Dark Sky Discovery Site Discovery

[klaatu]

Apologies in advance for this long post...

I have been bitten by the astronomy bug but live in a flat in the centre of Edinburgh. We have a camper van though and have seen some lovely skies when we have been camping up north or down in Northumberland - probably what got me excited.

Now I have a telescope and want to use it. I'd like to go for weekends to Keilder or Galloway but the chance that clear skies will coincide with a lack of family commitments over the winter are low.

Ideally I'd like to drive out of town for a max of an hour when the sky is clear and set up for an evening's observing. An hour from the centre of Edinburgh should get me to some pretty good skies. Take a look at the Philip's map if you have one or this image here:

http://www.darkskydiscovery.org.uk/images/darksky01.jpg

What I think I need is a Dark Sky Discovery Site but looking at the list of them there really are very few near where anyone lives.

http://www.darkskydiscovery.org.uk/dsdsites.html

The nearest one to me is New Battle but that isn't very dark at all and the college administrators haven't responded to my email asking for access.

Funnily enough if you look at the application form for creating a discovery site the examples are all around Edinburgh - but they aren't actually listed as discovery sites on the website! The DSDS is administered from Edinburgh Royal Observatory on Blackford Hill but even that isn't listed as a discovery site. It is quite bright there (1 or 2 stars in Pegasus) but it does meet other criteria and you could show some kids the main constellations, Jupiter etc.

The Astronomical Society of Edinburgh have a dark site that I could have access to if I join:

http://www.astronomyedinburgh.org/observing/

but it is in a yellow area of the Philip's map in the central belt and a 30+ minutes drive away. I could get somewhere much darker for a similar drive plus I really don't fancy joining a society....meetings etc but maybe I'll have to.

So I am looking for some advice in finding somewhere to park up my van for a few hours. I've been driving around in the day time and using Google Street View etc. There are some places but they are next to minor roads and will be subject to occasional passing cars.

What do people recommend I try? There must be other people out there with mobile observatories and favourite spots. How do I find myself a regular, safe dark sky spot?

Many thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[hemihaggis]

jings ....there are loads of good places near edinburgh !!! any of the roads up into the pentland hills would be great , or even better would be the high roads that cross the lammermuir hills to the east of the city , look for white adder reservior , or longformacus , the roads to these places are very remote and dark ..have a look for the a68 , it is pretty high near soutra hill any of the little roads that off from it should be good

[klaatu]

Thanks Hemihaggis.

Yes I have earmarked a couple of spots next to roads in the Lammermuirs for the next clear night but they are not ideal. An occasional car with their headlights on full beam (and slowing down to see what you are doing) is going to pretty well blow away any night vision.

One plan is to try and find a 'friendly' game keeper so I can go a short way up shooting track. Generally people hanging around in the Lammermuirs at night are considered poachers first off!

[steelfixer]

Now that would be novel.

Arrested for poaching views of Jupiter.

[acey]

Hemihaggis has offered good advice. You want a good southern horizon with no light domes - head south of the city and you'll soon hit the right kind of sky, with all the glow being on your northern horizon.

Use OS maps and Google Earth. Look for publicly accessible minor roads or tracks, and public bridleways that would offer the possibility of off-road parking. Avoid hilltops (too windy), main roadsides (too bright and busy), private dwellings (security lights and police call-outs), hills or trees to the south (they'll block your view). Visit in daylight first.

If you can get yourself even a few yards from the roadside then nobody will notice you, and anyone who does isn't likely to stop. Passing headlights will still be a nuisance, but you'll always have good advance warning of approaching cars from the distant glow of their beams. Just shut your eyes if necessary, or look the other way.

[hemihaggis]

i used to stay in haddington , and love my hill walking there are many little unclassified roads in this area off the main roads over the hills , you would be lucky if you saw more than a couple of cars an evening ...

look at the road between garvaid and whiteadder reservior ..or the little road heading north from carfraemill,or the unclassified road to longformacus ,tis an exellent spot , im sure with a cvamper van and a scope they will not think you a poacher .

[Astronut1982]

Hi Klaatu.

I can recommend the Lammermuirs, near whiteadder reservoir. I still sometimes go to Yellowcraig but the Lammermiurs are much darker.

If you want to see what the LP would be like at any given place then try this website, its helped me a few times finding a dark spot:-

need-less light pollution

I'm sure you'll find some great places to go with this.

Jeff

[klaatu]

Well I found a lovely spot in the Lammermuirs this evening just on the start of a track off the road. Had just done my polar alignment and the second car to pass was a landrover that stopped a little way down the road and reversed back. I walked over to it and said

"Am I alright here? Just looking at the stars."

The young guy inside said:

"Your fine. Just checking you weren't a poacher. Thank you."

Shame about the waxing gibbous moon and the clouds. Still I had a nice couple of hours looking at moon (see attached - I could have taken it in town!) and jupiter.

[stev74]

Hi Klaatu,

There are a few people in my observing group that have been down to White Adder Reservoir and said the skies are really dark. We also have an observing site out by Harperrig Reservoir which isn't quite as dark but is easily accessible by more members. We also have other sites throughout Central Scotland.

One of the main reasons Paul set up the group was so that you are not out observing at a remote site alone where you can be a bit vulnerable.

You would be more than welcome to join us any time, there could even be a session tonight if the weather holds.

Feel free to join the forum if you like all the details are on there - Central Scotland Observers Group Forum - Index

There are no fee's and no formal meetings, just a group of like minded folks out observing.

Cheers

[klaatu]

Thanks Steve. Can't make it tonight - early start tomorrow - but I'll look into it. Sounds like what I am after.