A few beginners in Redhill/Reigate looking for guidance!

[stu640]

Evening - so I just got a telescope for my birthday last week (Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 - lucky me!). I haven't had much luck finding local expertise to help get me started following a request on the well connected Redhill Reigate Parent Network on Facebook, except to find a number of mums either with telescopes they don't know how to use, or mums wanting to get their kids interested. Although I'm reading loads and picking up tons of theory, I don't have the know how to lead a group of other amateurs. Then I found SGL and it seems from some of the posts on this Forum that there might be a few people locally who know what they're talking about! 

So, do any of you from the Redhil/Reigate area meet often to stargaze and would you mind a couple more people tagging along to learn and gain experience that we can take back to the other newbies here?

Help, advice and pointers would be much appreciated - thank you!

Stuart

[Relpet]

Stuart

Guildford Astronomical Society always welcome new members even at my - very elementary - level.  Have a look at their website and you will see they have occasional stargazing meetings where anyone is welcome and where you will find, as I did, experienced members with their 'scopes set up and ready to demonstrate and describe.  The first time I went I was shown Jupiter and four moons, Orion Nebula, the twin stars of Castor and a gibbous Venus, all in 20 minutes, from the well-known beauty spot of Newlands Corner.  Crawley also has an astronomical society, founded by Patrick Moore, so there is help and advice near you.  I hope you find the help you're looking for.

[ronin]

Suspect as Relpet says Guildford is the likely best option.

They seem to have a few meetings including sort of come along and learn and come along and we'll try to fix your problem nights.

If I recall Astro-Baby is actually in Redhill, or very close.

Maybe she will read this or you could try a PM asking about clubs. She will know the various ones. I think she goes occasionally to Guildford often to help them out and to help fix problems at the problem fixing nights.

http://www.astronomyclubs.co.uk/Clubs/Default.aspx?CountyId=68

[jam1e1]

Hi Stuart welcome to join next time we head out to meet , also from same area

[Relpet]

Yes, Stuart.  Ronin's post reminded me that the membership secretary of Guildford AS lives in Redhill.  Get in touch - it can only be helpful.

[Astro_Baby]

Well the weather has been atrocious of late for viewing - we used to meet up near Dorking but no one seems to have posted for some time.  Keep an eye here and if we ever get a decent night of viewing people will post up and give you a location as to where we are meeting.

I have hardly used my kit in almost two years due to weather and work/family commitments.

[swamp thing]

HI Stuart

Haven't posted much in here for a while as getting meetings going has been tough,  trying to organise a night everyone can meet up on has proved a little difficult. This coupled with the weather has made it a non starter of late.

Lets hope we can get something going again. Maybe some time next week if we can agree on a night?

[stu640]

Hi all,

Sorry, I hadn't spotted all these replies till just now! I'm very much up for meeting up if anyone is going out. I'm hoping I can be flexible though it very much depends on when my boys get into bed (they don't like sleeping) and whether my wife is working.

There's supposedly a couple of reasonable windows of opportunity coming up in the next few days. I'm certainly interested in finding out where the best local spots are. I suffer from a pretty enclosed garden, street and surrounding house lights and the glow of Gatwick, so I need to travel. I was thinking of recceing Earlswood Lakes...

Stuart

[JonC]

I am going to go to the next meeting of the Croydon group, they seem to be pretty active, there is a bunch on their forum that goes out looking for darker sites, and has impromptu meets.