icpn

Just be aware that Sky Publishing are very parochial and unless the AAS can sort out the international vendors that WB used to have it may be expensive and difficult to get them directly from the US. I see that they are talking end of October before the US side is sorted so hopefully FLO and others can get the distribution over here sorted as well in time for Christmas 🙂

I assume the closeness together of the telescopes is to protect from marauding Welsh Sheep 🙂

Unfortunately clashes with Kelling star party and I will be there.

Well if you are interested in visual observing it might be worth giving the Webb Society a look. That is still primarily viusal observing, although we do not rule out other options. It isinteresting that we see a lot of large Dob's at star aprties but don't often see what they are looking at, and what they do outside star parties, and by large here I mean 18" and up. I know there are self contained groups like the Dob Mob who don't really seem to communicate outside their close circle.

If you are really into that kind of stuff I recommend you look at the AstroGrav software.

Haw Wood campsite in Suffolk

Anybody tried this software https://www.starhopmaker.com/ and if so what do they think of it.? I know it is not for imagers so probably not on this forum.

Astronomy is a US magazine like Sky and telescope, albeit at a lower level but still not as far down as Sky at Night magazine.

You might also look at this https://www.springer.com/gp/book/97830304769 However like most Springer books in this series it is likely to be a vanity project and poor..

You could try Burnhams Celestial Handbook, Allens Star names, Ian RidPaths Star Tales and many more for what you are looking for. There is also Olcott's Star Lore. And mnay others. Owen

Also try this Mike http://faintfuzzies.com/Files/RingGalaxies v4.pdf Owen

If you have not already found it this is a good guide http://www.faintfuzzies.com/Files/AbellGalaxyClusters v1.pdf

I suspect with the star party cancelled the lights from toilet blocks etc. will not be blocked out and you will be hit by uncontrolled lighting from normal campers. We have had this issue when people stay outisde the normal dates and it can get fractious.

Unfortunately with the goverment options on opening campsites Kelling April star party for 2021 has been canceleld. You should hear from Kelling if you had booked about your options. This pretty much closes out the Spring Star party season, at least in observing terms for the UK I think. We can only hope for better in the Autumn.

I spoke with Mike about these. NeVe6 is an HII region not a PN. J900 may not be well known in some circles but it has been well known amongst visual PN observers for a long time. It even made the Webb Soc Deep SKy Observers Handbook Vol 2 in 1978, along with J320 in Orion. It seems a shame that so much literature is ignored just because it is not on the internet now. People need to look back at older references..

no point in trying with an OIII filter Martin as there is practically no OIII emission. The only filter that might help would be an H-ALpha one. Owen

Mike not sure if you saw this, or indeed if it is the source for your information http://www.deepskyforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3495&d=1556044862 It is Jimi Lowrey's list. Owen

Hi Martin there was this transform V := G + 0.01760 + 0.006860 * (BPg−RPg) + 0.1732 * (BPg−RPg)^2 to get from GAIA G to approx V for GAIA DR2. I don't know if it still applies to GAIA EDR3. However obvioulsy magnitude estimates that faint are going to have realtively large error bars and I spspect that ga;laxy magnitude estimates at that level should be treated as aprriximate only. Owen

Martin I have the physical Neckel and Vehrenberg Atlas and it is a 3 ring 3 folder printing. It was also scanned and digitised and sold as a DVD. I know I have a copy in the Webb sales boxes but I would need to check the original source. to see if it is still available there. The orginal source was http://www.stellarum.de/ Owen

Well since the RAS has been doing this since its beginning I am not sure why the AAS is trying to extend its tentackles over here. The BAA has also been working closely with professionals for the majority of its existence.

The accomadation at AstroAdventures is fairly basic but cozy. They have some telescopes for guest use including a 50cm dobsonian and an imaging setup. There is alos Eddington Lodge neraby whihc I think has a much more glamping style of lodge. They also have quite large telescopes to use but I have not been there.

I am not sure if people have seen this Oculum reader survey 2020 (mailchi.mp) but the German publisher Oculum (I have no connection with them) are looking for input as to a couple of English language translations that they wae thinking of doing.

I would look at the AstroAdventures site in Devon. If it is clear then it is awsome skies https://www.astroadventures.co.uk/ Probably more chance of clear skies than Keilder 🙂

I think there maybe an issue with what all these "dark sky parks" are for. This maybe due to an issue with the way the IDA certifies them as it only inlcudes vertical SQM measurments, and almost no astronomer works at the zenith. What would be more useful is measurements taken at say 50 degrees. I think the defintion now is for people coming from brightly lit cities to see something rather than true dark skies. I doubt anywhere in England would have a true dark sky as the light pollution from cities reaches so far. As such it seems more of a game to set these things up rather than be useful for visual deep sky observing. There maybe limited views in certain directions that could be free of light pollution but in general you are always going to get sky glow from towns.

If you subscribe to ATT then you can get PDF downloads of it. There are usually quite large in the 100Mb range though.