When conditions are clear, there is a fine view of the Heavens from the back of Belle Grove – we reckon nearly as good as from the Observatory at Seething, near Norwich . This led to the thought “why not provide a sky- watching facility?”
Thus our ‘new’ hut came into being which is designed not only to store summer equipment for guests’ use, such as the croquet set and cricket bat & balls, but a Skywatcher refracting telescope.** Not everyone will know how to use a telescope – it can be tricky learning how to focus on particular objects in the sky – but here’s your chance to try!
Otherwise switch off all the lights, allow your eyes to get used to the dark over a few minutes and enjoy the spectacle of the stars and planets above. Meteor showers, constellations and satellites can all be seen with the naked eye. (And there’s the added magic of possible sightings of the barn owls that nest in nearby trees).
But a regular pair of binoculars is very useful and in some ways easier for an amateur sky-watcher to get to grips with.
Although we provide a planisphere and various maps & guides, up to date sky watchers may prefer to rely on their phone or tablet with one of the many apps available to help pinpoint constellations and stars.
But watching the heavens with the naked eye can be very rewarding especially in shooting star season – the fabulous Perseid meteor shower is visible every August – updates and lots of info can be found online. (The ‘supermoon’ photo shown here was taken from a bedroom window).
** now replaced
