Thanks to the very hard work of EAS members, and the interest and support of the people who came along to it, our Stargazing Live “MoonWatch” last Thursday night – January 14th – at the Brewery Arts Centre was a great success!

Thankfully the sky was beautifully clear after sunset, and at half past four, as we set up the first of the half a dozen or so telescopes which we gathered in the Brewery garden for our event, the Moon was shining high and bright above us, and the view of its mountains, craters and seas was already spectacular.

It was already a very cold evening, and got colder and colder as the time passed, but a steady flow of people wanting to see the Moon through our telescopes kept us warm and busy! It was great to have so many kids there, and there were lots of excited shouts and gasps as they looked at the Moon through a telescope for the first time, marveling at the detailed view of its deep craters, jagged mountain ranges and dark grey seas. And they were even more excited when they were able to hold a big metal meteorite, and then a piece of the Moon itself…!

By the time we packed our gear away at 8pm, after almost four hours at the Brewery, we were all pretty frozen, but 50 or so people had seen the Moon through our telescopes, asked lots of questions, and even expressed interest in coming along to one of our meetings, so it had definitely been worth it.

Thanks to everyone who came along to support our event, from the members of the Society to the members of the public. And a special thank you to the Brewery Arts Centre for continuing to make us so welcome there.