Stupid question of the day...

[claire1985]

What's the astronomy like from a plane at night? Can you actually see any stars?

[cathalferris]

If you shroud your head to exclude the cabin lights, you can get nice clear naked-eye views once you dark adapt. If the windows are iced up or otherwise not cleaned then you may have a boring time of it.

The best views would come from those long-haul flights where the cabin crew dimm down the cabin lights to "allow people to sleep more easily" - this makes it easier to dark adapt.

It's a bit awkward to try using binoculars through the non-optical glass.

[claire1985]

I was just watching something and they was on a long haul flight, made me think what it'd be like :-)

[brantuk]

I've seen Orion by eye with crystal clarity through an aircraft window flying up from S.Africa. And there's a video somewhere with Richard "hamster" Hammond looking at Saturn through a plane window on a very high laboratory flight. The rings were face on and were unbelievable - I've only seen them edge on or at an angle through an Earthbound scope.

[ronin]

As the windows are not the best for looking through the views are variable.

If the pane is good then you can see quite well, you are limited in the view.

Have seen aurora a couple of times when over Greenland and Canada.

Some airlines say that at night the window blind has to be down when they dim the lights, they want the shutter down to maintain a dark plane for sleeping, Trying to argue that it is dark outside so shutter up or down is irrelevant is usually met with a blank look - the rules say shutter down to maintain a dark cabin so immaterial of the state outside the shutter has to be down.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Im 39 now. For my 40th birthday next March i am going to treat myself to a flight from Gatwick that flies up to Norway(?) to take in the the Northern Lights. Pete Lawrence is the tour guide.

I most likely will not waste my time taking photos, I will just look out the window and take in the views.

[buzzc150]

I'm an airline pilot. Sometimes, particularly over the ocean, the views can be stunning. I have to turn the lights rightdown, pull my seat forward and perch my head over the 'dash board' to eliminate all the glare but it can be stunning.

I've seen some beautiful moon rises at altitude, the likes of which aren't possible from the ground. I've never seen the northern lights though.

[Peter Drew]

I saw the last total Lunar eclipse on a flight back from Tenerife, stunning clarity.

[Stu]

I seem to remember Concorde being used to follow the total solar eclipse in 1999, and having looked it up they did it in 1973 as well. Not sure how successful they were at seeing it, must have been very cramped.

Anyway, your idea is not silly, I posted on a very similar subject a while back. Well ok, we could both be silly but what are the chances of that :-).

http://stargazerslounge.com/index.php?/topic/142953-Airborne-astronomy....-:-)/page__view__findpost__p__1430423

Stu

[JB80]

Some airlines say that at night the window blind has to be down when they dim the lights, they want the shutter down to maintain a dark plane for sleeping, Trying to argue that it is dark outside so shutter up or down is irrelevant is usually met with a blank look - the rules say shutter down to maintain a dark cabin so immaterial of the state outside the shutter has to be down.

Yes, sadly this is true of BA and possibly even Qantas. I find it all terribly annoying, I've missed lightning storms, meteor showers and just a nice view because of this.

Next time on a long haul I plan on using the claustrophobia card and see if that makes a difference. I seem to have developed a flying anxiety as it is so it shouldn't be too hard to look white as a ghost.

[JamesF]

I've come across the "blinds must be down when the cabin lights are off" rules before too. Possibly on transatlantic flights with United, but it's been a long time since I last flew, so I may be mistaken.

James

[Matt Scunthorpe]

When i flew back from USA on a delta plane, i realised that i could see the stars out of the window. I must of looked a bit suspicious with the free blanket they give you over my head though!

[AndyWB]

I reckon the astronomy could be pretty good if you can get a seat near the eyepiece...

On a more serious note, I always figured the 'blinds down' thing was due to the location lights - they're bright up close - but I could be wrong?