What a Dark Sky Is

[entropia]

A luxury, nowadays.

Last Saturday, the astronomy club I joined recently were having a public night but instead, we ended up going to a small town more than 3 hours away from the city. This would have been my first time attending a public viewing. The next month there will be a Messier Marathon and I am so there (weather permitting).

I have been several times to that foothill town but it was always cloudy. This time, it was clear and we drove towards the peak where there was almost no artificial lightning, only a light from a house below.  I didn't bring my telescope since I was afraid that with all the movement I would have to collimate  but I have a binocular I bought when we went to see the launch of the Atlantis shuttle STS-125. It is a cheap 7X50 and I never used it but then I read somebody in this forum say that even the smallest bino/telescope could show amazing things.

The sky was breathtaking. Since I am new to stargazing and I am learning, I like to see the sky with the naked eye. Orion was so full of stars that it took me a couple of seconds to realize where it was. Usually in the city, Orion is so easily recognized since you can see the pattern of the few stars. You could see his shield very clearly and his club. Then, there was Taurus with the V shape I read about in the books. I was looking through the ecliptic and, in the city sky,between Gemini and Leo it looks like there is an empty space but this time I saw a cluster of stars. I look at the phone application and it said it was the Beehive cluster. I looked at Auriga and close to Elnath there was something that looked like a nebula. I then took the binoculars and looked for M82. I am almost certain that I found it this time but I am not sure if I could see the SN since I could see both M81 and M82 and they were pretty close. I also tried M31 but it was kind of low in the horizon and it was very dim (if it was indeed M31).  Then I saw Puppis rising, which I had never seen before and looked like a giant question mark and the whole Canis Major.

The experience was mesmerizing and I didn't even have a telescope. I would say my favorite moment was when I "discovered" the Beehive cluster, so beautiful and delicate and yet,invisible to me in the city sky.

I am feeling kind of sad that the winter sky is going away. It will always be my first sky

[Mike73]

I'm sure that was the start of many great nights to come, you certainly sound like you have got the bug anyway!

Lots of things up there to discover and an object that will leave you in awe from the city will blow your socks off if you put a little effort in and get to dark skies.

[rory]

Nice read. I went to Wales to get some dark skies a while back ........

It was cloudy , doh. !

Your write up shows why it's worth the effort.

Thanks for posting.

[entropia]

I'm sure that was the start of many great nights to come, you certainly sound like you have got the bug anyway!

Lots of things up there to discover and an object that will leave you in awe from the city will blow your socks off if you put a little effort in and get to dark skies.

Many dark clear . I will try to take my telescope next time but even if I don't, seeing the starry night with the naked eye is already amazing. 

It reminds me something I read on Wikipedia:

 if they knew what profound inner pleasure await those who gaze at the heavens, then France, nay, the whole of Europe, would be covered with telescopes instead of bayonets, thereby promoting universal happiness and peace." — Camille Flammarion, 1880

[entropia]

Nice read. I went to Wales to get some dark skies a while back ........

It was cloudy , doh. !

Your write up shows why it's worth the effort.

Thanks for posting.

it was totally worth it. have been to that place several times but it was always cloudy. It is hard to imagine that it is the same sky as in the city. A starry night never ceases to impress me, I feel every time like it is the first time I see the sky.

You should try it again, this time there will be clear skies