Noobie light pollution question

[ubertank]

I've found what I think is a pretty nice spot not too far from me. It's far away from any close sources of light - completely pitch black without moonlight, but in the distance some miles away you can see lights from some nearby towns.

Will the light from these towns effect night vision greatly? Also should you be aiming for a spot with no lights on the horizon or would this usually not effective the sky directly above you too much?

[Ganymede12]

So long as your not actually in the town/city that is causing the light pollution then there will be a major improvement in views!

[KevUU]

It shouldn't affect your views much, especially at the zenith (straight up).

Try to make sure you don't have them in view as you potter around the scope though or seeing them will knacker your night vision. I drape a towel around some knobs and things on my scope so when I'm at the eyepiece it shields my eyes from the streetlight just beyond, may work for you too?

[sologuitarist61]

I agree with Ant, especially in this country where you will be very hard pressed to find a site that doesn't have one town or another in the distance. Go there on a moonless night and see how many stars you can see with the naked eye, that will give you a better idea of how good it is.

[VigdisVZ]

You can actually do a lot from just a few km outside town...

The full moon will probably do more damage than the towns will after what you're describing.

Lights on the horizon dont matter if it's a few single ones.

What annoys me however is when there is a road nearby and cars pass by with full lights on.

[ubertank]

it's a beautiful spot actually. A farmer's land we have managed to sort out. First scope arrives tomorrow and Saturday is supposed to be cloudless, so yeah, I'm excited..

[laser_jock99]

I agree with Ant, especially in this country where you will be very hard pressed to find a site that doesn't have one town or another in the distance. Go there on a moonless night and see how many stars you can see with the naked eye, that will give you a better idea of how good it is.

It is reckoned you need to be at least 80-100km from a major town or city to not see it's 'light dome', not easy in the UK. Light pollution from distant sources shows up more easilly on long exposure photos. But just getting a few miles out of town will make a vast difference.

[brantuk]

Your planned observing site sounds ideal. If you pick a spot carefully you may be able to shield your setup from the distant lights with a barn, shed, hedge, or tree. The further you stand behind the "shield" the more sky you'll have visible. Depending how close the distant town is you may notice a bit of reflection from atmosphere or any thin clouds that are hanging around - especially if it's moist.

Choose a cool, clear night with good transparency and no moon for best viewing, you'll soon get to judge the "seeing" effectively. Remember to take a dim red torch so you can make adjustments to the scope whilst preserving night vision, and read your planned object list (or star maps).

I observe from the front driveway - but standing behind the caravan shields the street lights and makes a huge difference - so you should be fine. Good luck