Stargazing Live : Friday 15th to Sunday 17th January 2016 - 6:30pm to 10:00pm

Updates

Sunday 17-01-2016 16:50 Last night we were completely clouded out but we had maybe 150 visitors enjoying the talks, information and telescopes on display. We are are expecting similar tonight plus more sleet, but we'll still be there with talks, telescopes and experts on hand.

Saturday 16-01-2016 16:15 Last night we did have some breaks in the clouds and managed to get some observing done with about half a dozen telescopes outside. The weather forecast for tonight is now predicting light sleet so we may not be able to do any observing. However we'll still have indoor events and if you are struggling with that telescope you bought for Christmas, why not bring it along? We'll show you how to set it up and use it.

Friday 15-01-2016 19:30 There's some cloud but we have two telescopes observing outside at the moment as well as displays and presentations indoors.

Friday 15-01-2016 17:50 We're setting up at Henley now. We've had some rain and it's still cloudy, but fingers crossed for later. The forecasts suggest it will clear up soon.

Friday 15-01-2016 09:00 It's a clear morning and the weather forecast looks promising for observing tonight and tomorrow. Sunday is looking less favourable at the moment.

Henley Star Party

Early in 2016 we are holding our usual weekend outreach event at Henley Golf and Country Club in conjunction with the BBC's Stargazing Live theme.

In the event of cloudy skies we shall use the club house to show you videos, telescopes and discuss topics of Astronomy and Cosmology.

As in previous years we will be running a free public "Star Party". This will include a range of interesting activities for people of all ages, each evening from Friday 15th to Sunday 17th January from 6:30pm to around 10:00pm. This will be an opportunity for you, your friends, children, to see planets, moons and galaxies as well as to learn about astronomy and telescopes. On our chosen dates astronomical twilight (when the sky is dark enough to observe fainter objects) begins not long after 18:25 GMT so visitors should be able to look through telescopes in the early evening. This will be helpful to those with young children with early bedtimes.

We are also extremely grateful to the hospitality shown us by the staff and management of Henley Golf and Country Club. They were tremendously helpful in making last year’s weekend a success.

In previous years we had great nights with around 200 people attending on the clearest night.

The photo above shows some of the telescopes we have had on display previously. There will be experts available to help visitors with advice about astronomy, telescopes and any other questions visitors may have. We also plan to have indoor briefing sessions to brief people about what can be observed that night, so as to make their skywatching more effective when they go outside. What we can show you outside will depend on the weather. We will "spread the word" online via this site, Facebook and Twitter about how the weather is affecting us so please keep an eye on our news.

Henley Golf and Country Club

Henley Golf and Country Club is an excellent venue for these events because it is located in an area that is much less light-polluted than many adjacent districts and offers a wide panorama of the sky.

The Golf Club will provide hot food & drinks along with a licensed bar.

Henley Golf and Country Club, Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire. B95 5QA