Wolverhampton Observing Weekend 13 held at Brow Farm was its usual fun event. Although damp this year, it failed to dampen the spirits of those who attended to do some astronomy in a far less light polluted location than Wolverhampton!
It was unique this year for many reasons.
Event Tent.
The “Event Tent” was rolled out this year at WOW. A group of members chipped in to purchase a large (very large!) Tent to provide a social space. We didn’t manage to fill it, but we had 14 people sitting in it in comfort on Friday evening. Cosy and dry! It provided a warm (we had a heater!) space to gather everyone together to have a social evening when it was raining outside.
One of the reasons for having the WOW events is to allow members to see and use other people’s equipment, but also to consolidate the social aspect of the Society. Being a member of any society is not just about following your hobbies or pastimes – it is about making friendships and creating memories. Rather than having isolated groups of people in tents/campervans it provides a space for people to gather and talk and be sociable. It proved itself to be very successful! Come and try it for yourself at WOW 14!
It also proved a popular place to retire to when ‘rain stopped play’ with suitable lighting to prevent loss of dark-adapted eyes!
Grainge also gave Sheri a masterclass in processing files from her SeeStar. We were all so impressed that we want him to do a society presentation.
Sunday Lunch.
This year we went to the Stiperstones Inn for a group Sunday lunch. The Inn is a short drive from the campsite, and well worth it for the welcome, the beer and the food.
We were made to feel most welcome and had an excellent Sunday lunch for 13!
P Mount Completed
The event also marked the completion of the final P mount, which was started in a summer WOW some 18 months before! It was a long haul, but it is finally completed, so that marked the completion of the fourth P Mount. If you missed the workshop and want to build one – check out the forum for a comprehensive set of instructions!
The Smart Scope dominated WOW
This was the first WOW where smart scopes outnumbered the more traditional scopes. The ease of set up and portability ensured that they could quickly be deployed between weather fronts to capture images!
The reason why we go to WOW is because of the dark skies. Here are a few highlights captured during the week.
No tripod, just a point and shoot image! It is really refreshing to see the sky!
For those that went it was very enjoyable. Not everyone stayed the week, people popped in and out. We had visitors from Walsall Astronomical Society.
So, think about WOW 14, come and be sociable in our big tent! Check out the skies and make some memories! Hope to see you at the next one!
Mike Hughes
Projects Officer