Peak Star Party 2012

[Marki]

Thanks Paul - was kinda fun. Good to meet you and your colleagues Oddly, the event rekindled my liking of camping, even though it was the first time I'd been out in a tent for years.

Mark (and Sarah)

[Rustmonkey]

Big thnx to Paul and the rest of the S@N team for a great talk on Saturday night. It was very interesting, entertaining and a welcome distraction from the clouds. Apologies for the back seat driver who was constantly butting in from behind you but that's life I guess.

[Paul G. Abel]

@Rustmonkey don't worry! There's one at every star party, desperate to jump in and seek attention! Pete and myself are getting quite good at giving night sky guides without any actual night sky!

[Moonshane]

Big thnx to Paul and the rest of the S@N team for a great talk on Saturday night. It was very interesting, entertaining and a welcome distraction from the clouds. Apologies for the back seat driver who was constantly butting in from behind you but that's life I guess.

I completely agree with you on this. I don't know who it was but it was incredibly rude. In all honesty I almost said something but didn't really want a slanging match in front of our speakers/guests.

it's nice to see that the SAN team are 'ordinary' (is there such a thing??) observers/astronomers like ourselves who have not seen everything and don't know everything (unlike the heckler).

[Rustmonkey]

I think it only fair to also give a big shout out to Daz and the lads who carried out the talks. Very interesting and worthwhile.

Thnx guys.

[haitch]

It was a great event, thanks to James and co for putting it together, and thanks also to everyone who allowed us to interview them! I think this will be part of a Sky at Night program that's going out in January 2013, and even though it was largely cloudy (and foggy!) we still got some good stuff! I have still to develop a like for camping however!

Best wishes,

-Paul.

Oh and Mr "I don't sketch the Sun" (quote from recent talk at Walsall Astro Society) rushing excitedly to get a pad and biro upon taking a look through my friend Alan's H- Alpha PST Sunday morning Nice prominence though wasn't it?

[Paul G. Abel]

Oh and Mr "I don't sketch the Sun" (quote from recent talk at Walsall Astro Society) rushing excitedly to get a pad and biro upon taking a look through my friend Alan's H- Alpha PST Sunday morning Nice prominence though wasn't it?

I didn't sketch the Sun, I sketched the prom.You should check these things ;-)

[Paul G. Abel]

I completely agree with you on this. I don't know who it was but it was incredibly rude. In all honesty I almost said something but didn't really want a slanging match in front of our speakers/guests.

it's nice to see that the SAN team are 'ordinary' (is there such a thing??) observers/astronomers like ourselves who have not seen everything and don't know everything (unlike the heckler).

Well I don't think it would work if we weren't Nice to see so many people like and support the program!

[Bellyeye]

Packing up the tent this morning was not fun! However the rest of the weekend most certainly was.

I agree with Rustmonkey - the imaging day talks were spot on - and the live view/capture/process of the sun was a great idea and very well executed (despite a couple of hiccups!)

I'm still chuckling at Mr Abels comment on Saturday night. I think it was the insinuation that he didn't really camp out at Kielder that made him "incandescent with rage"

Ha!!

[haitch]

I didn't sketch the Sun, I sketched the prom.You should check these things ;-)

Ok, ok... you sketched part of the Sun then or maybe, rather, an ex-part of the Sun.

It was good to see you guys camping with the rest of us though and not being divas demanding a helicopter shuttle service off to a posh hotel (then I guess S@N doesn't quite have the budget for that)

[Bellyeye]

@Moonshane - I'm sure you've gathered by now that packing up and getting out of there was the sensible thing to do.

Uplooker and I resembled drowned rats today.

[KerryAnn23]

@moonshane, I was the same wanting to say something to the no it all as I could hear everything he was saying with being at the front next to Pete Lawrence he really was bugging me, today's packing up certainly was no fun and now my tent is just thrown in the shed waiting for a dry day to clean and pack it away lol, can't wait to see the sky@night program as I was filmed twice and I bet I look like a right idiot, not that it will definately make the cut but blooming heck, I will be awaiting my jan2013 episode DVD to see lol :-))

[Bellyeye]

If this weekend has taught me anything it's that dew is of the devil and will not be controlled!!!!.

[Starman]

'twas great to see everyone at PSP12. I really enjoyed wandering around and interviewing some of you. A good audience for our impromptu tour of the night sky under total cloud too. I think it carried on for about 2 hours so well done to putting up with us!

[Starman]

As I have no signature on that last post and no identifier in my Avatar, I guess I should explain that i'm Pete Lawrence!

[stephenwilliamwatts]

Not much else to add but a big thanks to all the people that were involved in this years PSP. Even thought he weather was a big disappointment we found everyone to be extremely friendly and helpful. Will certainly be looking to come back next year and I promise to bring a tow rope next time!

