Hanningfield Reservoir

[zakkhogan]

i popped over Hanningfield Reservoir this evening, just took my camera, its quite dark not brilliant but better than the garden.

This is a picture of cassiopeia, 45 x 20sec shots

and this one is looking east, we have jupiter is the lower left and the pleiades almost centre

A 20 sec shot straight up has nice results but the eastwards shot 20sec was too much, as you can see!!

[bamus]

its quite good Craig, but I think you need to improove focus next time. I know its not easy without Live view, but results are so much better with focus spot on.

Hanningfield Reservoir - is there any good area for more cars to park and do stargazing? I know its not as good as Dengie, but perhaps its good alternative for quick sesions?

[knobby]

Possible for Friday ?

[zakkhogan]

its quite good Craig, but I think you need to improove focus next time. I know its not easy without Live view, but results are so much better with focus spot on.

Hanningfield Reservoir - is there any good area for more cars to park and do stargazing? I know its not as good as Dengie, but perhaps its good alternative for quick sesions?

There is room for parking, ill pop down after work and get some daylight shots,

Personally i dont think that it would be a great site, their was stead flow of traffic, maybe 1 - 2 cars every 5 -10.

The view north is great but south is heavily light polluted, its only a mile or 2 from the A127.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?client=opera&q=51.646466,%200.486403&oe=utf-8&channel=suggest&ie=UTF-8&hl=en

[knobby]

Bet it's better than my back garden

[tone2012]

1. nice image, i really want to get some shots like this, ive been there for normal photography, but really would like to learn to get some night sky shots with my DSLR and scope
   

[buzz]

I'm in Woodham Ferrers - for the moment using my back garden to fine-tune my technique. I have used the car park by the crouch a few times - but the local boat club has got a few security lights- it's ok for imagers but for observing, it messes up your vision.

I will probably venture East to Dengie if I want to do something serious.

[tone2012]

this dengie sounds amazing, i may have to take a drive out with binocs just to see how dark it is.

[skywatcher250]

dengie is great. depends on where your site is though, much of the land is private and inaccessible to us unless permission is granted... nothing wrong with taking a drive and parking up somewhere though im sure !

[tone2012]

yeah i think i may have to do that, it would be nice to see the stars, i dont get to see much in my garden due to the LP

[skywatcher250]

we usually see 12 or 15 stars from the garden very very sad )

[buzz]

dengie is great. depends on where your site is though, much of the land is private and inaccessible to us unless permission is granted... nothing wrong with taking a drive and parking up somewhere though im sure !

Sorry for the delay in responding. I think the Castlepoint club sometimes use this site. There is a public car park, which supports the small walk to the church St Peter on the Wall. There doesn't seem to be any restriction. It is at the end of E End road. Apparently, on a good night, you can see the milky way.

[IanL]

I'd be surprised if the Milky Way wasn't visible from Dengie. I'm on the other side of the Blackwater with the lights of West Mersea to the south (not too bad at all), Colchester to the North (pretty poor up to about 45 degrees in that direction depending on transparency), and a light dome up to about 30 degrees to the WSW from Chelmsford. Luckily I observe mainly from E to S up through the Zenith due to the orientation of the house/garden. The Milky Way is easily visible on moonless nights; helps having no street lights in the village (except the neighbour but one's security light for their dog which comes on at random).

I'd have thought that the Dengie in any direction from NE to S would be even better since you're mainly looking out over empty sea until you get to Holland/Belgium. It's the largely empty expanse of North Sea that I think is responsible for the lack of light pollution on Dengie rather than just the local conditions of no large towns. Like I said, I can see the lights of Chelmsford from where I am, and it is about 20 miles as the crow flies, whereas in the opposite direction is is not quite dark, but ptetty good.

From Chelmo, it would probably be an easier drive via Danbury, through Maldon and then on in the direction of Tollesbury to get a fairly similar outlook if you can't find any accessible sites on Dengie.

[buzz]

We just need a clear night !!

[knobby]

That'll be nice

[skywatcher250]

fat chance !!!

[zakkhogan]

Went for a drive to the other side of the reservoir today (site B onthe pic),

Looks like it would have nice skies that my normal site (site A) however... (sadface time) that side of the reservoir is surrounded is by a 20' high grass verge all the way round the south and high trees to the north

its a sham as it looks nice over there

[zakkhogan]

So lets start with the good stuff... As some of you know (gary) I've been moping over not have the upgrade kit for my wedge, which is effectively just some screws that celeston charge £120 for!!! outrageous!!

Any ways, today my brother-in-law kind came over to have a look and a about an hour later he presented me this:

Being over the moon, i gave him all my beer Any ways now im really desperate to get out, and as chance might have it tonight is possible the clearest night of the year yet,

so i pack my gear in to the car, and head to the reservoir,

i get out and have a little look around and see a big bank of cloud on the horizon, my plan at this time is to sit in the car and see whats going to happen.

Not 5 mins pass when all of a sudden im virtually surround by boi-racers reving their engines,thinking great this is exactly what i want, feeling slightly relived that i hadnt started setting up, i start the ignition of my 2ltr deisel mondeo ghia and left the boi-racers eating my star dust...

i contemplated going back down there, but it's kinda put me off a little...

[knobby]

Mounts looking good though Craig

[Simms]

Wedge looks good.. Tomorrow (Monday) looks to be clear and cold - planning my first night out under the stars this year (excluding all that Icelandic nonsense of course).. Also, cheque has been sent and now awaiting delivery of you know what!!

Currently working on an adapter to use my synguider on my guider/finder - think I have found a way to make it fit/work!

[knobby]

Nudge nudge wink wink... Say no more.

Settle up when we meet