 2010
After the prolonged spell of cold dismal weather, an approaching high
pressure area promised the chance of some observing weather for the
second week of April. The odd thing about high pressure systems
settling north of our location is that , for astronomical observing,
you generally have to get out in the first 3 days or so of it
establishing itself because after that, any winds with a north
easterly/ easterly direction bring in increasing amounts of thin high
cloud which tends to cancel out any faint targets. However , intrepid
as ever , 8 CNAAGers assembled at the Shipton Under Wychwood site on
Thursday 8th April for an interesting, but cold, evening of sociable
observing. Early on, Venus & Mercury could be observed side by side as
they sank to the northwest before attention switched to Mars and Saturn.

Mars, moving away from us now, was a barely discernable orange ball
whilst mighty Saturn, ivory white with a visible moon was the highlight
of the evening. Star clusters in Auriga were naked eye objects and even
M31, the Andromeda galaxy was observable despite being low down to the
NW and bathed in the glow of Birmingham.
On Saturday 10th, a handfull of keen observers ignored the thin high
cloud and freshening wind from the east and set up 3 telescopes at the
Rollright Stones. Mars, the Beehive cluster and Saturn were the main
targets of what was a rapidly diminishing number of stars. However,
Edwin R's little refractor showed its quality especially when we
replaced the 20mm Huygens eyepiece wth an 9mm Nagler- Saturn especially
was good. Steve Turner brought along his small reflector although this
meant, with Steve being about 8' tall , he was the only one to be able
to see through the site scope! We went through a brief demo for setting
up a site scope using a distant street light close to Supa Nover Norton.
A great 2 nights and a welcome chance to get out under the stars and it
once again illustrated the enthusiasm of the CNAAG members, thanks to
all who came out and we look forward to the next one.

Robin

'Newsletter January 2010' - note for everyone not just members 

 

                            ' CNAAG 2010'

    A NEW YEAR WITH PLENTY TO LOOK FORWARD TO

2010 marks the 5 th anniversary of CNAAG and it is a good time to take stock and look back at just how far we have come in a very short time . From our very first meeting of 4 enthusiasts in January 2004 we now have a membership of over 30 + astronomers which is continuing to grow . The amount of knowledge and experience inherent in the group and the willingness for it to be shared is a testament to how the CNAAG group has naturally developed into a sociable and recognised astronomical society both locally and nationally . Since moving to a subscribed membership nearly 2 years ago we are able to self fund almost all of our regular activities ( boosted by the odd car boot sale ) and as you will see , our plans for 2010 are ambitious and exciting . However , our continued success is down to the support and enthusiasm of its members and it is crucial to our continued success that CNAAG operates primarily for the benefit of those members as well as a commitment to promote astronomy to the public . Tonights AGM is therefore everyones opportunity to take a look at and decide how CNAAG moves forward , how we can improve on what we do , and how we do it.This year will find us looking to increase our membership , take better advantage of good observing conditions and to introduce a basic astronomical tutorial for every one to take part in One thing I always ask for everyone to bear in mind is that , when it comes to astronomy , our ability to participate is constantly influenced by work & family commitments which always take priority and that organising even the most (seemingly) straightforward activity always takes time and effort on someones part which is appreciated . Looking back at my notes from last years AGM we have achieved most of our main goals with only minor setbacks and if we can continue the momentum , this year will be outstanding .My thanks to every member for your continued support - we can all look forward some fantastic astronomy and related activities for ‘CNAAG 2010' .

