Event Programme (Current Year)
The programme for 2025 is below.
Check back regularly in case any dates or times change. Note that event cancellations will be marked by scored through text.
CAG are mostly in-person events again, complimented by occasional online meetings via suitable online meeting platforms.
The use of online meetings has been invaluable over the past few years and as well as allowing us to have guest speakers from farther afield it has allowed CAG to collaborate with, and occasionally join the meetings of other astronomical groups in the north of Scotland (HAS, SIGMA, AAS & NRAG).
Unless otherwise stated the event start time is 7pm and venue is the Castlehill Heritage Centre designated Dark Sky Discovery Site.
CAG Programme of Events for 2025
Programme under development (remember to also check our Facebook page for further details and short notice announcements relating to our public events)
Fri 24th Jan - Members event with short presentations by CAG members John Hilton ('164 photos and what to do with them') & Maciej Winiarczyk (explaining how recent planetary movie showing motion of Jupiter and Io over a few hours was produced). Plus slideshow of recent images of the Moon and planets captured by CAG members, together with info on how they were obtained and what they show. Observing & imaging session (weather permitting). Held online due to Storm Eowyn.
1-9 Feb : National Astronomy Week observing events with Caithness Astronomy Group - Join CAG for a visual tour of the solar system. Weather permitting CAG will be holding free family oriented 'drop by' lunar & planetary observing sessions in Wick, Thurso and Castletown. Join us to look at the moon and brighter planets through telescopes, and learn more about our solar system.
- Thur 6th
Mon 3rd* Feb @ 7pm - Wick Riverside car park - Wed 5th* Feb @ 7pm - Thurso Riverside (west side of Ellan Footbridge)
- Sun 9th Feb @ 6.30pm
7pm- Castlehill Heritage Centre Dark Sky Discovery Site
During the observing session held on the 9th Feb, CAG also hope to view a lunar occultation of Mars, where the red planet will briefly disappear behind the Moon in the sky. This will occur at ~6.54pm, and last approx 8 minutes. This event may be live streamed online - check the CAG Facebook page for the latest details.
Sat 8th Feb - AGM - to be held at the Castlehill Heritage Centre in Castletown. Meeting is scheduled to start at 10.30am and is open to members and anyone interested in the club activities or in becoming a member.
Sat 22nd Mar - CAG at the Caithness Science Festival Family Day (at Wick High School, noon - 4pm)
Sat 29th March - Public solar eclipse observing event at Castlehill Heritage Centre. Drop by and join CAG to safely view a partial Solar Eclipse. There will also be educational activities about the solar system for all the family - 10am-1pm
Fri 4th April - Public lunar observing/photography event at The Viewfirth Field in Thurso. Drop by for a detailed look at the Moon, or using your camera (the one on your phone is ideal for this) capture your very own photo of the lunar surface through CAG's telescopes - 7.30-8.30pm.This session is weather dependant. If the cloud forecast doesn't look favourable for the 4th we'll potentially re-schedule to the following evening (5th) - check the CAG Facebook page for updates.
Fri 9th May - Public event - short presentations by CAG members - In his talk '165 photos and what to do with them' John Hilton will provide some hints and tips for the less experienced night time photographers on ways to create images & time lapse videos from their photos. Following this there will be a presentation by Gordon Mackie, 'The Moon Rocks: it's not made of cheese'. Weather permitting we'll also do some lunar observing and give attendees the chance to take their own images of the Moon with the cameras on their phones. 7pm start at Castlehill Heritage Centre.
Fri 13th June - Public event - Equipment Workshop - A number of demos and short talks covering a range of astronomical observing & imaging equipment. Weather permitting the session will commence with lunar and solar observing.
Programme for July-Nov is still in development
July (date tbc) - Members talk on a cosmology topic
Aug (date tbc) - Members online event
Thurs 4th Sept - At this public event guest speaker Nick James (Director of the Comet Section of the British Astronomical Association) will be giving a talk on Comets. Weather permitting there will be a short observing session following the talk.
Sun 7th Sept - Total Lunar Eclipse as Moon rises at Sunset - Observing session from 7.45 to 8.45pm. Likely meeting place is Seafarers memorial, Bexely Terrace Wick.
Fri 26th Sept - Public talk by CAG member David Orr (topic tbc). Evening will also include an observing session if weather permits.
Fri 24th Oct - Public talk on the History of Astronomy by Mark Gibson. Evening will also include an observing session if weather permits.
Fri 14th Nov - Celebrating the Hubble Space Telescope & the International Space Station. Having been in successful service now for 35 and 25 years respectively, join CAG for this public event - a slideshow of stunning imagery from both that has both amazed and enlightened us. Event will also include an observing session if weather permits.
Fri 12th Dec - "Meteors & Mince Pies event". End of year members event, with refreshments and quiz etc. Observing opportunities including the peak of the Geminid Meteor shower assuming the weather permits.
Members observing sessions will take place at various weekends during the darker winter months. This will be weather dependent and members will receive notification shortly beforehand if each session will take place. The venue will normally be at the Castlehill Heritage Centre Dark Sky Discovery Site, but some sessions may utilise even darker locations.
Weekends pencilled in for the above mentioned members observing sessions are 25/26 Jan & 8/9 Mar at the start of 2025. More dates will be added for winter 2025/26 at a later date.
