Inkpen Stargazers

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STARGAZERS

January 2025

January’s long, dark nights offer fantastic opportunities to explore the night sky with a pair of binoculars, a telescope or even without any special equipment. Just don’t forget to get yourself warm, as the first month of the year brings chilly temperatures, occasional cloudy skies, and rainy days.

In January you’ll have the chance to observe a beautiful full Moon, Mars that will shine exceptionally brightly, and catch not one but two meteor showers.

For more detail click here. Please ignore all of the adds.

Our next meeting will be in mid to late January. Please keep an eye on this webpage for more information re the date and the agenda.

ABOUT US

We are just local enthusiasts, in awe of the spectacle of the night sky. We have come together in order to find out more about it. Some of us have our own telescopes, some want to do photos of the night sky, others want to simply look - see the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter. All we need is someone who can keep the rain and clouds at bay.

Learn More

An Inkpen pupil from the John O'Gaunt School was chosen to represent the UK at the US Space Camp in 1990. Just two youngsters, one under 16 and the other under 18, were chosen to represent the whole of the UK.

If you are at a local school and want to be involved in our stargazer group, do get in touch, see below.

EQUIPMENT

SeeStar S50

Thanks to the North Wessex Downs management, we have received funding allowing us to buy this state of the art piece of kit which takes amazing photos of deep sky objects.

Celestron NexStar 102SLT

A local resident has donated a Celestron NexStar 102SLT to the group. This provides an important additional resource for those new to astronomy.

SATURN

View Saturn for the first time through the telescope eyepiece. Yes, it really does look like that. It's real, but you've experienced it for yourself. Amazing isn't it!

UP CLOSE

Look at the moon up close and in such detail. See it as you've never seen it before, and watch it move - you won't believe how fast it moves across the sky!

Orion Nebula

It's 12,715,222,000,000,000km away but you can watch the image of it gradually appear on a mobile phone or laptop. Just so much to see. Breath taking!

Stargazing on the North Wessex Downs