 

CNAAG 2010 GETS OFF TO A FLYING START - see pictures in gallery On Thursday 4th March CNAAG had its first serious observing meeting of 2010 at the Rollright Stones. 6 telescopes were set up for some scintillating views including Mars and Saturn . After the depressing run of dismal observing weather it was a great relief to be out under a clear cloudless sky with the Moon safely out of the way until around midnight .  CNAAG members appeared out of the dark and took the opportunity to compare views through the different scopes and eyepieces . Mars , although small , did show some surface markings and Mel G ( definitely NOT one of the Spice Girls !) managed to view the polar cap . Mars is now moving away from us but we will continue to observe it over the next few weeks . Meanwhile , Saturn has begun to make its presence felt as it follows Leo up from the eastern horizon from about 9pm . Everyone had some stunning views of this huge gas giant and two of its moons ( Titan and Rhea) and its crisp appearence through the cold air made it look , as one CNAAGer quipped , as if it was 'etched onto the lens' . Considering it was still relatively low in the sky Saturn promises to be the highlight of the Spring and Summer nights . Views were also made of Andromeda , M81 & M82 , M37 and M44 the Beehive cluster in Cancer. M44 was also visible to the naked eye . By about 11pm the cold got the better of our feet so we slowly packed away but , such was the attraction of the starlit sky , a few of us were still gazing upwards and yakking astronomy at 11.30 . With the weather beginning to behave sensibly , the signs are that we are in for a fantastic season of observing - thanks to all and we look forward to seeing you out under the stars soon.

OBSERVING JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2010 - Mars is the planet to view at the moment. Drifting through Cancer it can be easily picked out by its orangy red colour . With binoculars you should be able to make out a small disc , telescopes will show a lager disc with dark surface markings and , if you are lucky , a glimpse of the icy pole. Constellation Auriga is well placed to observe the star clusters M36 , M37 & M38 , almost in a straight line toward the bottom of the constellation , on a dark night you should be able to make them out as fuzzy blobs with the naked eye - the sky charts in Sky At Night & Astronomy Now magazines show them well. Binos and telescopes will allow you to observe the differences in star distribution between the groups . The sun has suddenly shown some sunspot activity at last - OBSERVE SAFELY by projecting the image onto a white card - BEWARE THE SUN AT ALL TIMES . If in any doubt , get in touch with us first .Keep an eye on the heavens above web site for the times of all satellite , shuttle & ISS pass times . Remember , if the sky is clear the temperature drops like a stone so be prepared.With the days getting longer and the spring constellations beginning to hove into view it will not be long before conditions will allow longer observing sessions without freezing solid .

Robin

 

CNAAG 2009 – International Year of Astronomy

Just to show how busy last year was, here are the highlights :

January – the post Christmas and New Year period was a quiet , cloudy and often damp period. However , comet Lulin was becoming a good target

19 th - AGM at The Fox . Amongst the main items discussed were plans to increase membership , increase funding and plans for the IYA , Spring MoonWatch and Moon landing anniversary .

February

16 th – Monthly meeting looked after by Jeremy Wellingham

March

16 th – David Henderson , Amateur Telescope Making

April

1 st - Watching out for the famous ‘Polar Foil ‘ effect ( repeated every year at the same time !)

4 th – Spring MoonWatch at the Rollright Stones . A great day with plenty of visitors which gained us a mention in Astronomy Now magazine .

8 th – Bill Giles , the weatherman at The Theatre

20 th – Mark Morris - Transient Lunar Phenomena

27 th – A trip out to the Blackett Observatory , Marlborough . A fascinating tour of a restored Victorian telescope courtesy of Observatory Director Charles Barclay .

May

16 th – Meeting of the Chiltern & Thames Valley Regional Group of Astronomical Societies at The Theatre

18 th – Bryan Hunt . Fascinating talk on Radio Astronomy

June

15 th – Chairman , Ranger missions to the Moon ( The Lone Ranger !) followed by the unveiling of David Hendersons home made huge Dobsonian telescope he had kept totally secret

20 th – Little Compton fete & the first public airing of DH's telescope

July

8 th – A superb astronomical talk to local business people by Geoffrey Cotterill following a gusset busting breakfast fry up at The Crown & Cushion .

15 th – First visual sighting of the Shuttle & external tank 18 mins after its launch from Florida ( launched 23 :03 , observed 23:20 towards Moreton in Marsh , both faded when toward Stow on Wold – very fast & orange colour of tank striking)

19 th – To celebrate the 40 th anniversary of Apollo 11 , a showing of The Dish at the Theatre followed by a successful observing session at the Stones

26 th – Mel Gigg photos the ISS transiting the face of the Sun – timed to perfection the whole event lasted 1.6 seconds – Note : this is only one example of Mels skills , his pictures are awe inspiring .

