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Autumn and the darkening evenings
As I hastened out on my evening walk, I was stopped in my tracks by a glorious near-full moon just above the horizon. It is still very low, and therefore appearing very large, as it nears the end of its 18.6 year cycle before once again rising higher once more. There are many dark sky events being advertised which would be great to go along to. My book is there to help you get started by showing you just a few of the bright stars that appear early in the evening so you can orientate yourself before becoming overwhelmed as the sky darkens. Stargazing for All will also be available at the Sidmouth Science Festival family day at the Norman Lockyer Observatory where you will find me alongside a display about the Blue Streak rocket. There is lots to enjoy plus talks from former young observers at the NLO, now doctors of science, on hand to explain the wonders of the solar system to you.
Sunday afternoon saw me taking a trip out to Tiverton castle gardens, not far but somewhere not visited. The sunshine gloriously lit up the wonderful autumnal colours of dahlias and tiny cyclamen. Definitely a place to return to and explore the displays of Civil War armour inside.
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Stars in their eyes…
I was delighted to give a talk at Sidmouth Library to an enthusiastic audience. Taking them on an exploration of stars and how to see them, they were keen to learn how to use a planisphere and to get outside on a clear night. I also talked about my own journey from being hooked on the Moon landings to writing the book Stargazing for All to help others learn and enjoy the stars. My voluntary work at the Norman Lockyer Observatory was mentioned, especially in light of the proposed community asset transfer by the local council to the membership. My book is available from Winstones Bookshop in the High Street of Sidmouth, as well as online via Waterstones and Amazon. Please support independent bookshops and libraries by ordering and requesting through those 🙂
Now that the nights are indeed beginning to be more user-friendly for star watchers, please be mindful of light pollution from garden lights (why?) and open curtains. The Lunartic Society did not street lights, remember! By no means mad, these people keen to learn in the evening could only meet when the moon was bright enough to see by as this was pre-streetlight times.
And, finally, there is still time to enjoy the tail end of the current lunar standstill before the extremes of high and low moons begin to even out and become less extreme. Look low on the horizon towards the south to see the moon set at one of its lowest position before the next round of extremes in 18.6 years time. You may also catch a glimpse of the red giant star, Antares, in Scorpius, very low and very close to that low setting moon.
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Prepping for my talk next week
it’s just a week away! Come and say hi at Sidmouth Library next Thursday (25th) at 3pm
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Holiday Stars
Aberystwyth, Brecon, Cymtydu..a veritable A to Z of delightful places was enjoyed during the week in Wales. The weather was for the most part kind with blustery heavy showers later in the week. I caught a lucky glimpse of the partial lunar eclipse on the 7th when the moon appeared out of the clouds and just above a tree. Rainbows adorned the sky nearly every day in the early morning and late afternoon. From our vantage point overlooking Cardigan Bay, dolphins could be seen leaping out the water. One memorable late afternoon sight was when walking along the harbour wall at New Quay, a pod of dolphins could be seen heading across the bay, having been busy in the bay during the day.
The rock features of this ancient landscape were wondrous to behold, one could almost hear the volcanoes erupt and the earthquakes roar as we gazed upon folds of rock twisted into unbelievable shapes. The ever changing seascape provided endless opportunities for photographs and just sitting back enjoying the hues of blue and grey. Magnificent shower clouds scudded across the bay. Steep cliffs towered over sandy bays. And birds managed to fly and skim the waves, and in the case of a cormorant, dive in and out of the huge waves with ease.
Prehistory had a look in with a couple of burial chambers on the itinerary, one by the side of a main road – that of a chambered tomb Gwernvale, while the other near Newport, Gwern y Cleppa, took a bit of seeking out. I had failed to find this latter one on a previous visit so was determined to locate it this time. This time was a mega road trip, probably the last such that I shall undertake given the state of my feet and eyes. The little car did well!
Add in a splendid viaduct, an abbey, a Welsh choir, and a view of the M5, it was indeed a memorable trip. Our visit to the Rhondda fortuitously coincided with the annual concert by the Cor Meibion Morlais, with guests ‘
Add in a splendid viaduct, an abbey, a Welsh choir, and a view of the M5, it was indeed a memorable trip. Our visit to the Rhondda fortuitously coincided with the annual concert by the Cor Meibion Morlais, with guests ‘Dare to Sing’, and a young lad of immense talent – Morgan Allen.
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Lunar eclipse…just caught it!
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https://studio.youtube.com/video/D-oUCiqftLQ/edit
Take a look at my latest YouTube video about the moon in September
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August
I blanked out my diary for August for ‘fun’. It has been exhausting. The heat and humidity had not been factored into my plans for attending local fairs and events, and certainly not for days on the beach. So far, one afternoon at a fair to enjoy the thrills and spills of sheep racing, a lunchtime based around a local food fair, and two hours on the beach have been more than enough time spent outside.
The sea was gloriously warm at 18 deg C but the UV was vicious with the remains of the peel just coming off me. Eating in a bit of shade a nice morsel from a food stall was great, spotting a bus to take us home was even better. Oh, and the sheep racing? I lost my money on a sheep who ran straight past the food trough onto the truck.
