How about a Witney group?

[Pix333]

Been stargazing for sometime now and can find my way round the night sky and would love for a witney group to start, As i have been in an out of hospital over the past couple of years and traveling at the mo is difficult for me, had a good thing going in the back garden untill both neabours installed security lights, put pay to long exposures and the old phrase "use it or loose it" i am finding to be true as i recently had a look and are begining to forget where things are and i had a good knowlage so i would be gratefull to meet with people in witney to re-kindle my hobby and intrest as i enjoy this so much and to pick up some tips with like minded people would be great...

[sanmatt]

You'd be very welcome, there's a a good dozen or so of us in the Witney group that go out as much as we can.

We tend to arrange things on Facebook, under the group name of The Witney Astro Telescopes Society

[sanmatt]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/295283443875515/

[Razorbill]

Hello Witney astronomers!

As a non-FB user, and a total beginner at all this, I wonder whether you could post any meeting dates/times/venues on here so I can come along, watch & learn, and generally get in the way?

My equipment currently consists of a pair of 12x50's, a few copies of Sky at Night and a red torch, so I'm clearly in need of a 'scope. Anyone got one for sale?

David

[sanmatt]

Certainly will and you'd be very welcome to come out with us

Generally we get out as and when we can, some of. Us work nights, some of us are shattered working and chasing toddlers around and so it can be hit n miss when we'd actually get out. We tend to stay around some good places in Witney or go to the rollrightstones in chippy for special nights.

[Razorbill]

Having eventually bought a new (first) scope (Sky Watcher 127...) I decided yesterday evening (Aug 26th) to try and set it up. Forecast was okay'ish, and I managed to get part the way there. Bit cloudy really!

Anyway, I took it to a site which I think might be a reasonable place for observing. It's the access road leading to the 'Technical Centre' (used to be where all the BT masts were, now F1) just outside and to the west of Leafield.

It's high up giving excellent views East, South & West, reasonable North. Very little nearby light pollution. There's plenty of space for parking each side of the access road, and the grass verge is flat & level. (Easy to look at on Google Earth).

If we get a cloud free night this Tuesday (Aug 28th) I'll probably go there again to complete my set-up. The moon's a bit bright though!

If anyone wishes to respond to this...I'm not on facebook! It'll have to be on here. Sorry!

David C