summer dark skys

[faulksy]

hi guys just wondering about dark skys, on the 4th of june I went to my local dark sky location which was good but the sky didn't go dark due to the time of year. I have been there just after winter and the skys were amazing close to breckon beacons just to give you a idea anyway, since the 4th of june will the skys be darker now than they were then, i.e. will the sun be lower on the horizon what do you think. thanks regards mike

[nephilim]

I'd have thought there wouldnt be that much difference between now & the 4th June, I popped my head out of the door (in Cumbria) just after 12am this morning & the sky was still light grey rather than black. For me, I'll be leaving it until the start of Sept, spose its personal choice really.

Steve

[faulksy]

I'd have thought there wouldnt be that much difference between now & the 4th June, I popped my head out of the door (in Cumbria) just after 12am this morning & the sky was still light grey rather than black. For me, I'll be leaving it until the start of Sept, spose its personal choice really.

Steve

thanks steve, just wondered if the sky would be better than the 4th of june,how low is the sun now below the horizon and how low was it then ?

[ronin]

The worst is June 21st Summer Solstice, we are about 21 days after that and June 4 was about 17 days before so in reality very much identical.

Being plain honest if it is June or July then it will not get dark. Owing to us being on BST the "darkest" will be 1:00 am - midnight on GMT. So anyone viewing will have to plan on a late night as well.

The university here hold a lot of public events (weekly) and these stop basically from the Spring Equinox to the Autumn Equinox.

The nights are getting darker, about a week ago I was finding I could leave the lights off until about 10:00, now it is 20 or 30 minutes earlier.

[faulksy]

so because I last went before the longest day and now were past it by the same sort of time it will be the same that makes sence, thanks for that. just desperate to get out again. looks like the back yard again then

[kirkster501]

If you work and need to be up early then observing/imaging at the height of summer is very difficult if not impossible at our latitude, depending on how much sleep you need as an individual. Starts to ease off a bit end of July/start of August. I still cannot see Polaris until 22:00, and that's three weeks after the Solstice. Cannot start proper imaging until 23:00 and since I have to pack away (another 20mins) not really worth it until later in the year.

[nephilim]

I live only a 10min drive from truely dark skies & even I wont bother venturing past the back garden for a while yet.

[kirkster501]

I live only a 10min drive from truely dark skies & even I wont bother venturing past the back garden for a while yet.

+1

[faulksy]

I work 4 on 4 off so im on my days off at the moment, so work is not a problem, just wonder what the skys will be like at my dark site

[acey]

At 1a.m. on 4th June at Brecon Beacons the sun was 15.7 degrees below horizon.

At 1a.m. on 15 July it will be 16.5 degrees below horizon. So it's a bit darker, and for longer.

For DSO viewing you would want the sun to be at least 13 degrees below horizon. At Brecon Beacons tonight you'll have this from

11.05p.m. to 2.40a.m.

I got this by Googling co-ordinates for Brecon Beacons and entering them here:

http://www.jgiesen.de/astro/astroJS/sunriseJS/

[faulksy]

At 1a.m. on 4th June at Brecon Beacons the sun was 15.7 degrees below horizon.

At 1a.m. on 15 July it will be 16.5 degrees below horizon. So it's a bit darker, and for longer.

For DSO viewing you would want the sun to be at least 13 degrees below horizon. At Brecon Beacons tonight you'll have this from

11.05p.m. to 2.40a.m.

I got this by Googling co-ordinates for Brecon Beacons and entering them here:

http://www.jgiesen.d...roJS/sunriseJS/

thanks for that acey great link saved that to favourites. I was thinking Snowdonia moutains to be honest, breckon is for when the skys are very dark, due to 100 miles each way

[Jase_v2]

Got to agree with Steve - its just gone 10 here and I havent even got a light on yet ! Doesnt get truely dark up here at this time of year.

[laser_jock99]

I took an SQM reading at 1:00am BST last night and got 21.39 - which is fairly dark. Was too light for astrophotography by 3:00am though.