August

17 th – The Fox , Jupiter followed by impromptu observing at The Stones

24 – Shuttle & tank observed shortly after launch into our early morning sky (Launch 05:01 observed 05:19 ) . Observed , videod and photo'd by several observers – a stunning sight .

31 st – Car Boot Sale at Moreton Cricket Club – a good regular fundraiser

September

1 st – The Theatre , 2001 – A Space Odyssey – a special showing of the film with a pre talk by Dr Ian Griffin head of Oxford Science . Observing the Moon & Jupiter outside The Theatre .

8 th – First Chipping Norton School observing evening

18 th – Geoffrey Cotterill , Mike & Louise Appleton attend the commissioning of the Hanwell telescope

30 th – Second Chipping Norton School observing evening

October

12 th – Third Chipping Norton School observing evening

24 th – Autumn MoonWatch at the Stones – a successful week of observing following a bad start with rain & gales on the Saturday . Bryan Hunt managed to get his picture in the Oxford Mail – lots of interest

November

16 th – Fascinating talk on the Rollright Stones by THE expert George Lambrick (and our observing site landlord ) – a privilege

December

8 th – Trip down to Selsey to meet Patrick Moore and have a tour of his telescopes – a truly fantastic day and treat for all of us . Watch out for ‘Selsey – The Return' sometime in 2010 !

21 st – Mike Frost , Jeramiah Horrocks – A Curious Astronomer . Mike gave us a fascinating talk , full of enthusiasm and expert knowledge – we will see Mike again in 2010 .

As you can see , we were really busy during 2009 and remember this list does not include the numerous observing evenings we have enjoyed at the Stones and other sites

‘CNAAG 2010'

Some outline proposals :

To have as full a programme as possible covering the whole year including pre booked speakers for our monthly meetings

To look at us being able to cover the GCSE Astronomy syllabus in with our observing and indoor meetings

Possibly more events with Chipping Norton School –note there may be a CRB cost issue which may scupper the whole thing

A stronger affiliation with the Rollright Trust , possibly offering joint membership .

Regular use of the local press and media when needed

A guest speaker every 2 nd month – an expenses issue but nothing too serious

A redesign of our brochure with a bit of colour

Fundraising ideas – car boots , entrance fees etc

EVENTS PROPOSED

PUBLIC EVENTS

Spring MoonWatch & Autumn StarWatch events at the Rollright Stones – currently looking at Sat April 10 th for the Spring & Sat 16 th October for the Autumn – tbc

An observing evening in the paddock next to The Red Lion , Little Compton – with plenty of publicity this could be a significant event

EXCURSIONS

A return to Patricks

Herschells museum in Bath – possibly via Avebury stone circle or Stonehenge

The Space Centre , Leicester

Mount Tuffley , Gloucester

Visits to our neighbouring societies at Hanwell , Abingdon , Cotswold & Stratford .

GUEST SPEAKERS

Waiting a reply from :

Charles Barclay – Director of the Blackett Observatory , Marlborough

Ian Griffin – CEO of the oxford Sciences

Already booked :

February  15th - Owen Brazell :Supernova Remnants

June 21st – Mike Frost : The Green Flash

July 19th – Nick Pope : THE ex MoD UFO specialist – a major event and probable fundraiser

In the months in between we will still be looking for members willing to put together a talk or two

Our Autumn MoonWatch on Saturday 24th Oct was in doubt as the morning and early afternoon was beset by cloud , wind and rain . Despite this setback the weather started to clear around 6.30pm which led up to a very successful evenings observing . There was a steady stream of visitors and everyone managed to have their fill of the Moon , Jupiter and numerous nebulae and deep sky objects . The 'Wow' factor was heard all evening . This was the beginning of several successful evenings observing throughout the MoonWatch week - many thanks to all who came out and made the week a great success - hope to see you all soon .

