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Macclesfield Astronomical Society
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The Keyhole nebula
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Impressions of Hardraw, February 24 - 26, 2006 ...

Our first of six visits to Hardraw in 2006 didn't quite live up to the high clear sky expectations set by previous visits. Nevertheless, we did manage to get nearly three hours (mainly naked-eye) observing to soothe our star-starved eyes ...

And when it did show itself in all its glory, what a wonderful, dark starry sky it was. The Milky Way arcing through Cassiopeia, into Perseus and beyond into Orion was striking and drew gasps from all those underneath it. More than a handful of sporadic meteors were also seen - much to the frustration of those who weren't facing in the right direction!

Then the clouds rolled in so we spent time watching two classic, but very different space-themed DVDs: Alien, and 2010 (The year we make contact). They must have been enjoyed because they kept most of those who attended our field trip awake until at least 0400 ...

We also gladly received two sets of visitors to Harris House - Chris and her husband (who joined us for a traditional fish and chip supper). Then shortly after, Angela and Derek Sherwin arrived having made the journey from Alsager, just for the Saturday evening - now that's what I call dedication. Although the sky was only clear on and off during the evening and into the night, both said it had definitely been worth traveling to see the majesty of a dark, rural sky. I, for one was thankful to hear such a positive response!

Here's a pictorial record of the weekend.

Andrew Greenwood

Click on an image to see a larger version.

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All wrapped up and ready to go
by Andrew Greenwood

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Oh, those wonderful stars
by Andrew Huggett

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The evil teacher teases his pupil
by Andrew Huggett

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Total solar eclipse imaging preparations
by Andrew Huggett

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Not many stars, but even the fruit was happy!
by Andrew Greenwood

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Will I dream?
by Andrew Greenwood

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Jupiter is no more ...
by Andrew Greenwood

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Lunch, anyone?
by Andrew Huggett

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ImageThe night sky awaits you ...

If you have not visited our Society before, why not come along?

If you've ever looked up at the starry night sky and been enthralled by what you've seen, we'll be more than happy to show you more and help you understand its beauty ...

Clear skies to all!

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Image Observing sessions
Would you like to join our newly formed visual observing group? We will now be holding regular observing sessions at some of our dark-sky sites across Macclesfield. If you would llike to be added to our contact list, don't delay ... Click here.
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Image Observing trips
For information on our observing field trips to Hardraw, Yorkshire ... Click here.
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Image MAS Workshop contributions
Our Workshops continue to be a great success. As a result we are looking for more of you to participate and give your own short presentations to Society members. Let us know if you'd like to get involved ... Click here.
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Header images courtesy of the Hubble Heritage Project