Our Dark Skies Advisor, Steve Tonkin, has exciting news…
Deep partial solar eclipse
On 12 August there is a 95% solar eclipse visible from the British Isles. For our location it starts just after 6:15pm, is maximum an hour later, and ends an hour after that. You’ll need a low western horizon if you want to see the whole thing. Many of our local astronomy clubs will be organising safe viewing events – see gostargazing.co.uk for more information.
If you want to see it without going to a public event, please be careful. Don’t look directly at the sun and never use any optical equipment that isn’t specifically designed for solar observing: you only have one set of eyes! You can get safe solar eclipse glasses from reputable astronomy suppliers; ensure that they carry a CE mark and are certified for ISO 12312-2:2015. Don’t use them with any optical instrument.
…then come back a couple of hours later for:
A natural lightshow
The Perseid Meteor Shower, which has already begun, peaks on the same night. Meteor (shooting star) showers are generally best after midnight (but it’s worth looking from about 9:30pm) and, weather permitting, you should be treated to a good display. To whet your appetite, here’s a nice bright meteor I caught with my meteor camera:
So how do you take advantage of this free lightshow? You don’t need any special equipment: meteor observing is best done with your naked eye. Take yourself as far away from bright light as you can, with a mat or chair to keep you off the chilly ground, and a rug or coat to keep you warm. It’ll take about 20 minutes for your eyes to fully adapt to the darkness, so avoid using torches or phones if you can.
Look at the sky near the zenith (the point directly overhead) because it is here that the sky is most transparent and furthest from light pollution on the horizon, so you will be able to see fainter meteors. Being in an International Dark Sky Reserve also helps!
Share the event with others, maybe with warm drinks and cake or biscuits to keep yourselves both warm and social. If you sit around in a circle, everyone will be looking at a slightly different bit of sky, so you can share and compare. Who will be the first to see a meteor?