GREAT OBSERVING

AUGUST - A BUSY MONTH FOR CNAAG OBSERVERS Taking advantage of some good spells of weather , August proved to be an active month for CNAAG with no less than 3 successful observing meetings . Cloud cover put paid to our plans for a Perseid meteor wath evening of the (glorius?) 12th but we managed to be out the following (Thursday) evening . However , despite good conditions before Moonrise we only managed to see a few good meteors. The rising Moon , Jupiter and a jar full of Msr. Messiers finest kept everyone going to midnight. A measure of the enthusiasm within the group became apparent following our monthly meeting in The Fox on Monday 17th. After a truly gripping illustrated look at Jupiter in some detail we moved en masse up to the Rollright Stones to take full advantage of the very clear ( and still warm ) conditions - again , we were still there until after midnight ! On saturday 29th August a few of us gave the new observing site near Shipton Under Wychwood a try out. Despite the strong breeze we found the site to be excellent and we were all able to offload and operate our telescopes not far from the cars . A nearby copse meant that we had to move the scopes to view Jupiter until it had moved far enough West. A lot of potential at this site and , because it is to the south of Chippy will mean members coming in from the Witney/ Burford direction will not always have to be travelling the furthest all the time.As long as it is accessable in the winter it should be an excellent site for us all . Please note the 'etiquette' for us using the site which is detailed in the members section of the web site All in all , August was a really successful month and hopefully a prelude to a busy and interesting Autumn . Please note that everyone is invited to all of our meetings

SCIENCE OXFORD Click to view

Throughout the summer Science Oxford are holding a series of astronomical and space related talks / workshops etc to suit all age groups .

 

GREAT OBSERVING FOLLOWS A WET AND DREARY DAY

MONDAY 27 TH JULY saw a cornucopia of astronomers assemble at the Rollright Stone circle field for another CNAAG Midnight Special . Once again our luck was in as the weather cleared after a dull wet day in time for a good evenings viewing and the early scopes managed to catch the crescent Moon before it dipped below the hedgeline .We welcomed in new members Sarah and young Bert as everyone was setting up . DH brought along his huge 18.5 inch homemade Dobsonian , testing it out for the first time in ‘field' conditions . Once he had it set up everyone queued up to scale the ladder to take a look – and what a view we all had . With plenty of ‘WoWs ‘ and ‘Ooohs' we were treated to views of M13, M31, M57, Jupiter and the Dumbell Neb – the light grasp of this monster is phenomenal – considering that it was not fully collimated the images were staggering – DH is hoping to cart this monster to Kelling Heath in the Autumn.

Two Iridium flares bang on time and numerous satellites kept everyones gaze skyward as the sky just got better and better with the Milky Way arching overhead . All in all we had 6 telescopes on site ( 7 if you count MG's double set up) and it is always fascinating to compare the views of one telescope with the other . Just after 01:00 hrs the last of us were packed up but still looking skyward and yakking astronomy eventually driving up to the Gothic splendor of CNAAG mansions at around 01:20hrs . Thanks to all who came out for yet another successful CNAAG Midnight Special meeting .

Robin

CNAAG CELEBRATES THE APOLLO MOONLANDING IN STYLE On the evening of Sunday 19th July over 70 people came to the Theatre for the IYA talk and to see the great film 'The Dish'. Following the film over 30 people travelled up to the Rollright Stones for a fantastic observing session which lasted until midnight . It was a huge success particularly as the day was atrocious weather wise with cold , gusty wind and heavy showers. However , every forecast predicted a clearence by 10pm - and they were right. The clouds went and one by one the stars popped out . At 10:10 everyone observed a pass of the ISS followed by a bright Iridium flare. Jupiter was the centerpiece but the Ring Nebulae , M13 and many other targets kept the 2 telescopes ( and the attached astronomers) very busy.Very many thanks to all the CNAAGers who came and helped out , I certainly needed it , and special thanks to David Henderson and Mel Gigg for looking after the observing session. To everyone who missed it there will be many other similar occasions before the year is out including a showing of 2001 - A Space Odyssey on 1st September preceded by a talk by Dr Ian Griffin and follwed by an observing session . See you all soon Robin

SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH - FLORIDA TO CHIPPING NORTON IN 17 MINUTES Wednesday 15th July At 22:08 saw 8 people standing outside the Theatre after the film 'The Class' watching the ISS pass almost directly overhead as bright as a button . After that it was a quick dash home and hope that the Shuttle would finally launch . It was always a bit of a theory that we might catch a glimpse of  the Shuttle and its fuel tank as it hauled its way into orbit but we never expected what we were going to see . DH & GC confirmed that the launch had gone ahead at 11:03 so all we could do was wait. At just before 11:20 a brightening climbing star was seen slightly north of west , towards Moreton in Marsh . As it climbed higher it resolved into 2 distinct stars both which rapidly brightened and climbed to about 40 degrees passing between the horizon and Arcturus curving to the south. The upper star - the Shuttle Endeavour - was as bright as Arcturus -possibly brighter , while the lower one - the fuel tank - was only as bright as Altair but a distinct orange / red. As they moved to the south of Chippy they entered the terminator and faded quite quickly somewhere towards Stow on the Wold. Being in very low orbit they entered darkness well before the space station. At 11:40 we watched yet another high bright pass of the ISS.Apparently this is only the second time that the shuttle & tank have been observed from the UK and I kick myself for not being up at the Stones ( Geoff - you were right!). However , as the shuttles days are limited perhaps we should look carefully at the launch dates and times in  case another chance comes up See you all soon Robin

OBSERVING REPORT Monday 29thJune - Observing at the KingStone field CNAAG MIDNIGHT SPECIAL A good turnout for this , the second of our summer late night observing sessions.Assembling at around 9pm the sky did not look good at all with cloud streaming in from the south on the warm wind. However , towards the west the sky was clear and , in true resolute CNAAG fashion , we set up with optimistic hearts. Picnics were laid out and devoured as we waited for the sky to darken and we were all treated when Karen Wellingham ( CNAAG Head of Cake) shared out the chocolate cake she had made for the occasion . As the heat went the cloud died and eventually disappeared ,the Moon at first quarter was an early target and admired by everyone. As Vega popped out we were able to get views of M57 & Mi3 albeit with averted vision as the sky remained stubbornly light . Later on towards midnight it all became clear and the Milky Way and all its faint objects hoved into view. All in all about 10 people came along and it was a great evening in great company - thanks to all who came out . Three telescopes were set up and everyone had a chance to look at most things even the rising Andromeda galaxy. During the summer months we will be calling more of these ' CNAAG Midnight Specials' as it is great to be able to do some observing without having to put on layers and layers of insulation and your feet and fingers not to be numb with cold - come along and bring a picnic for some great observing sessions. Dont forget - the film 'The Dish' at the Theatre on Sunday 19th July & '2001 A Space Odyssey' on 1st September

 

CNAAG - ‘SPRING MOONWATCH 2009'-HELD on the 4th APRIL AT THE ROLLRIGHT STONES

Our first major event for the IYA got off to a flying start on Sat 4th April with our event at the Rollright Stones. Throughout the day we had a steady stream of visitors. The weather , apart from one scare , was the best we could have hoped for with the evening clear , the Moon razor sharp and stars like polished glass beads. Stones trustee and CNAAG member Dr David Shirt gave an illustrated talk at sunset about the Rollright Stones after which the many visitors enjoyed the night sky through an arsenal of telescopes - a fantastic day and evening . Special thanks to all CNAAGers who set it all up and made it happen and a special thanks to all the visitors we had throughout the day and evening. Throughout the year we will be holding similar events with another major Moonwatch event in the Autumn. If the astronomy bug has bitten you or you want to find out more we meet every third Monday of the month for a talk - usually in Chippy , everyone is welcome. Keep in touch via the website and we look forward to seeing you again soon Robin - Chairman