A weekend of stars, scenery and great company.
By Sonia Turkington
There is something special about packing up your astronomy kit and heading out with fellow enthusiasts for a whole weekend of stargazing. Being a new member of the Society I was very much looking forward to this trip away.
Friday Evening: Arrival, Chippy Tea And A Sky That Delivered.
For the accommodation we had the choice of either staying at the Guide House or elsewhere. Myself and a couple of other members stayed nearby at an Airbnb in Moelfre.
We dropped our bags off then made our way to the Guide House to get acquainted with everyone and the facilities.
We set up the telescopes in hope that the skies would clear. Then we all gathered around the table for a chippy tea – the perfect start to a weekend away.
What followed was one of the most breathtaking night skies many of us have seen in a long time. Some members busied themselves imaging. Others took turns at the 12” Dobsonian or enjoyed sweeping the sky with binoculars. Jason guided people to objects of interest and brought out the mirror to give us floating stars before our eyes – a delight for us all. I simply stood in awe, whilst my Smartscope quietly worked beside me.
Constellations were easy to pick out:
Orion was bold and unmistakable with the Orion Nebula available for enjoying through the telescopes and for imaging.
Gemini with Castor and Pollux shining clearly.
Cassiopeia’s familiar W.
Ursa Major and Minor clear to the north.
Venus glowed brilliantly in the late evening and Jupiter dominated the heavens with its steady brightness, the bands and four moons clearly visible through the telescope.
I even managed to capture the milky way on my smartphone, using 4 minutes on astro mode, a little victory that felt huge for me in the moment.
It was wonderful to see everyone outside, enthusiastic, curious and completely absorbed in the night sky.
After a long observing session, the cold eventually nudged us indoors and off to bed.
Saturday Morning: Breakfast And Walks.
Saturday began with a varied and delicious breakfast, clearly prepared with a lot of care. Myself and two other members were on the rota for cleaning and washing up, which we tackled together before the days adventures.
We split-up into groups: those on the short walk headed out to the beach and back, whilst others opted for a longer walk along a coastal path.
I chose the long walk which was from Llanelian to Amlwch Port (maybe 5 miles there and 5 miles back) possibly a bit more! The terrain shifted between boggy and dry, but the scenery was stunning throughout and the weather was perfect with the apricity. We couldn’t have asked for better weather. We stopped for lunch at a café called Skye’s before making our way back to the car and returning to the Guide House.
Saturday Evening: Food, Music And Good Company.
Saturday evening was filled with music, chatting and laughter. As a new member, it was lovely to spend time with getting to know everyone properly.
Dinner was a selection of ready meals from Cook chosen a week before we went. The mains were accompanied by rice, salad and broccoli and the desserts with a choice of custard, cream or ice cream. It was all delicious. A big thank you to the cooks who did a tremendous job of getting all the meals ready at the same time to eat.
The weather wasn’t as kind to us that night. The clouds had rolled in giving us the odd clear spell. But, honestly it didn’t matter. The warmth of the group, the conversations and the shared enthusiasm for astronomy made the evening just as enjoyable. Eventually we called it a night.
Sunday morning we had breakfast, cleaned and tided up the Guide House, and went our separate ways.
It was for me, a weekend to remember, full of stars, fresh air, great food and great company.
A huge thank you to Phil Brocklebank and Susie Busby for organising the trip, to Jason Woolley who prepared and set up the society telescopes and mirror, and to everyone else who cooked, cleaned and contributed to making this trip enjoyable.
Here’s to many more nights under dark skies together.