Ancrum Astronomy Club - Scottish Borders

[Blackheart]

Hi guys

Just in case there is anyone in the area I wanted to let people know about our astronomy club in the Scottish Borders. Ancrum is a small village, 4 miles from Jedburgh and about 20 minutes from Kelso, Hawick and Galashiels. This is a small, friendly club consisting mainly of beginners with a few more experienced people to offer guidance when needed.

We meet on the first Tuesday of each month in the Ancrum village hall, 7.30-9.00 and everyone is welcome.

If anyone would like further information then feel free to send me a private message or email me at:

the_flanston@hotmail.com

Thanks

BH

(Peter Flannery)

[Lorne]

Good luck with your club from me, a bit further north in the Central Belt. Do you have a regular dark site to meet up, though I imagine there are a few sites in the Borders that could be used.

L.

[Blackheart]

Hi Lorne

You are welcome any time...

We are blessed with pretty dark skies in the area. We have some stray light from street lamps but if you shade those the sky really opens up. I live on the village green and if I go out the front of my house I can see maybe twenty of the brighter stars. If I go out the back I can see the Milky Way very clearly. Andromeda is visible to the naked eye as is the double cluster. My biggest beef is with neighbours security lights and chimney pots! It's hard to see anything with smoke billowing across your line of sight.

As for dark sky sites... I am currently looking for a place to site a permanent observatory. We have a couple of possibilities and one of them is very dark with a superb horizon. Need to talk it over with the local land owner.

Watch this space

BH

[Lorne]

Im with you on the front and back garden difference.... like night and day if you know what I mean! Ive recently joined CSOG, an informal group of like minded folk who meet at various sites throughout the Central Belt, my closest dark site is on the northern edge of the Pentland Hills.... great dark skies to the south, less great to the north east and west. Good luck in your quest for a permanent obsy.