Comets and Curry'
Come
and enjoy a warming curry a glass of wine plus an informative talk by a
guest speaker. You can also look for shooting stars associated with the
Leonids meteor shower as well as the tail end of the Taurids meteor
shower.
The Taurids shower marks the time when the Earth passes
through the dust trail of comet Encke. The debris left behind by comet
Enke is the largest in the inner solar system and it takes several weeks
for the Earth to pass through it giving an extended period of activity;
20th October - 30th November. The peak activity for the Taurids is 12th
November so we will only be catching a few bright streaks of light.
The
second meteor shower is the Leonids which occurs as Earth passes
through the deris trail left behind by comet Tempel-Tuttle. These
meteors are very fast and often leave persistent trains behind them. The
peak activity is the evening of the 18th November. The natural limits
of the shower are over a much shorter duration than for the Taurids;
15th - 20th November.
While we don't use the telescopes to spot
meteors but if the weather does permit you will get the chance to look
at some other interesting celestial objects through the large
telescopes. The evening aims to be both informal and informative. If the
weather is unsuitable on themed evenings, the talk will go ahead
regardless and a comprehensive tour of the telescopes will replace
viewing.
Alongside the staff are members of Wealden Astronomical
Society (WAS) and other amateur astronomers who are also there to help
answer any questions you may have. They also have their own smaller,
modern telescopes on the lawns for you to look through.
Numbers are limited to 80, so book early to secure your place.
There
will be poppadoms, chicken curry, vegetable curry and nan bread. Please
note that while there is a vegetarian option there is NO alternative
menu to the curry.
Time: 7pm - 11.30pm (gates open at 6.45pm)
Cost: £28
BOOKING ESSENTIAL
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