Autumn 2005

The 3rd Kielder Forest Star Camp experienced both rain and shine (8 to 11 September).

Clear skies were at a premium, with only a good hour or so on the Saturday night to write home about. Even so, newbie star campers were able to glimpse a rare spectacle in UK skies--the Milky Way shining brightly through the clouds on the first night. Meanwhile, Sunday night offered poor transparency, but spectacular seeing conditions, producing a stunning view of Mars through a 14" Meade.

Heavy rain all Friday raised the spectacle of the previous year's flooding, but thankfully the day-time weather got back on course with a spanking Sunday. With two sunny days, it was a good event for solar observers.

The main day was another success, with a plethora of vendors. They included Atik and Artemis cameras for the first time, along with star camp regulars like Rother Valley, Greenwich, Cape and House of Optics. Talks by Sir Arnold Wolfendale and Owen Brazell were packed and two beginner's presentations also drew good crowds.

This year for the first time we also had a couple of talks on the Friday, delivered by star camp veterans Mike Dickson (astro-photography) and Paul Buglass (meteorites).