I have just been reading about the lack of people picking blackberries. Certainly that is not the case around here. From a train window, I spied a young lad get off a bike in order to eat the treats straight from the hedgerow. From the trampled foliage under hedgerows, I suspect that many people are out and about foraging for berries. Certainly, in my circle of friends, traditional puddings are alive and well…and homemade with homegrown fruit or foraged fruit. It would seem that English Heritage is looking to increase Christmas sales and is well aware of the impact of ‘click bait’ incentives.
Meanwhile, a homemade apple and blackcurrant pie (with homegrown currants) sits defrosting in the kitchen.
Interestingly, part of me does agree with English Heritage that the simple pleasures are being forgotten and my little Instagram Maldwyn the Mouse has lots of adventures in the countryside as part of a mission to encourage people to enjoy the simple things in life.
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July 2025
Moon and Stars – the weather has been kind enough the last couple of weeks to allow a return trip to the lovely cliff top walk I enjoyed at the beginning of the month but this time in the evening to see the moon rise. The full moon was at its lowest point on the evening of the 9th with a low setting sun behind. I waited patiently until 2115 when a sudden shriek alerted my friend that the moon had risen. It was quite hazy out to sea which made moon spotting quite a challenge. But there it was! All of sudden it was full and visible just above the horizon. Photographs were taken of it and the sunset. Hope to return in 18.6 years time…
Over the hottest weekend of the year with temperatures rising to 34 degrees C and humidity to match, we helped my son tame his garden and to find the edge of the garden into which he could put a fence and gate. Had to be done. We got up early, with a long break in the middle, then did some more. Their lovely neighbours saw us working hard and presented us with a delicious homemade cake on the Sunday afternoon. We were overwhelmed by their kindness. I then drove home in the evening when it was cooler and the gate had been erected, feeling glad to have spent some quality time with my son and to have been able to help him. On the Friday when I arrived, it had been straight into action trying to trace an electric cable, and then we painted some fence panels together, while enjoying gentle conversation. Special times.
I was pleased to be able to present a talk at a rare Saturday open evening at the Observatory. Most have taken place on Thursdays this year, when I am busy doing other things. There was a good, engaged turn out of people, including some from Sidmouth who had not been before. The lady I met at the Astrofair from Maidenhead also came along. There were enough people to warrant two talks!
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July 2025
1st July 2025
…and the hottest day of the year so far, and indeed for many years. Even in Devon it is in the high 20s. Drove out this evening for a walk in the shade of a woodland where the temperature was down to 22 C. The bluebell wood in summer had remains of the dead bells and was awash with a multitude of green hues.
For me, June was a catching up month from the combined excitement and effort involved in organising a big birthday bash to celebrate Sir Norman Lockyer, swiftly followed by my successful book launch. I am now receiving notification of royalties and have received the first payments into my bank account. Will I recoup the outlay soon? Not at the rate I am spending! A new laptop is needed. New phone. Many repairs to the house. New clothes. A holiday has been paid for. Then there is the car. Insurance is due this month. Household bills have gone up. And so it goes on.
On the positive side, I am beginning to enjoy not having to go out to work in the summer heat. I can pace my tasks according to the temperature outside. My big archive project is growing but I now have support from the archivist at the University of Exeter who has given me practical ideas, links for funding, and will act as a professional adviser. My idea for a new book about the life and times of Sir Norman Lockyer is taking shape and excites me because I was not interested in science particularly at school but if I had known a real person had designed the Bunsen Burner…I may have taken more note. I hope to inspire other people to learn more about things we take for granted and to link science and history. I love learning about the people behind ideas. My educational background is not good enough to understand a lot of science though. I do enjoy learning about the moon’s complex orbit and the solar system.
As we are now at the end of the week…I may as well include a note about a delicious dip in the sea followed the next day by a walk along the cliff top. The sea was not cold and soon felt warm although I still experienced that wonderful tingly feeling on leaving the water. Well worth the effort of lugging a couple of bags of supplies and towels and pop-up tent. The trip to the beach followed a relaxing hour listening to folk duo, Solarferance, in a sunny tea garden.
Having done a little bit of work in the NLO archives and a lot of chatting, I enjoyed a packed lunch in the nearby woodland followed by a walk through the shady woodlands, and back via the cliff top. The sea was Mediterranean blue with a matching blue sky. Idyllic! I then sat in the shade with a magazine while also spotting the rusty tail of a redstart.
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Press release re ‘Stargazing for All’ by Karen Hedges
David Strange, Chair of the Norman Lockyer Observatory, expressed delight at being presented with a copy of the new stargazing guide at the local author’s recent launch. Karen Hedges gave a very well received talk at Exeter Central Library followed by the launch of her new book Stargazing for All (ISBN: 9781739123611) . The book is available from Winstone’s Bookshop in Sidmouth (which has a wonderful array of beautiful books for young and old) as well as online from Waterstones and Amazon. The book is a guide to stargazing for beginners and for amateur astronomers. The book contains illustrations from renowned artist, John Meacham, who lives in Sidmouth. Martin Young (retired Chief Forecaster, Meteorological Office) praised the book, saying “What a brilliant book! It’s an excellent balance between easy-to-understand explanations and attractive, colourful illustrations, in an easy-to-read format.”
The Norman Lockyer Observatory contains three historic telescopes through which can be seen images as good as any modern telescope can provide. The central library contains a magnificent bequest of books belonging to Sir Norman and Lady Lockyer.
Karen Hedges
April 2025
Karen Hedges 