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Elan Valley Dark Skies Event 08-03-14

laser_jock99

By laser_jock99
in Star Parties & Astro Events

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Wyvern

Wyvern

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Will be there with the 10"S/C and the 120mm SkyWatcher refractor. Any other interested parties, please feel free to bring along scopes or binos to the event so others can get some views - weather permitting!!!!

Clear skies,

Les

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  • 2 weeks later...
Beulah

Beulah

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Posted

I can't make it either - a brake disk is howling & spitting metal fragments everywhere and needs to be replaced. Currently grounded.....as the mechanic can only fix it next week  :(

Gutted is an understatement.

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Elan Valley Astronomy

Elan Valley Astronomy

Posted
Posted

Thank you to all who came out and joined us last night at the Elan Valley Visitor Centre for our National Astronomy Week Event 

Lovely to meet a lot of new people, some local and some from further afield. Especially nice to know our event managed to allow some scopes to escape from hibernation having been put away in cupboards and garages... for some years in one case 

Special note of thanks to Gary Palmer for bringing his scopes along and setting up wifi lap top viewing of the Moon and Jupiter inside the visitor centre, along with a superlative array of images. 
His wealth of knowledge assisted some of the less experienced get to grips with mastering the art of setting up their scopes.

What fantastic luck we had...clear skies and then the wind dropped away too...giving us a great observing session...looking at a First Quarter Moon just showing the Alpine Valley and being spoilt for choice for features along the terminator. 

We then turned our scopes to the planet of the moment...Jupiter. We observed the four primary Galilean Moons...Io on the western side, then Europa nearest on the eastern side, followed by Ganymede, which is the largest moon in the Solar System at 3,272 miles (5,265km) across, with Callisto being the furthest out at that time.

Orion was poised over hills above us so we had a look at the Orion Nebula. 
Then scanned across the skies looking at various constellations, with first magnitude Arcturus coming into view on the northeast horizon at the end of our session around 10pm.

14 people with 10 scopes made for great company. Special thank you to Head Ranger Alan Samuel for the unexpected, but very welcome refreshments during the evening with some tasty homemade shortbread!! 

The next general observing event is planned for May 4th ...
( please insert your own joke! ) further details will be posted here nearer the time and are available on the EV website...www.elanvalley.org.uk 

Before then...please come along to the EV VC on Sunday 16th March to experience the Sun in Hydrogen Alpha courtesy of Gary Palmer.

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laser_jock99

laser_jock99

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Thank you to all who came out and joined us last night at the Elan Valley Visitor Centre for our National Astronomy Week Event 

Lovely to meet a lot of new people, some local and some from further afield. Especially nice to know our event managed to allow some scopes to escape from hibernation having been put away in cupboards and garages... for some years in one case 

Special note of thanks to Gary Palmer for bringing his scopes along and setting up wifi lap top viewing of the Moon and Jupiter inside the visitor centre, along with a superlative array of images. 

His wealth of knowledge assisted some of the less experienced get to grips with mastering the art of setting up their scopes.

What fantastic luck we had...clear skies and then the wind dropped away too...giving us a great observing session...looking at a First Quarter Moon just showing the Alpine Valley and being spoilt for choice for features along the terminator. 

We then turned our scopes to the planet of the moment...Jupiter. We observed the four primary Galilean Moons...Io on the western side, then Europa nearest on the eastern side, followed by Ganymede, which is the largest moon in the Solar System at 3,272 miles (5,265km) across, with Callisto being the furthest out at that time.

Orion was poised over hills above us so we had a look at the Orion Nebula. 

Then scanned across the skies looking at various constellations, with first magnitude Arcturus coming into view on the northeast horizon at the end of our session around 10pm.

14 people with 10 scopes made for great company. Special thank you to Head Ranger Alan Samuel for the unexpected, but very welcome refreshments during the evening with some tasty homemade shortbread!! 

The next general observing event is planned for May 4th ...

( please insert your own joke! ) further details will be posted here nearer the time and are available on the EV website...www.elanvalley.org.uk 

Before then...please come along to the EV VC on Sunday 16th March to experience the Sun in Hydrogen Alpha courtesy of Gary Palmer.

Sounds like you had a good time.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Helicon

Helicon

Posted
Posted

I really wanted to go to this as it is not far from where I live but was already committed to a birthday celebration , glad you had clear skies ! and will try to make the next one .

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Beulah

Beulah

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Posted

Yep, I think readings have been done - in fact, the head ranger of the Elan Valley,  Alan,  has an SQL meter in his possession. I am popping down there next week, so I can find out. My guess from observing in the area is that LM is around 6.5 which would equate to around 21.5 MPSAS?

Wyvern, a member of this forum and who lives on the other side of the EV (probably even darker over there) would probably know the results.   :)

It's VERY dark away from local LP, but there are LP domes from Llandrindod Wells (population around 5k) which is around 15 miles from the EV visitor centre and Llanidloes  (population 2k?) 12 miles north. The light domes are evident in some of the widefield astrophotography from the area.

Through the 12" Dob the Ring Nebula is very white with a very obvious crepe film in the centre. Hercules Cluster appears to be much brighter, as if I have stepped up four inches in aperture (12 inch becoming 16 inch)

Milky Way? Seeing is believing. (sigh)

The sky is so much blacker/bluer with no grey fuzz and the stars are sharper and brighter. The night sky seems purer, if you get my drift.

Mike, you'll probably find that the readings from your dark sites down Cornwall way would probably match.

Hope we can see the numbers soon.   :)

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Beulah

Beulah

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Posted

Sorry Daniel, I should have worded that a little better. It's not necessarily light domes, but LP reflected in cloud... can't edit my post.

Would that be the Llyn Peninsula you are referring to? Lovely area, been up there a few times, the sea is so clear it almost looks tropical....

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Daniel-K

Daniel-K

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Posted

Sorry Daniel, I should have worded that a little better. It's not necessarily light domes, but LP reflected in cloud... can't edit my post.

Would that be the Llyn Peninsula you are referring to? Lovely area, been up there a few times, the sea is so clear it almost looks tropical....

 it would be :D its lovely there  we go every year

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Mike73

Mike73

Posted
Posted

Beulah / Dan

I'm thinking of putting together a UK map with SQM readings taken by SGL members. There used to be a great website called My Dark Sky which did the same (and more) but I think thats finished now.

Its just an idea and will only work if people add their readings but if it works I think it could help people plan trips to dark sites.

Dan I have a meter so we'll find out exactly how dark Llyn is. :)

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Wyvern

Wyvern

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Posted

Hi Mike,

Re the Elan Valley's SQM readings,

We've taken a number of readings at eight locations across the Elan Estate, and are planning to make a wider survey across the region for the Dark skies application - work in progress.  :grin:

The readings so far from the eight primary sites, vary from 21.18 to 22.80 - that equates to a NELM value of 6.22 to 6.95  :hello2:

Regards,

Les.

PS -  Thanks for the name dropping Beulah.  :icon_salut: Cheques in the post!

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