[BAA-ebulletin 00791] Joint star party in Regent's Park with BSIA, this Thursday

[BAA electronic bulletins service]

We will be holding a public observing session and star party this Thursday 20 March from 18:30 to 22:30 at The Hub, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4RU. This is the BAA’s and Baker Street Irregular Astronomers’ slightly delayed contribution to National Astronomy Week 2014: “Target Jupiter”.

If the weather is good we will be observing Jupiter in the west and Mars in the east, and since the Moon will be absent until the end of the event, we should get a chance to view some of the brighter deep-sky objects such as the Orion Nebula, clusters and double stars. It really is quite surprising what can be seen from the centre of London.

There will be a free raffle for all who attend, with a prize, donated jointly by the BAA and The Widescreen Centre, of a Celestron Nexstar 127 SLT telescope: a perfect starter telescope.

Bring telescopes or binoculars, or come and look through other peoples’. Further details, and a map of the location, are here.

The café will be open, serving food and drinks, until 22:00. There are toilets and the venue is disabled-accessable. From 21:00, access will be only from the illuminated path from the Monkey Gate on the Outer Circle, just west of the Zoo. Parking is free on the Outer Circle in the evening, and there is a bus, the 274 from Camden Town or Baker Street Stations. The correct stop is Wells Rise. The Hub is a five-minute walk from the Monkey Gate.

If the weather is forecast to be very poor 24 hours beforehand (as it is currently), the event will be shifted to the same time on Friday 21 March. The announcement will be made on the BSIA website, so check here, or the BSIA Twitter feed, @BakerStAstro, or the BAA Twitter feed, @BritAstro.

I hope to see some members along and to chat to you. 

Clear skies,

David Arditti
Council Member
d at davidarditti.co.uk