Clear skies for two days!!

[Badgerjc]

I am officially hooked now i have had a chance to actually see things!!

Am struggling to align my scope due to LP from various street lights and security lights from both aspects of my house, so manually slewed to a few targets:-

Firstly the moon(my first time with new EP's) awesome is all i can really say on that one!!

Next i moved onto m42, (which was just visible to the naked eye) the first time i have seen this through a scope and i must say i wont forget it in a hurry!!

And then Saturn, oh my life what a sight, i think i have found a favorite so far and am gonna try and make the most of it while the rings are still Quite visible!!

Well the Pleiades were next, well i think everything i see through my scope is going to keep on filling me with joy and total amazement!!

Mars was next and to be honest was dissapointing due to a well placed security light!! I hate security lights, especaially when they are almost horizontal!!

I now know where all the cold dark lonely nights will be spent( me my scope and bino's and a flask of something!!)

P.S thanks to Steve at FLO for the great service he provides and for getting my EP's to me in time for clear skies!!

A very starstruck newbie..

Badgerjc

[cygnusx1]

Hey Badg good to see you having a good time,isn't it gr8 when you get some good viewing in!

P.S so we hooking up for the AtsroFest trip :hello1:

[Badgerjc]

It sure is Kev!!

R.E astrofest thats a roger mate!!

We should maybe hook up before that for a bit of observing, what are the skies like near you? Hemel is an easy trip for me to make would apreciate some company as none of my friends are into astronomy!!

Badger

[captain vallo]

Yep, clear skies for 2 days here too, right above the clouds!

[Sam]

Sounds like you had a great time Badger - good on you! It's is an inspiring moment to see Saturn for the first time.

Sam

[lunator]

BJC

Glad the evening went wel.

Mars is a tricky object to see detail to see even without blinding security lights

Cheers

Ian

[jgs001]

Badger, great news. Glad you had a chance to use the gear. Sounds like you had a great time of it.

[Stephen Green]

Hi Badgerjc It was agood night glad you enjoyed I found Mars not so clear I could only just make out markings on the surface

Stephen

Eastbourne AS East Sussex

[HDJ]

Yep, clear skies for 2 days here too, right above the clouds!

Hmmm, now that gives me an idea.. hehe

[plasma.d00d]

A solution to your security light problem ..

[Badgerjc]

Unfortunately the lights are toughened!! Have tried many things:-

1. I tried two slingshots, A black widow and a Diablo pro!!

2. Tried a 2.2 cal air rifle!

3. And even tried asking them to change the angle of the light, the response was not printable!

I really need to move to the middle of the country somewhere!!

[Sam]

a 50 cal will do the trick.

[jgs001]

Given that getting hold of a 50 cal could be tricky (but you could pretty much guarantee the security light would not be around to be pesky anymore), how about a piece of blackout material strung between two posts and erected between you and the light ? This is something I'm gonna look into as I have a school with a lovely security light shining into my garden all night. It's luckily far enough away to not effect the north and south views, but west is not good.

[plasma.d00d]

http://www.ealing.gov.uk/services/environment/pollution/light/

Legal solutions

From 1 April 2006, light pollution was brought into the definition of a 'statutory nuisance', this is defined as "artificial light emitted from premises so as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance". It constitutes a statutory nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (provision added by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005).

[HDJ]

I read somewhere that commercial premises can get away with it.

Such as carpark lighting or security lighting in yards.. sometimes these are the worst offendors, due to the lamps used either Sodium or Mercury.

They really light up the air around and often above them.