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Hello From Holloway, Derbyshire


Derbyshire Dave

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A few years ago, before my interest in Astronomy, we wanted to camp at Kelling Heath. We'd stopped there before, but were told that there were no free pitches over the weekend, but that we could come Monday to the next Friday. When we turned up we found that most of the pitches had strange, skyward pointing apparatus, and that we had stumbled on a Star Party!

Everyone was really helpful, and free with letting us look at through their gear, and even at this stage found that terms like Double Cluster started to stick in my mind. (Evidently it has nothing to do with chocolate confectionary!)

 

Fast forward a few years, and our bird group was visited by Mark Eustace of Chesterfield Astronomical Society. Mark was brilliant, and got the whole group really interested in astronomy generally, and well overran his time slot! Nobody complained!

 

Last April my niece's boyfriend, asked me if I wanted to borrow his  6 inch Skywatcher reflector on an EQ3 mount, a they had no room for it at his flat.

 

I was immediately fascinated, and spent night after night learning the sky and using the scope. It must be said that I did experience a very high incidence of cloudy nights though. Last November I joined Chesterfield Astronomical Society and visit regularly.

 

I often thought about Kelling though, and returned to Kelling Heath in September 2016 was just wonderful, and met the EMSG crew, who were very friendly, and very helpful.

 

Bought an 8 inch Altair reflector, and a Vixen Mount, so am raring to go, and waiting for those even darker skies. Lets hope for less cloud than last year. Have just signed up for the Dark Sky membership, and looking forward to going to the Belper Site

 

 

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A warm welcome to EMS Dave, a nice intro there. I am glad that you are well on the way with your journey in Astro, you have a great scope there and it should keep you occupied for a good while.

Catch up with you soon at Belper all being well. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask away and someone will be along to help out. Clear Skies mate.

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Welcome to EMS Dave. :)

 

What is your sky like in Holloway? I suspect there is minimal light pollution.

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Hi,

 Thanks for all of the welcomes! Looking for to meeting you guys at the Belper Dark Site.

  Couldn't resist, had a drive up there to have a look, in the daytime. Site looks really good, open and high.

   Do you guys just go for the night, or do you camp over? Just asking because we have camped a few times at Packhouse Farm campsite, which is about halfway between the Dark Site and the Bear at Alderwasley, on that main road. Small cheapish site with no showers, but we've always liked it.

Hi Tweedledee. 

  Skies in Holloway are quite good, but the view from my house has a streetlight straight outside. I can hide this quite well when the leaves are on the trees.

   When they're gone, have been down to Cromford Meadows quite a lot, which although low down is very open with good views in all directions.

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21 hours ago, Derbyshire Dave said:

Hi Tweedledee. 

  Skies in Holloway are quite good, but the view from my house has a streetlight straight outside. I can hide this quite well when the leaves are on the trees.

   When they're gone, have been down to Cromford Meadows quite a lot, which although low down is very open with good views in all directions.

 

Talk nicely to the council and they might put a shield on the streelight for you.

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