Notice 11: Deep Sky Observing Weekend. (November 03-08, 2021)

Dear stargazers, observers, and astrophotographers

Come to Leeuwenboschfontein from the 3rd to the 8th of November and share some of the darkest skies you are likely to find this close to Cape Town with a very friendly crowd of like-minded astronomy enthusiasts. You bring whichever observing equipment you wish to bring and spend time observing and talking astronomy. If you don’t want to bring any equipment, just bring yourselves and enjoy Leeuwenboschfontein and the convivial astronomical company.

If you have never been up to the hut above Leeuwenboschfontein I don’t think you have really experienced the beauty of the farm. It is a fairly strenuous walk up but more than worth your while.

This is not a Southern Star Party and StarPeople are not presenting anything. Lynnette and I are only putting the suggestion/invitation out to entice astronomy enthusiasts to LBF for some serious stargazing. Nothing is pre-organized, nothing will be presented, no guest speakers, and no registration fee.

Give yourself a treat and spend the night up on the mountain in the hut and watch the sun go down in the evening and come up again in the morning. Be warned, that you must dress warmly and have a decent sleeping bag because it gets quite windy and chilly up there. The view, however, compensates for any possible discomfort.

No formal gatherings will take place, so social distancing and adherence to the COVID-19 rules will always be under your own control. There is also more than enough space on the lawn, and elsewhere at Leeuwenboschfontein, to ensure that all the social distancing rules can be complied with while observing. You must please book your own accommodation and share or don’t share, whichever takes your fancy. By early November the weather at LBF will have settled down and warmed up, so Leeuwenboschfontein is the ideal venue to relax during the daytime and do some serious observing after dark under their pristine skies. Remember too that the warmer November weather makes LBF’s lovely campsites a definite proposition for your stay there. A word of caution: LBF can turn unexpectedly cold even after a hot day, so bring along warm gear just in case.

IMPORTANT: The eatery at LBF will not be functional during this event. However, breakfast and other meals can still be arranged, provided you do that when you make your booking.

A good fire, a bottle of wine and meat for the braai with breathtaking views in all directions. Once the sun is down and you’ve had supper there are the stars, lots of them, so please remember your binoculars. Sorry, did I mention that if you walk up you also have to carry the wood for the fire? There is the consolation that you don’t have to carry the wood down again!.

Please phone Hanlie at 023 004 1307 and make your booking or send an email to lbf@cornergate.com, she would love to hear from you. In case you have forgotten what super accommodation LBF offers, pop over to http://leeuwenboschfontein.co.za/tariffs/ and check it out. There is plenty of camping but for the houses the you-snooze-you-lose principle applies.

See you all there and clear skies 

Edward and Lynnette Foster

On behalf of StarPeople