Restricted View...

[Spec-Chum]

The back of my house, where the scope goes out to play, faces just about due East (slightly EES – Altair is dead ahead at around 10:30pm) so obviously my house blocks all the west, but I have a pretty much clear run of NNE-SSW (well, clear apart from a tree or 2 and a 6ft fence).

I can’t see Sagittarius for example; it’s too far West before it’s dark. But come around 12 – 12:30 I can see the Great Square and Andromeda etc, so it’s not all bad, but there’s not really much else there, well not yet.

I’m missing quite a few of the views from TLOA July – September section, as they’re already too far west when it’s finally dark enough. Anything further west than Vega and I’m scuppered.

Does anyone else have a very restricted view from their back garden? Sometimes wish I faced N-S

[Naemeth]

15 Degrees above the horizon is blocked in all directions, Easterly is blocked up to about 40 degrees, South has a small column visible, and North is relatively fine. Bright obvious stars like Vega and Arcturus are always the brightest thing I can see in view. Any M objects around there I usually try and go for.

[Matt Scunthorpe]

I can see to the west and south. Trouble is with summer (when its not raining) is that its still light at midnight. This thread may also be better suited in the astro lounge rather than help and advice.

[bluenoes]

I didnt realise how restricted the view from my back garden was until I bought my scope.

Very limited, apart from directly up, I can see a section of the SW.

Im keeping my eyes open for a decent site to run to not too far from Manchester

[Spec-Chum]

This thread may also be better suited in the astro lounge rather than help and advice.

Fair point, could a Mod move please? I'm opening a discussion, not asking for advice. Unless someone knows about levitation?

[Matt Scunthorpe]

Might be tough to keep it polar aligned levitating the scope

[Paulus17]

I have restricted views out the back and front.

Some of it is down to our own doing by planting shrubs and trees in the garden years ago to get some privacy in the garden.

We also have a view of a side of a house at the bottom of the garden,which is looking NE.

Looking more round to the SE next doors house is sort of set back in from our house blocking my views there,but also blocking out the street lights,which is good i suppose.

So i suppose i do have decentish views of the NE mainly,a little of the NW and a little of the SE.but trees blocking a good clea rview.

Wouldn't it be good if you could take an image of your views out back/front,and put it into Stellarium??

I do look out on the front,SW, at Saturn now but that is from our front room to give me the extra height to see Saturn.

[Tyr]

My house faces more or less north south with the garden facing south. I have a good view south to west south west once you get high enough above the light pollution illuminated haze and tree / house at the end of the garden (I'd guess about 45 degrees) above the horizon.

The view east is dominated by an old sodium street lamp one garden away. I can view things that are up near the zenith as well as you could expect for an urban south east location and things that are just north of the zenith if I move down the garden and can ignore the street light.

I think all things considered it could be a lot worse.

Tyr

[Matt Scunthorpe]

Saturn is dropping behind a house pretty much after it first becomes visable. So i can only see it if i go out out. Looking forward to Jupiter being back though, people tell me its above the clouds but i dont believe them

[Astro Imp]

Wouldn't it be good if you could take an image of your views out back/front,and put it into Stellarium??

Have a look here

[cantab]

My house is to the northeast, so that blocks the sky in that direction. Elsewhere it's not too bad, although due west is the city centre and thus the worst of the LP.

But I do have to move around quite a bit depending on what I want to see. If I'm looking west to southwest I need to be up near the house to get away from a tree but if I want to look south to east I need to go down the bottom of the garden. End up having to pick up and move the tripod, pretty easy with the stuff I have at the moment but I don't think I'll be buying a big equatorially-mounted scope!

[Siriusmeg]

But I do have to move around quite a bit depending on what I want to see. If I'm looking west to southwest I need to be up near the house to get away from a tree but if I want to look south to east I need to go down the bottom of the garden. End up having to pick up and move the tripod, pretty easy with the stuff I have at the moment but I don't think I'll be buying a big equatorially-mounted scope!

I know the feeling! When I got my scope at Christmas, the back garden was great (well OK) with clear views to the south and east. Now the trees have leaves on and I just want a view of anything Sometimes the best views are over the top of the house which is a bit limiting to say the least! Luckily I do have a clear & open site just 5 mins away but I can only go there when the OH isn't down the pub or the kids aren't in bed

[euphony]

Directly North for me is out of the question, as I have to set my scope up behind the hedge so that the majority of the streetlight behind it is blocked. So I basically face South West. Directly east is blocked by my house as a result too, but I can get North-east. North West is blocked by all the bushes and trees (Saturn and Spica etc have moved in the last month so I have no chance of seeing them when it's dark now but were clear as anything in late May and June). I can obviously see directly above towards the zenith, but it seems to be too light up there until about 12:30 am to be worth bothering. I usually go for Vega region early on and then look roughly south (but I can't look too low as the fence and some bushes shield the view), then I'm able to start looking over to Cygnus, Cassiopeia and Cepheus, where by the time they have come into view it is dark enough and I have the best viewing potential with them.

If it got dark much much earlier I'd see so much more! it's a shame that due to where I set the telescope up, I will have to wait months before I can start to get Ursa Major coming into my view and all the wonders in that part of the sky. But, plenty of other wonders to take in, once it's dark enough! I take solace in the fact that I have a fairly limited view (although probably not quite as limited as it sounds fro this description), but the sky is always moving, so I should be able to get most constellations that are viewable from the Northen hemisphere in my field of view at some point in the year (weather permitting )

[jason.p]

I'm fortunate being a bit spoilt for choice. I'm in a valley so horizons are hills, tree lines etc but have the possibility of good views to South and East. West at the moment is forestry but that is due to be felled soon. (I could improve North and West a bit by sacrificing South). It's not really practical to move around so my set up will be "semi permanent". I think I'll go for the South East option. (LP is not too bad apart from our own intruder lights )

[SteveNickolls]

Thanks Astro Imp for the link to making a custom Stellarium background.

[JB80]

I think it's the weather that is the main issue but having a restricted view here is one of those little things that just niggles away at you until you're ready to blow. It's been bugging me a bit lately but I feel when I get the chance to observe a bit more then it shall quash the thirst for sap.

[Paulus17]

Have a look here

Thats great Alan thank you.I will attempt it but somehow i doubt i will get it to work??

[Brent]

Here's mine from a similar post last year: http://stargazerslou...viewheres-mine/

It's a 180 degree photo and East and horizon are marked in red. The top of the tree is about 25 degrees from zenith in this position.

I do occasionally move up onto the grass nowadays to see over the top of the house to the West if there's something specific I want to catch,

but then I have to put a car rug and blankets on the washing line to block the neighbours (constantly on ) search lights!

(At night the whole right side of the tree is lit up and light streams through the slatted fence to light up the right hand wall of the garage!)

[Darkstar_1]

This is my place, observing spots marked with cross, ass you can see it is pretty grim.

[ChrisThePuma]

I have uninterupted views from S to W with my bungalow sitting to the E and to polar align i have to spot Polaris through the branches of our apple tree.

[ChrisThePuma]

Here is my house from above - farmers fields on one side, the village on the other :-)

I can wander into the field for full S/SE views, or just setup in the garden where marked (North is top)