21st September and it’s the first public astronomy session of the season. Located at the Sportsman pub, on Redmires Road, West of Sheffield, we had lots of visitors. Importantly though, we had a clear sky!
We set up in the daylight as the sun went down. As the sky darkened we were able to show people Jupiter and Saturn low in the Southern sky. Darker still, there were star clusters, gas clouds, a planetary nebula and even a galaxy or two.
The evening wasn’t without problems though, being the first session of the season. Despite rigorous checks being carried out on the equipment, two of the telescopes decided they would throw a wobbly. This didn’t deter people, and we even had some non-members bring their telescopes along. We were able to give them some good pointers on how to use them.
The thin veil of cloud that descended eventually thickened to the point of obscurity. By ten pm we decided to pack up. For a first session of the season, it was pretty good. If you weren’t there, it’s a pity, but we hope to see you at the next one.