Many thanks

Steve & Carolyn

[rory]

sounds like a good meet all round (bar a prize 1 heckler ) i really gotta bite the bullet and attend one of these starparties at some point . looks like it would be fun.

shame the weather didnt hold.

[Paul G. Abel]

Ok, ok... you sketched part of the Sun then or maybe, rather, an ex-part of the Sun.

It was good to see you guys camping with the rest of us though and not being divas demanding a helicopter shuttle service off to a posh hotel (then I guess S@N doesn't quite have the budget for that)

We all opted to be with everyone else- where's the point in going off to a cushy hotel. Got to be with everyone else and get the full experience!

[Jiggy 67]

'twas great to see everyone at PSP12. I really enjoyed wandering around and interviewing some of you. A good audience for our impromptu tour of the night sky under total cloud too. I think it carried on for about 2 hours so well done to putting up with us!

Unfortunately I missed that but everyone I spoke to really enjoyed it so well done at making the best of poor conditions

[NigelCampbell]

As I have no signature on that last post and no identifier in my Avatar, I guess I should explain that i'm Pete Lawrence!

In that case Pete, can I thank you for making the effort to shake my son's hand after his rocket launch. Since he's only 2 and you are not Peppa Pig he was perhaps not quite as impressed as I was but I certainly appreciate the gesture. (He won the under 16's category with that launch!)

[Glasspusher]

Had a great weekend, many thanks to the hard working team that made it happen. Could I please thank all those who took the trouble to attend my mirror grinding session, I was pleasantly surprised by the level of interest. Getting Paul Abel to try his hand at mirror grinding was interesting, thanks to him for having a go. Also thanks to Ruth (my wife) and Ian for helping with the fetching and carrying.

John

[Stu]

Fabulous weekend despite the weather. Really good to catch up with everyone again, I had a great time.

After having fallen asleep last year on the best night, I'm so glad I stayed up on Friday. Had a pretty good session Friday night between 2ish and 6am - couldn't quite believe what the time was when I checked. Felt like we could have carried on for a bit but bed was calling! Thanks for your company Shane, and the great views through your dob. Not sure I managed to convince you of the joys of refractors, but it was worth a go!

Saturday night was a bit of a wash out (or fog out should i say!) Got up at 5.45am finally and the skies were very clear, pointed the mak skyward and it dewed up in an instant, rubbish views and then the cloud rolled in. Interested to see if my scope makes it onto S@N with Paul pointing a hairdryer into it to try dry out the dew! ;-)

Sunday was a lovely day, and I spent much of it observing the wonderful looping prominence on the sun through the PST. It was an amazing sight, it was changing shape gradually over the course of the day, but then there were rapid observable changes in a matter of minutes, really good stuff. Paul, thanks for your company, was fun observing together.

From the sounds of it, I'm glad I packed up and headed for a warm bed on Sunday (after a lovely roast beef dinner :-))

Driving home this morning south this morning was a nightmare, heavy traffic, followed by a puncture on the M1, deep joy. Left at 6am, home at 11.30 :-(

Anyway, enough rambling. Thanks to James and the marshalls for the brilliant organisation and another fabulous event.

I shall definitely be there next year.

Cheers

Stu

[PaulB]

Hi Gang,

It was another great week-end and well worth getting damp and cold for. Thank you James, Paul, Angela and Richard for putting on another 1st class event.

My image of Jupiter and the views of the Sun are the highlights for me. Missing out on the only really good sky all week-end was a bummer.

I hope Stu get's that OMC 200 sorted. You have a good scope there once it's been modified.

Here's to PSP3 in 365 day's

Cheers.

[Spikey]

I'll add my thanks to James and the other members of the team, another great PSP.

Nice to get round to chat to a few people as my gear wasn't playing up after it's journey for a change.

As usual (why break the habit) I got stuck on the touring field coming in again so I'll pop over to UKAI and thank the mods over there for pushing me out again!!

Particularly enjoyed the S@N talk/banter on the Saturday night, there's always one !! actually make that several

Interesting point about the M1 pulsar that's got a couple of us thinking about how we can slow that down and capture it as a digital animation !

Kerry how on earth did you get that Dob back? I bet your Mum thinks you're starting a new circus act - Linden the human cannonball !

[Marcus daniel]

I also would like to thank James....great event.....so all in all....a good weekend was had, it was a shame about the weather....but it gave us time to do a bit of socialising....next door to your very own Dave from Admin...a nice guy....we enjoyed our chicken baguettes at some hour cant not remember.

Thanks guys for a good time

Marcus