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Astrocamp Spring
2014
I would never have thought that Astrocamp would become part of my
regular yearly trips list….but here we were with four events under our
belts! This was the first time I arrived a couple of days early, as the
Astrocamp dates actually fell on the weekend preceded by the school
holidays. So my son and I decided to extend our camp by a couple of
I was really happy to be able to get a great capture of
The social events were soon underway with a full
days and so glad we did...for many reasons! Suffice to say we were
Mars with my DSLR, 127 Mak and 2x Barlow through
itinerary of fabulous activities…kicking off with a
not alone and were greeted by old friends that we had made at pre-
a gap in the cloud!
DSLR Astrophotography and wide field imaging
vious camps.
We arrived to glorious sunshine and clear skies in the hope that they
would continue into the night. We were not disappointed and the
minute Jupiter appeared dazzling in the dusk…the scopes were already
out and poised ready! The weather forecast leading up to the weekend
had been a little bleak and social media frenzy had led to much specu-
“ Mars with my DSLR, 127 Mak
and 2x Barlow through a gap in the
cloud!
”
lation as to how much we would be able to observe over the weekend
so we were grateful when the following evening meant we had views
of the stars and planets yet again. Just in case, we set up a gazebo
nearby and used it for shelter and social retreat and as more early
arrivals appeared it was beginning to feel more like Astrocamp was
really approaching!
Astro Nerds June 2014
The next morning saw the arrival of the organisers
and Astrocamp was officially underway!
Unfortunately many arrivals on the Saturday were
greeted by rain and howling gales and that soon
meant that any hopes of clear skies were being
drowned out…literally. Many astrocampers were
out helping new arrivals pitch tents in dreadful conditions but the camaraderie kept spirits high and
the anticipation of a great weekend, despite the
weather, was evident in the excited buzz around
the camp.
demonstration from Pat ( @physicist13 ) huddled
under the gazebo during intermittent rain!
An unfortunate turn in the weather meant that
as the wind got stronger and the rain heavier…
any hopes of setting up the marquees on the
common (the central hub of the camp) were
dashed. Many campers retreated to the local pub,
whilst others sheltered in their tents or gazebos.
A few made the most of the gazebo placed from
the night before in a temporary position next
to our pitch. This meant that the curry we had
planned between a few of us from the previous
Astro Nerds June 2014