wakefield area

[Sammyb]

Yep, wall to wall clear skies were forecast for tonight. You would think they would get a 24 hour forecast right!!

Yes its strange. That clear night was forecast about a week in advance. I was looking at the sky thinking how clever when they can predict that. Then I saw clouds on the horizon and thought it would just pass over - next thing - complete cloud cover. I kept thinking it would clear up and kept checking but no! Then I looked at the met office forecast and its still saying clear all night. Unbelievable.

it was actually just above zero degrees in my garden last night but it felt REALLY cold. It felt colder last night than a few weeks ago when it got down down to -6. Must have been the breeze.

[Tasape]

Hi guys when is the next meeting if I can I'd like to pop over as there is no social group near me

[Sammyb]

Welcome Tasape - welcome to join in although we've not had much luck recently.

Sam

[Tasape]

Tell me about it had the scope 3 weeks and I haven't been able to use it yet

[dean w]

Had my new mount since christmas and only got to get 1star alined that was the outher night when we nearly froze

[Nephalem]

Hi Guys, I'm a total newb and looking to get a scope with a view to doing astrophotography in the future. I am Ossett based and wondered if it was ok to join with you guys on an evening ?

[stonemonkeylives]

Welcome to the forum, and I think speak for everyone when I say the more the merrier. I would say you should subscribe to this thread as meet up's can be quite short notice.

sent from Gherkin Muncher mk .III (commonly known as a Galaxy S2)

[Twilight]

It does seem we had more clear nights in the summer than this winter. What happened to those winters when you could follow Orion around the sky a lot of the nights??

[crashtestdummy]

im crossing everything for a decent spring to get all the virgo galaxies bagged and atleast another 100 herschel's but people keep buying new scopes for the cloud god to punish us for

[Twilight]

And I recently changed my car with a good sunroof so I wouldn't freeze. I was changing it anyway, but that's not the point ;-)

[Soupy]

Looks like we are building a nice group up. Next week might be possible lets aim for one night and see what it looks like a few days either side. I think we could try Emley moor mast again to see if it meets expectations. But will only be decent if you are looking for southern skies.

[crashtestdummy]

managed 20 mins in the garden tonight before the clouds rolled in and it showed me hpow Rubbish my local skies are compared to a proper dark site!!im going to try and get upto sutton bank once a week.have added you on twitter btw @richgill77

[Nephalem]

looking at the light pollution map would somewhere left of Barnsley on the A628 be suitable ?

http://www.avex-asso.org/dossiers/pl/uk/index.html

[MarkMayf]

If it hasn't been cloudy it's been windy recently! Getting right on my wick!

[crashtestdummy]

Theres a decent place out near winscarr resevoir just off the A628

[dean w]

Don't quote me on this but looking at the light polution map on the link above the dark spot between leeds huddersfield and manchester is the view from emly moor mast light behind you dark infront

[dean w]

I would be up for a meet sometime next week

[mapstar]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to the site and been reading this thread for a couple of days now. I'd like to join in when another meet is arranged as i'm not far from wakefield being about a 5min drive from new millar dam area.I've not bought a scope yet but in the process of looking.

Damian

[Soupy]

just added you to twitter crash.

love the map. it does look better from the map at emley moor also so it wasnt just wishful thinking. want to go to some darker skies though would somewhere in the peak district be closer than sutton bank/ and does anybody know of anywhere that direction

[Soupy]

Damian welcome and feel free to join us its great to get lots of us together, and if the weather is not great we can always chat at a pub somewhere nearby.

[mapstar]

Thanks Soupy, I definitely will do.

I'd have thought that windscar reservoir would be good as when you drop down to dunford bridge and up the hill there is the entrance road to the pennine sailing club and a little car park on the left. I've done quite a bit of cycling around that neck of the woods and it is quite remote but obviously only in the daylight so would have to check it out for myself and let you all know.

[crashtestdummy]

I went out to winscarr once but the moon was out so didnt get a good indication but its in a hollow so whpuld be quite clear of light pollution but doesnt offer flat horizons

[mapstar]

Ooooops didn't think of that crash just proves i'm a novice I guess.

[Soupy]

sounds good Damian, another possible dark sky! excellent

[Sammyb]

What about Wooley Edge? I heard the skies were quite good there?