Back Garden Observing - its the future

[Tom2012]

That was pretty impressive*

[acey]

When I started out the back garden was fine - I was looking at planets, moon, bright clusters and the easiest Messiers. But since my main interest is galaxies I was never going to get along too well in a light-polluted back garden with lots of direct light sources and a restricted view of the sky. Each to their own, but personally I'd far rather be alone in the middle of nowhere on a perfectly calm and still night with the Milky Way shining brightly above me, meteors flashing at regular intervals, the northern lights possibly gracing the horizon, and the only sound the occasional hooting of a distant owl.

[Cath]

I'm with Steve (the OP)!

The thought of going out into the dark empty places on my own to do some viewing is not high on my list of things to do, I don't like that sense of panic either.

If looking up at the stars is not totally relaxing and enjoyable then it's no fun, is it? .. So all my viewing (what little I manage due to various reasons) is also done from my garden, even though I do have to contend with some LP. It could be worse! .. but then yes I know it could be better too.

[Hobbes]

When I started out the back garden was fine - I was looking at planets, moon, bright clusters and the easiest Messiers. But since my main interest is galaxies I was never going to get along too well in a light-polluted back garden with lots of direct light sources and a restricted view of the sky. Each to their own, but personally I'd far rather be alone in the middle of nowhere on a perfectly calm and still night with the Milky Way shining brightly above me, meteors flashing at regular intervals, the northern lights possibly gracing the horizon, and the only sound the occasional hooting of a distant owl.

I find that after a couple of years of stargazing I am increasingly drawn to dark sites for the same reason. I do still observe from my garden but usually have to confine my targets to the brighter objects - Planets, Stars and the more easily visible Messiers due to the light pollution from my neighbours HUGE new conservatory and garden lighting. I also really enjoy group observing sessions. I get to look through some fantastic scopes and often find out about some new objects.

[euphony]

On a slightly unrelated note, regarding light pollution.

I grew up about 4 miles down the road in a town called Sandiacre. When I used to live there I could easily (and I mean easily) see the little dipper (ursa minor) with my naked eyes.

Where I live now, according to every single light pollution map I have ever checked, it is a darker location than there, as Sandiacre is much closer to more populated areas, and also the city of Derby and has the A52 and M1 running right next to it. I am on the edge of the countryside, although I still get a little bit of light pollution from nearby towns.

I moved here 4 years ago and I have not once been able to see ursa minor with my naked eye here.

When i lived in Sandiacre, I'm talking pre-2000. If I visit my parents who still live there, you can't see ursa minor any more. I took the night sky for granted when I was young.

Just goes to show how bad it has got in urban and semi-urban areas

[Moonshane]

I agree totally that you need to feel relaxed when observing, otherwise the enjoyment fades a little. I live close to Stockport and 9 miles from Manchester centre so light pollution is bad. For the reasons stated above (convenience, laziness, time taken to get to site, getting a brew, bragging on SGL etc) I do prefer and tend to mainly observe at home. I see lots to keep me going and rarely find myself bored. Occasionally my neighbour joins me and that's always a nice change - I do like the solitude though.

Star parties and dark sites are a rare treat for me and I love them. The banter is great, seeing friends again and having a look through their gear etc is brilliant.

It's my home site where I see most stuff and that won't change for a while. Plans for a truss version of my 16" dob might allow me to become a bit more mobile though.

[laser_jock99]

I'm backawards & fowards between two sites at the moment. The garden of my parents house in Warwickshire is okay (Milky Way just visible overhead on the very clearest nights) but two major light domes to contend with. My house in Powys is a different story- Milky Way visible down to the Southern horizon- no towns or villages in that direction for 60 miles or so- just mountains. By force of where I am working at this time I use the Warwkishire garden a lot. Just can't wait for the weekneds though....

[Mike73]

When I started out the back garden was fine - I was looking at planets, moon, bright clusters and the easiest Messiers. But since my main interest is galaxies I was never going to get along too well in a light-polluted back garden with lots of direct light sources and a restricted view of the sky. Each to their own, but personally I'd far rather be alone in the middle of nowhere on a perfectly calm and still night with the Milky Way shining brightly above me, meteors flashing at regular intervals, the northern lights possibly gracing the horizon, and the only sound the occasional hooting of a distant owl.

I'm another who completely agrees with this.

I do still observe from home but I try and keep that to sketching Messier OC's and try to organise my dark site trips to the objects I really enjoy like galaxies, nebulae and GC's.

This weekend I'm on call so I'II be in the back garden for a few hours which will still be enjoyable but I finish work for Christmas on Monday and have plans to goto a SQM 22 dark site and my S+T Atlas is brimming with post it notes with 90% galaxies.

