Previous Club Meetings

★ Ceres at Opposition

Saturday, 06 July 2024
23:50 - 00:15

Dwarf planet Ceres will reach opposition on tonight. It will be quite low down in the south-eastern sky and will lie slightly above the bright star Ascella in the constellation of Sagittarius.

We need to the park to remain unlocked! If it's not possible to view Ceres tonight, we'll reschedule it for the following weekend.

★ Spica & The Moon Conjunction

Sunday, 16 June 2024
21:45 - 22:15

The Moon (70% waxing gibbous) will be in conjunction with Spica, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo. Spica is located close to the ecliptic, so this conjunction is not a rare occurrence, but it'll be nice to see nonetheless given the ideal weather conditions.

Image credit: JM (TRAC)

Image showing Spica close to the Moon - 16 Jun 2024 22:05 BST.

★ Spring Constellations Recap

Friday, 24 May 2024
21:30 - 23:30

The weather forecast is looking mixed so we might have to adjust our plans. Sadly, it's one of those nights where we might be looking at clouds rather than stars. There are a few admin tasks we need to do at some point so tonight could be a good time to get that out of the way.

We have the ISS coming over at 22:13 and it'll be the final chance we'll get to see it until it returns in a few months' time. It's a full moon, though it can only be seen at its best after midnight.

🌔 80% Moon, The Plough & Polaris

Saturday, 18 May 2024
21:30 - 23:30

The weather forecast isn't great, so we'll aim to check out the Moon, which is at 80% illumination, and look straight up above us to see The Plough. It's the most famous asterism, but what most people don't know is that it contains more stars than first meets the eye!

The ISS will also pass overhead at 22:25. Plus, more constellation artwork awaits!

Image credit: MK (TRAC)

Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights)

Saturday, 11 May 2024
After 22:00

If you go outside and look north after 10 p.m. this weekend, you might be lucky enough to see the Northern Lights, an extremely rare sight in Rainham!

On Friday night, we were treated to beautiful pink and green bands across the northern sky. Tonight and tomorrow night might see a repeat of this unique and mesmerising phenomenon.

Just look north towards the river; no special equipment is needed!