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• Create Date 30 November 2023
• Last Updated 30 November 2023

BASIL December 2023

Your Society needs you - we're looking for stars!  

The BAS is run by the Committee according to our Constitution and is very much a team effort, with currently 10 members on Committee. It’s a great experience to be part of such a happy team and also a lot of fun! We have a few Committee members who will be changing their roles next year and this means that ‘Your Society Needs You’. So, we’re looking for stars! That is ’star’ members who’d like to join the Committee next year and be part of the team. There’s flexibility and choice on Committee roles so please speak to any Committee member for more information or drop us an email - we’d love to hear from you!  See page 32 for more information.

We're planning a BAS group visit to the European AstroFest conference in London on 2-3 February 2024 (see page 32) and we have a group booking for accommodation, as mentioned in previous emails from the BAS Secretary to all members. If you'd like to take advantage of the group booking for accommodation then we need to know by Sunday 3rd December at the latest. Please email basil@bristolastrosoc.org.uk if you want to be part of the group booking and/or would like more information.

Observing highlights of the month include:

• 9 Dec - Morning waning crescent Moon near Venus.
• 13 Dec - Earliest sunset of the year.
• 13-15 Dec - Geminid meteor shower peak (favourable).
• 21 Dec - Vesta reaches opposition.
• 30 Dec - Latest sunrise of the year.

23 observing targets for the month are listed and more details are given for the following targets:

• Planetary Nebula NGC 7662 (Blue Snowball) in Andromeda.
• Triangulum Galaxy M33.
• Almach - a golden yellow double star in Andromeda.
• The Pleiades open cluster (M45) in Taurus.
• The Hyades open cluster (Mel 25) in Taurus.

Monthly opportunities to get involved in Society run observing sessions at our Observatory in Failand and scheduled public observing sessions are included on p3.