I get more stressed out observing from home with neighbours bathroom lights flicking on and off every two minutes than I do at dark sites!

[Alkaid]

Regretfully my garden is not my friend. I live in a small terrace in Leeds. Views are blighted by horrendous light pollution, plus steam extracts on both sides from my neighbours central heating boilers. Trying to observe through quivering air is hopeless.

So funnily enough my Astro hobby sort of merges with my other hobby - the outdoors. I am perfectly happy finishing a walk in the winter dark, headtorch on, completely on my own. When I go observing, I often drive to the Yorkshire Dales, or Peak. I don't mind being 'out there' all by myself. Sometimes my wife, or a mate comes, but mostly just me. It's quiet, no one around and you just have to remember that everything is the same - but dark. Don't be scared. It's great, with better views! And I wear the same gear that I would use to go up a mountain, cos it's warm. If you saw me you would chuckle. I honestly look like Ranulph Fiennes - with a telescope.

[inspectapart]

I guess i have been lucky with my small garden. I live on the edge of a small market town but next to the main road which has the old orange street lamps. My garden is walled round three sides and i`ve let my conifers grow to a height of 10ft to hide the street lights on the other side. At the East side are bungalows but they are hidden as they are below my garden wall. To the north I am clear but not down to the horizon. To the south I have a pretty good view, not to the horizon, but down to 20 degrees or so. and to the west I`m limited by my connifers that hide the street lights. I have been obseving from my little garden for about 30 years and I have been so very lucky to have lived in a small makket town.

Unfortunately, there are plans a foot to build a huge Sainsburys supermarket just on my side of the town and this will change everything for me. There will be a lot more pollution, and so my long run of happy strgazing will soon be marred by light skies. I need to get started on an effort to get the council to install eco friendly lighting from the start, before the first shovel is in the ground.

[KeironKK]

I like my little patch in what is not much more than a 15' x 20' flagged back yard. I love it, not just because of the solitude, but because it focuses you on one very smallish patch of sky. Admittedly, it is south facing, but with the area of sky being smallish you spend more time hunting down more elusive targets that are hard to find, or making more in depth observations of variables and nebulae.

[Hermit]

I live about 3 miles to the east of Manchester city centre, and my 12' x 10' yard faces north west, so not ideal. Add to that the garage opposite having their floodlights on and the next door neighbour having a security light, conditions are far from ideal...!

However, we are hopefully moving to a house (albeit 500yds away!) with a much larger garden (much more of the sky will be visible) and less light pollution. Seeing as I prefer planets, open clusters and the moon to faint fuzzies then my locality isn't too much of a problem. Or maybe thats just what I'm telling myself due to my circumstances!

The couple of times that I have been to dark sky sites e.g. Kielder have been stunning though, but can't help feeling that if I lived in a dark sky area then I would eventually take my lack of light pollution for granted, and the star camp weekends at Kielder may not feel as special...(?) Those dark skies up there do feel like a treat!

[username]

I use my balcony most of the time. I can get East to South pretty easily from it. The zenith is out of the question due to balcony above. There's loads of street lights but it's well placed for Jupiter over the past couple of months and until the new year so I've been pretty happy. Next year I'll have to start going out the front to the park for Jupiter although I just like planning my observing for what's in view from the balcony most of the time.

[Seafury]

Ridiculously short reply " Ditto"

Gordon

[bingevader]

Yep, my hobby wouldn't be if it weren't for the back garden!

I had 30mins last night whilst the girls were watching Merlin!

Once they'd gone to bed the cloud had come in.

Good enough for me!

Cheers

[Ags]

Was just looking a Jupiter, thinking of the views SPM must have had over the years with his 12".

[JG777]

I live in a town and my own back yard is surrounded by tall trees, and other properties. Observing from home is really not an option although in my previous house things were a bit better. I have 2 dark sites within 15 minutes II can visit and I enjoy going there. Being out on my own has never really bothered me, being an angler as well I have often been out in the middle of nowhere and have never had any hassle or aggravation. Obviously I would not choose the inner town park where aggro could be more likely but once you get out of town which for me is 10 or 15 minutes the game changes totally. Being out alone requires a bit of discipline and orgainisation whatever your outside hobby,and as a previous poster put it things are the same but it is dark and no one else is around! I quite enjoy the solitude and time to think and in all honesty it is so nice to get away from the lights. That alone is the real difference getting your night vision and keeping it!

It is worth securing a dark site from a farm owner, or something similar or a public park right out of town.

At the end of the day how many astronomers have been mugged, killed, attacked etc in far out dark places? The fear of something like that way exceeds the reality.

Well thats what my shrink told me.........