Join Baker Street Irregulars (Primrose Hill)

This is the Baker Street Irregular Astronomer's meet for sun-gazing earlier in the evening (given such a late sunset), and if you're staying late enough, some star watching too (possibly the occasional meteor as we near the peak of the Perseids).

Please also sign up on the Facebook event if you can, to help them have a better guess at the numbers who will turn up. Full description is at event listed in the Facebook link above/below.

Then the group will walk to the (also previously used by the group) 'Irregulars field' (marked with the red pin in the attached image, [what3words ///pure.spices.dust](https://what3words.com/pure.spices.dust), or roughly at google-plus map code GRQP+PCM), to view the Perseid meteor 'shower' until the early hours of Tuesday. If you miss them at the gate, head there. See also the map photo posted.

There will likely be a crowd until pretty late (or early morning) if the sky is clear/it's not raining - sun sets 20:51, so if you arrive late head to that spot in the field and look for the group. If you're aiming to catch meteors, its best to lay down on mats or clothing looking up; but expect the odd telescope and solar-scope (check they're safely filtered, ask owner before looking especially if the sun is still up!).

Please...
Don't shine bright torches there or use camera flashes - red light torches can be useful to see more without ruining everyone's dark-adapted vision instantly, but if you can let your eyes adapt to the dark a while it will be much easier. Others will be able to help you - do ask!

For meteors, no telescope or binoculars needed (thats actually harder to spot meteors with cos they're too fast moving and come from different parts of the sky, especially the big showers like Perseids).

NOTE:
There is no shelter, seating, drinks or cafe in the field used for this event. Bring drinks/snacks as needed. You'll be sitting on the ground or whatever you brought with you; or standing. We can hope it'll be firm dry ground, but obviously that depends on recent weather.

TIPS!
✨If you stay late, for meteors/stars, bring something to lay down on/sit back on, so that you can look upwards without straining your neck, for a long time!

✨Plan for weather, footwear for the field, and when you need to leave by (can set an alarm, its easy to lose track of time, allow time to walk back down the hill). Specifically:

✨Dress up warmer than you think you'll need! Being at the top of a hill at night in an open space, and not moving around so much, it gets colder than you will expect (if you haven't done this before, or even if you have been outside late a lot before, you need to allow for the hopefully-clearer skies cooling things faster, the maybe-cold ground, the open space with more breeze, and other factors often forgotten).

"But Central London is too far for me!"
Keep an eye out for our own local events too, one of our best attended is for Perseid meteor-watching; likely to be on Tooting Common in the days leading up to/after the peak, mid-August (there's activity for around a fortnight either side of it). If anyone else who's been to a couple of our events before and knows they can reliably show up reasonably on time wants to run even another one closer to them in a suitable dark space, get in touch and we can talk about arranging another one too. (especially if you already have experience hosting/planning events; be welcoming and polite/friendly/non-discriminatory to everyone, and spare a thought on safety for everyone there).

NOTE: It can be easy to lose track of time while stargazing, don't forget about last transport options home as this finishes late (setting alarm(s) might be a good idea)!