When does it get dark at a sensible time?

[stan26]

Hi folks,

looking foward to getting back to imaging DSO's again. This is my first year in imaging and astronomy in gerneral for that matter. I have had to give up over the last couple of months, my family/work life can't cope with the silly late summer sessions. Just wondering when does it start getting dark enough for imaging at a reasonable time again, i.e lets say 9:00 - 9:30pm start time...? Is there a guide on the net with regards to astro imaging about this? Out of interest what time are you guys starting at the moment?

cheers

Stan:)

[Porl]

I'm interested in knowing this too. Lately its not getting dark till about 11:30 - midnight which is a real late start for me too with working a 8:30am - 5pm job. Winter observing is certainly better for start times with me! Rushing straight home to get the telescope out ( a similar rushing home that I used to do from school to watch cartoons haha ).

If I wasnt doing a distance learning observation course I dont think my telescope would have come out of the cupboard over the summer months.

Thinking about it, when I was camping last weekend in shropshire it seemed to get dark enough to see the milkyway etc by about 11pm i think. Anything northeast to south east was pretty dark by then. But if you wanted to observe anything north through west was out until past midnight - 1am.

anyway, sorry about the waffle, im curious to know if there are charts etc for sunset / night times through the year

Paul''

[russ]

By mid August the nights start at a reasonable hour. Certainly underway properly by 10pm.

[Cornelius Varley]

I use NightCal to check sunset times. It also gives useful times for the moon and astronomical twilight.

Peter

[brantuk]

If you download Skyviewcafe planetarium - once it's configured for your location click on the "Insolation" tab - it will give you light/dark times for the full year. It's also got lots of other natty little features you'll enjoy - I like watching the shadow travelling across the globe by incrementing ten mins at a time using the arrow keys

http://www.skyviewcafe.com/skyview.php?version=4

[SteveL]

Does this help in any way?

Astro Events for UK based locations

[Viv]

Lately its not getting dark till about 11:30 - midnight which is a real late start for me too with working a 8:30am - 5pm job.

That's middle of the morning for some of us !!

I start at 07:00am, so it's up a 05:30, out at 06:15.

Most definately weekends only for a few more weeks ..........

[obscura]

Half pint empty.

It never does get dark here. True the sun goes down and the afterglow disappears. But its still quite light as we are now blessed with new white light street lamps. And then, the very night it is clear there is a full moon.

Why do we pursue this doubtful occupation? To get that image that we've seen thousands of times before in the glossies? Nah. Its the act of acquiring that image.

[Bizibilder]

I use this one:

Astro Events for UK based locations

Just find your nearest town from the list and substitute the name in the "hash inverness" bit above. Save in favourites and it comes up with your town at the top correct for every day.