Monday 14 March 2016

Starlearner @ The Norman Lockyer Observatory

A good day on Saturday at the Norman Lockyer Observatory, Sidmouth - 
Meeting up with Starlearners as they wrote up their controlled assessments.
Well done to Theo, Africa and Rosanna for your efforts and Kathleen for your support -
Good to meet up with Radio Astronomers, Chris (seen in the 'office'), Ian and Clive.  
An impressive show of the meteor spotting that is carried out at the Observatory -

Tuesday 8 March 2016

Northern Lights success!

Our cruise, as Guest Speaker, on board Magellan - Land of the Northern Lights was very successful.  The Northern Lights performed.  It was such a privilege to be asked by Cruise and Maritime Voyages to give talks on Astronomy and meet so many wonderful people.  Thank you to Cruise Director Jon and the team.  Jon's enthusiasm for seeing the Northern Lights was fantastic and he maintained his 100% success rate of seeing them on Cruise and Maritime Voyages!  Great fun!

Christina, who ran brilliant craft sessions with Isabel, made us laugh with her email to us today:-
Well they say you never appreciate what is on your doorstep and last night I found that to be true.
My Son came in at 10:45 last night and asked if I’d looked out of the window...Now who looks out of the window on a cold night at that time I ask you?...Ooops sorry...You do David! He proceeded to open the curtains to show me a faint green tinge to the sky...Come on Mam get your coat on we are going to the beach! Well I was wrapped up with more clothes than I wore in the Arctic Circle and off we went in the car half a mile to the local beach and there in the blackness of the sky was an amazing display of the Aurora Borealis. Colours from green to purple, pink and blue but unfortunately by the time we got the cameras (my cheap one and my Son’s hugely more expensive one) set up most of the colours had diminished.




The shooting star in the last one just is amazing!  Well done Christina.  One of the brilliant advantages of living in Northumberland.