Cumbria Star Party ??

[Revs]

As much as it pains me to say it, I'm simply not gonna have time to get over this weekend. The weather is looking really good though so have good weekend y'all

Clear skies!

[delilahtwinkle]

Never mind - If it is a success there will be a 2nd. I know, clear skies both nights. How lucky. Yipee.

Dt

[Demon Barber]

Well all i can say and i think without fear of contradiction is what a resounding sucess for an inaugral event!!!!!!! A big thankyou for all the hard work that Nina and friends put in and to top it all were blessed with clear skies of very good seeing both nights. Well the suns just coming up so off to bed for a couple of hours then up for bacon sarnies:hello2:well worth making the effort to attend,

Looking forward to many more,

Many thanks

Mike

[Albireo380]

What a great Star Party. Nina and Val made us very welcome and we had the added bonus of two clear nights. Sunshine and blue sky during the day, with a PST and a refractor with white light filter pointed at the Sun for much of the time. Plage, filaments and prominences galore!

Bacon butties and coffee in the morning, a local pub with a beer garden and local Hotel with good food. Good crowd at the Star Party at night - all very friendly.

Good skies at night and excitedly going from crisp object to crisp object through a variety of 'scopes, ranging from a 130P to a 15" Obsession Dob.

My own favourite? M81 and M82 in the same FOV, through my 14" Flextube GOTO with a 31mm Nagler, or Saturn through my new 10mm Ethos.

Tom

[Revs]

Sound like you guys had a great weekend, nice one

I look forward to some pics!

[barkis]

I'm so pleased this was a big success, and everyone enyoyed it.

A huge Well done to the organizer, it's never easy putting things together. I really hope it can be a regular event.

Ron.

[callisto]

Hope so cos I missed this one

[SpookyKatt]

I 'd like to add to whats been said and thank Nina and everyone

for a great star party. Lovely skies, lovely people and some

lovely sights made for a great weekend.

Many thanks for everything Nina, you deserve much credit for

the parties success and here's to many more !

Kathleen

[OutThereSomewhere]

Yup! A great 2 nights of astronomy. I learned lots from everyone who was there, & thanks to Nina of course for organising this. The bacon butties, coffee & biccies were a nice touch & everyone was so helpful & generous with advice. As the skies darkened, the wind died down on both nights, making for hours of peaceful observing - which flew past. I just don't know where the time went! Highlights for me were...

Seeing Saturn for the first time - amazing, particularly on the second night;

Seeing the sun through the PST (gotta have one of those!);

Seeing M81 & M82 for the first time. I'm about to see if I can do anything with the photos I took (just an unmodded DSLR & lens);

Seeing the ISS - another first for me. Plus a lovely bright Irridium flare that appeared, faded, then became bright again in what seemed to be slow motion;

Not to mention a tour of DSOs (thanks Kathleen!)

It was a great way to spend a weekend!

John

[Coco]

I'd like to thank Nina & Val for there wonderful hospitality, Nina you live in a great location, and you deserve putting on the star party map as a must visit!

I was amazed to see that I could have taken images from the Cassiopeia area in May! How fab is that! The horizon is very flat!

Thanks to all my new pals, what a great friendly bunch you all are, by the early hours of the morning I felt I had known you all a long time..

Thanks to Robbie for trying to sort my scope out... at least I got 'some' imaging done.. cheers bud

Highlights... have to be looking through 3 big dobs, with the Obsession & Naglers blowing me away on targets like M13 , Bodes M81/2 ... WOW

Ive learned a lot this weekend, friendship being the main one...

Perfect!

[stev74]

Firstly a big thanks to Nina for making the weekend possible, it was really nice to meet you, Val and some of your family. You made everyone feel welcome and the bacon butties were very tasty!!

I had an amazing weekend, with great company and great skies. It was really good to meet everyone who attended, with clear skies both nights and a wide variety of scopes I managed to see some stunning views.

Highlights for me were -

Resolving M13 to the core in Tom's 14" Dob through his TeleVue Ethos EP (First time looking through an Ethos) and countless other DSO's too many to list.

In Mikes 15" Obsession Dob seeing extra loops of nebulosity flaring out either side of M57 for the first time and then realising that I was also seeing a hint of colour, again another first!!

The views through the PST, seeing the ISS and the Iridium flare (as described by John) and the views of Saturn through my own scope were also great.

Thanks again everyone for a brilliant weekend!!

[delilahtwinkle]

Why oh why has it taken me a year to have the courage to hold this Star Party.

Never in my wildest dreams did I expect such a good weekend.

