SDAS Observing session on Friday 21.8.09 Southside

dbran

Hi

Just thought if anyone is interested there will be an observing session in Dublin/Wicklow mountains this evening in Ballyraemon comon near the sugarloaf (weather permitting).

Beginners are very welcome and bring your scopes or binos or just yourselves and your two eyes:).

Meet at 9pm at Heally's pottery just off the main N11 road at Kilmacannogue about 1.5 killometers on the Roundwood Road.

See you there.

PM for details

dbran

dr strangelove

Hi, we saw your post about 10pm on Friday so we missed the meet up (didn't stop us driving around the Wicklow mountains for 4 hours trying to find the site though!)
Do you lot do this sort of thing often? i had a look at SDAS website but couldn't find anything about meet-ups in the future. but we would be keen to get out and see some stars n' stuff

dbran

Hi Strangelove

Sorry to hear that you were driving around the mountains.

Usually if there are clear skies forecast there is a very good chance that some of us will be heading up to the site. But it is very impromtu at the moment. We may just put a post up here or on www.irishastronomy.org if it is going ahead on that evening.

The site itself is off the beaten track and away from the main road and lights. It is not easy to find unless you have been shown it previously.

We meet at 9pm at Heally's pottery just off the main N11 road at Kilmacannogue. If you are coming from Dublin down the N11, you come off the main road at Kilmacannogue and take the road signposted for Glendalough or Roundwood. (You go right over the bridge). About a kilometer down the road you come to a bend where there is a lay-by. This is where we wait for people to meet up.

We usually head off by 9.10 to the site. Unless we know you are coming we don't usually wait around after that. Clouds wait for no man or woman u know!!!

See the thread re last weekend here. http://www.irishastronomy.org/cms/forum?func=view&catid=11&id=80409#80463 There was plenty of stuff to be seen.

Maybe we will see you next time out.

Kind Regards

Dbran

Calibos

Southbound on the M50. Just after Kilmacannogue Petrol Station on your left you drive up the off-ramp, round a little roundabout and across the flyover. On the otherside of the flyover go left up the Rocky Valley Road. Eventually you'll see a layby on your right at Healy's Pottery. If you miss us there keep going up the Rockyvalley road, bear left at the fork and drive all the way up till you are out onto the Roundwood road Plateau, ie. The long straight stretch. Keep an eye on your left for the road up behind the Sugarloaf. Do not take this left, its just a marker that the entrance to the site is coming up on your right. Metal Gates and cattle grate. Keep driving down the bendy up and down dirt track and bear left at a fork in the track. Keep driving and you'll eventually see us parked up on the grass.

All our sessions are pretty impromptu because of the Irish Weather. Nothings for certain till about 2 hours or so before the proposed meetup time when we decide, Yay or Nay. The only thing for certain is that we won't be up there a week either side of Full Moon but quite often we'll make the best of nights even if the waxing/waning moon is present.

The dark skies are a bonus but we have a bit of craic and chat anyway which makes group observing much better than solo, so even though the moon might be up and we're not going to get those dark dark skies, we'll often head up anyway.