Coventry

[tregan219]

Does anyone know of any star parties going on in or around Coventry, where I live? If so, I would need transport. Plus I can't get a good night's observing where I am on my own. 

[Ant]

Not aware of any star parties in Coventry. It would be a little too light polluted for a star party.

There are a few. We do one in Hereford in the spring. There is one(two) in North norfolk in spring/Autumn. Then there is Kielder Star Party, this is a long way North, almost Scotland. There is also the PSP which is in the Peak District.

You might be lucky and find someone with a spare seat in the car. But I know from experiance that these events being 3 or 4 days/nights long there isn't much room left in the car once the scopes / camping gear is all in.

You might have more luck, if it's just an evenings viewing your after, to contact a local astronomy club and see if they have an open day coming up. But still be prepared to find your own way there and back, as you'll not know anyone the first time.

Cheers

Ant

[tregan219]

Cool. Making my way to places might be okay but getting back may be a problem if no transport is running at night and would probably need a place to stay overnight. I would need to make sure I would have enough travel money also.

[Ant]

You safety is the most important thing. So wherever you go make sure that you can get home by yourself.

You may get somehwere and find that there is no one to bring you home. You should always have a plan to get home under your own steam even if it means leaving early etc.

A club viewing evening will not be over night. A star party will be over one or more nights. You don't need to take a scope to either as there. Will almost certainly be ones you can look through (that's sort of the point of them to a degree), but getting there / somehwere to stay is going to be down to you.

At Kelling a few years ago there was a guy that arrived on a motorbike. With him he carried a small scope and the what can only be described as a sealed waterproof sleeping bag (no tent). My point is, there is always an way

Ant

[tregan219]

Yeah, not having any transport and being on my own doesn't really help with things like this. I do have a sleeping bag and a tent so if possible, I could camp out if the grounds allow it. But there is still the issue of finding how to get to the sites and back again.

[michaelmorris]

The problem you are going to have with attending star parties is that most people arrive with a car almost about to burst with stuff (camping gear, astro gear, beer, jaffa cakes etc., etc.), so getting a lift from someone else is often going to be problematic.

At Kelling Heath this year someone turned up in a taxi.  They had brought a quite a few bags (including a tent) with them on the train.  The answer would be to pack very light and buy food at the site.