I also like Coco felt so comfortable with everyone right from the start. What a great crowd of people you all are. The sights I have seen this weekend through everyone's equipment has blown me away and too be honest just to see it all being used was great for me.

Thank you so much Tom, Steve, John and Kat for all your help with my scope, I probably in total took up a good couple of hours of your weekend, I apologise for this, but promise it is not all in vain, I am sure you will see a difference in my viewing by the time Kielder comes round.

I hope all the imaging people have been successful. I cannot wait to see the final result once you have worked your ever so talented magic.

This one is to everyone, Thank you for letting Val and I take a good long peek through your scopes, the views were tremendous and most objects were a 1st for Val and I. John, thanks for the battery I will replace it for you at Kielder.

Rob and Mike thanks for coming, I know it will take its toll on you both - full of admiration. Letting me waltz through the sky at 4.00am with your 15" Obsession was a real treat.

I am sorry if I have missed anyone out - my brain is a bit baffled - Val and I have just taken my tent down - You will all be pleased to hear I have just been given a 2 man tent off my brother for next time. Whoop Whoop.

This party must must happen again. I think you are all fantastic. Thank you again - ever grateful.

Nina.

[robbieince]

Hi all

I have to add my own huge thanks to DT for hosting this event - you did us proud, laying on lashings of coffee, delicious bacon buttys and even managing two wonderful clear nights.

One way to describe it would be "small but perfectly formed" - very friendly with loads of opportunity to observe socially for a change.

I was purely visual and enjoyed the views through others and my own scope (15 inch obsession through to 80mm vixen frac) all very impressive each in their own way.

Mike - your 15 inch obsession is a thing of beauty and when paired with top quality eyepieces like the 31mm and skies like this it is a sight to stir the heart and threatens to lighten the wallet.....

Also thanks to everyone else - one of the things I love about star parties is the opportunity to meet new like minded folks and to share the night experience with them - you are all stars.

Here's looking forward to the next one.

Thanks again DT it was brilliant!

[LongJohn54]

A big thank you from me too. Had two great nights viewing. DT's a great host and there was no shortage of tea, coffee and bacon butties to be had.

The only lowlight for me was the diagonal failing and dropping the 14mm Radian and Meade 3x TeleExtender to the ground. Close inspection at home reveals no marks at all so very lucky there.

I'll be there next time. There will be a next time DT?

[Daniel-K]

Hi guys sounds like you had fun I had my scope at flookburgh not too far from you the sky was awesome wish I had come up will come to the next one though as long as it's not may bank holiday ( wife's birthday )

[Coco]

Unfortunately my scopes a bit dodgy and am in the process of having it sorted ... here are 2 targets from last night with no dark file or flats... I want to give an impression of how good Val's site it without these files..

... One for Nina & One for Val... thanks again Ladies...

Veil Nebula NGC 6960 ( Thanks also Rob)

Easy targets from Val's back yard

M81 & M82 Bodes Nebula

[Albireo380]

Wow, good ones Coco. that really was a good dark sky, wasn't it.

I particularly like the M81/M82 image - as I had these nicely framed in the 31mm Nagler, using my 14" Flextube Goto.

Nina and Val will remember the view at the eyepiece.

Tom

[delilahtwinkle]

Hi Everyone,

I would just like to say how pleased I am with all the fabulous reports. We must all do it again sometime. Val and I had a cracking time with you all. Just let me if you think a good time is on the horizon and we can all meet up again.

I forgot to thank both the Rob's for fixing my finder and for the beer. Thanks to you both.

Speak soon

Nina

[LongJohn54]

Nice images Coco.

Here's a 360 degree view of the observing site created in MS Ice

and a few photos of us setting up camp and the full size 360 view.

Cumbria Star Party - a set on Flickr

[a10ken]

Looks and sounds like i missed a belter!!

[stev74]

Just thought I'd add a few pics from the weekend - some of the scopes on show and the best Saturn image that I got on the Sunday night.

(Please remember that I'm only just starting out with webcam imaging but I'm quite pleased with this one!! )

[robbieince]

Hi all

Here are a few of my own piccies and a quick startrails shot. The site enjoys nice low horizons and little light polution.

The startrails was a result of 5 minutes exposures at 800 ISO on a canon 350D (unmodded) - no filters...

Thanks again DT

[SpookyKatt]

Great shots everyone.

[OutThereSomewhere]

As a newbie, I'm still gaining confidence with astrophotography and my GOTO mount. After some work, I think I managed to slew to Bootes...

[Albireo380]

As a newbie, I'm still gaining confidence with astrophotography and my GOTO mount. After some work, I think I managed to slew to Bootes...

Pity you didn't get my good side.

Tom