The Cape Society
Oct
- Wed 28 Nov 2012
- Stargazing
- The November Manor will be a long hard look at heavenly bodies (nowhere near the Western Bar).
- Meet in Holyrood 9A, Holyrood Road between 7:30 and 8pm. Night skies permitting, we'll leave for Holyrood Park at 8pm. Guests welcome.
- Report
- Three Knights (Martin, Colin and Steve) and one guest (Kevin) met in Holyrood 9A around 7:30pm and sampled some Joker I.P.A. and wheat beer before heading out in to the cold night in the direction of Holyrood Park. We were armed to the teeth with hats, scarves, gloves and, most importantly, binoculars. It was a fine night, disturbed only by a plethora of bad Uranus jokes. The moon was full and Jupiter was clearly visible by its side. We’d like to think Dez was aware of all this when he suggested the Manor but we suspect it was pure luck. One downside of a full moon is its brightness makes stars more difficult to see but Knights and guest agreed visibility of the full moon was ample upside. So did the few couples we met who were out for a romantic stroll through the moonlight. The Cape crew stopped around Haggis Knowe where the first debate over which was the North Star (Polaris) began. Kevin and Martin supplied the night-sky maps with funky phone technology and Kevin dispelled any doubts about it’s location with the help of the Sky Walk application. We went on to pick out others such as Betelgeuse and discussions, all-space-embroiled, ensued. These included chat on the Hubble-replacement telescope Kevin eventually discovered was named the James Webb Telescope. Knights returned to the warmth of Holyrood 9A where Colin went all Shakespearean by drinking Tempest beer. Three rounds later, Knights went their separate ways and dissolved into the starry night. Next time, we’ll take a tripod in an effort to overcome shaky starscapes! (Speak to Knights or guest in attendance to find out more about the dogging and what Colin saw through the window through his binoculars!)
