🪐 Stargazing & Drinks + Pub After ☾Provisional Date TBC By Regent's Park☽ 🔭

Like me - do you ever glance up at the sky and marvel with insatiable curiosity at the wonder of the universe - how it all began, our place in it, what else is out there, how life got started and where else in the cosmos other non-microbial life might live (almost every star you see in the sky has planets orbiting indicating up to 20 billion habitable exoplanets in the Milkyway alone!)?

Then RSVP to view the potential life harbouring moons of Jupiter, the the peak of the Lyrids Meteor Shower, the world famous Orion Nebula (a life creation nursery where stars like our sun were born), the majestic rings of Saturn, the international space station, Tau Ceti star with 2 Earth like exoplanets orbiting in the habitable zone that could support life as we know it, remnants of supernova that were witnessed by our early ancestors) plus a range of other fascinating celestial wonderments (comets, star systems, galaxies - see below) over drinks and engaging chats and banter this April hosted by me - a passionate amateur astronomer and former journalist covering some science related stories!

In between observing - we'll have drinks and engaging chats on all astronomy related topics for those inclined (Astrobiology, SETI/Femi Paradox, cosmology, space exploration, exoplanetology, astrophysics etc) as well as non space chatter and banter too. No doubt I'll hear the usual jokes we've all heard hundreds of times before! If those don't make you laugh, then my impersonation of Los Angeles ET will! 👽

====Joining Astronomers Group & Telescopes =====
I'm able to take a limited number of people (please only RSVP if you can make it) to join a friendly informal relaxed London amateur astronomers' club that I have been a member of for over a decade with their regulars made up of up to about 150 people. As there will be people attending from this private Astronomers group as well as others from one of my other groups - the total attendees will be far higher than rsvps here and the public liability insurance only covers a max number of people - hence I need to impose strict limits on attendance from here.

Over the years we have enjoyed numerous social evenings of stargazing and thought provoking chatter with people of all ages and varying levels of astronomy knowledge - so complete beginners that are genuinely curious about the universe are very welcome as long as they attend for the right reasons. If you are just looking to meet generic randoms that you have nothing in common with there are others groups that will better cater for that. The world renowed famous BBC Television Sky at Night also attended our events pre covid and interviewed some of the regulars for it's show that aired on BBC1 in Feb 2019. BBC Radio London (94.9 FM or digital) were there Aug 2023 to cover our meteor shower event broadcasting live to millions of Londoners for 3 hours

You don't need a telescope as you will be able to view through scopes belonging to me and other club members (as long as you behave responsibly and don't temper with expensive equipment). If you have your own telescope/binoculars feel free to bring along and I can help you setting it up if you're a newbie.

Alcoholic beverage (wine, beer, cider only), hot drinks and food/snacks will be available to purchase from the indoor cafe at the observation point which Regent's park keep open exclusively for our group so please don't bring your own drinks

====ITINERARY=====
We will meet outside Camden Station. After a short wait for anyone delayed, I will escort everyone to our observation point in the park about 15-20 minutes walk away and brief you in terms of what to expect, equipment handling, etiquette and take any questions you have - weather general or astronomy/cosmology related. Luckly because of the time of year most things will be out early evening so we will stay out for at a couple of hours

After Drinks: Unless I have a very important 9AM Thursday deadline for a client presentation or something - most of us usually head our way back to Camden for another drink. I will annouce the pub to all on the walk back.

===What Can You Expect To See (this time of year)? ====

• Orion Nebula
• Jupiter and 4 moons
• Meteors
• Andromedia Galaxy
• Saturn, rings & moon
• Star clusters such as the Pleiades & Owl Cluster etc
• International Space station fly by
• Venus & Mercury
• Binary & tripple star systems (think planet Tatooine in Starwars!),
• Neptune
• Uranuus
• Mars
• Our moon
• A look towards the galactic centre where that supermassive £22b black hole sits (Sagittarius A)

More here from Jodrell Bank Observatory/Astrophysics Centre:
http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/astronomy/nightsky/
Guide to viewing the cosmos for beginners:
https://phys.org/news/2018-05-universe-distant-starstips-cosmology-backyard.html#jCp

===Weather Dependent=====
The event is subject to clear skies forecasts on the night so if on the actual afternoon of the event the weather forecasts looks unsuitable beyond doubt then I will postpone so please check the event status on the day of the event . If this event is still listed here at 5PM on the day, it will be going ahead at the designated day and time!

Happy Stargazing

Lucas Skywalker (Amateur Astronomer)