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Any dark site within reach of Manchester should show the Milky Way around midnight untill 1 am, it will be more of a hint than what you may have seen in photos. Best seen overhead in the Cygnus area. :hello2:

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Any dark site within reach of Manchester should show the Milky Way around midnight untill 1 am, it will be more of a hint than what you may have seen in photos. Best seen overhead in the Cygnus area. :hello2:

Thanks... would like to see it at it's best... with not travelling too far away from Manchester... but willing to travel if need be... :)

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Simply get to the darkest site you can.

During the time you give the milky way will be pretty much overhead during the hours of darkness that we may have, and it will be running South to North.

If it is dark enough that you are unable to walk with ease because you cannot see the ground in front of you (literally) then you should be OK.

It is a sight to remember if the site is dark.

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Simply get to the darkest site you can.

During the time you give the milky way will be pretty much overhead during the hours of darkness that we may have, and it will be running South to North.

If it is dark enough that you are unable to walk with ease because you cannot see the ground in front of you (literally) then you should be OK.

It is a sight to remember if the site is dark.

Thanks... got it... darker the better... but ummming a location now... :hello2:

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One of the most mind blowing experiences in my life, Ella was at a musical fiesta in the mountains near my house. No, it wasn't the drink or smokes but the Milky Way that melted my brain. Over 2500m above sea level, fresh mountain air, on a clear late summer evening. Awe inspiring.

Anyway, if you do or don't get to spot her, while you're looking there abouts in Cygnus, may I also suggest that you check out the pretty open cluster that is M29 and the extraordinary splendid of Albireo.

Here's wishing you clear skies.

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saw it last weekend on the coast of Mid Wales- was absolutely stunning - but was very lay @ 1.15am when I went out I guess. I was under the impression it is not at its best until later in the Summer / early Autumn - is that not correct?

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Don't forget your going to have a nearly full moon, as it is I can't see it until the Moon sets and it's getting later and later so it'll be a late night.

Just checked... is going to be a cresent Moon when im hoping to view...

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One of the most mind blowing experiences in my life, Ella was at a musical fiesta in the mountains near my house. No, it wasn't the drink or smokes but the Milky Way that melted my brain. Over 2500m above sea level, fresh mountain air, on a clear late summer evening. Awe inspiring.

Anyway, if you do or don't get to spot her, while you're looking there abouts in Cygnus, may I also suggest that you check out the pretty open cluster that is M29 and the extraordinary splendid of Albireo.

Here's wishing you clear skies.

WOW sounds stunning where you managed to view it from... !!! Thanks for your help... really looking forward to viewing her... :hello2:

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saw it last weekend on the coast of Mid Wales- was absolutely stunning - but was very lay @ 1.15am when I went out I guess. I was under the impression it is not at its best until later in the Summer / early Autumn - is that not correct?

I did read late Summer & Autumn is the best time to view... but mid Wales is not so far away to get a view of this stunning sight... will have to check out this area or down South to view... glad you got such a stunning view at this time of year... :hello2:

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Hey Ella, i don't kow if you're familiar with the Peak District but I used to live in Edale and When its proper dark you can't see your hand in front of you. It's about 20-30 minutes past buxton. there are plenty of highland areas as its the start of the penine way. HTH:)

Scott.

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Friends of hours regularly come to our caravan park in Newquay in Mid Wales ad they live in Manchester - takes them about three hour I think - why not find a holiday park in the Autumn - have a cheap weekend away in say September then take advantage of the stunning skies- I'm sure you'd enjoy it (rain willing that is)

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If it is dark enough that you are unable to walk with ease because you cannot see the ground in front of you (literally) then you should be OK.

Once you're well dark adapted a truly dark site then you'd be surprised how much you can see around you. The combination of starlight, the zodiacal light, and gegenschein provide enough light to read large type without a torch. The page numbers on my Uranometria are readable without extra lighting, for instance. Finding eyepieces in a box is easy. What's really astonishing is that under these conditions (reading under natural sky-glow) each rod receives only about 1 photon every 10 minutes!

Under such conditions you become so well dark adapted that looking through an eyepiece with a large exit pupil upsets your dark adaptation even if there are only field stars visible.

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To see the Milky Way you want to be as far as possible from man-made light, with the sun at least 13 degrees below the horizon, and preferably with no Moon in the sky.

In June, if you want the sun to be far enough below the horizon, then you need to be sufficiently far south. Since we're on British Summer Time, the sun will be farthest below the horizon (i.e. sky will be darkest) at about 1a.m.

Let's say you choose the night of new Moon, June 19-20th. To have the sun setting more than 13 degrees below your horizon at 1a.m. on 20th June you would need to be no further north than latitude 53.5, i.e. Manchester would be the northern limit, and the Peak District might offer a site sufficiently far from man-made light pollution. But bear in mind that at this latitude and around this date you're looking at having just a chance of glimpsing the brightest part of the Milky Way around 1a.m., not actually seeing it properly, or for long. If you don't know what you're looking for then you probably wouldn't see it at all.

To see the Milky Way at its best you want the sun to be at least 18 degrees below the horizon. To do that in June you need to be south of Paris.

The night of June 20-21 is the summer solstice. So althought it's the worst time of the year for seeing the Milky Way in UK, it's also a good night for staying outdoors from dusk to dawn, watching to see whatever stars appear, and contemplating the cosmos. The further north you go, the fewer hours you'll need to wait between dusk and dawn. At Stonehenge they'll be watching the sunrise at 4.52am.

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As said above, June is not a good time to view the milky way. The sky simply doesn't reach astronomical darkness all night anywhere in the UK, most especially in the North of the country. The best time is late July or anytime in August (with the moon being below the horizon). Almost all of my most breathtaking views of the MW have been in August ;-)

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