Backgarden Observer or Full On Dark Sky Enthusiast?

[Earl]

My sky is pretty dark at home, not that im much into visual and seem to be leaning toward NB imaging atm.

[DRT]

All of my observing to date has been from the garden. I have a reasonably good position with a fairly open view from south east to west and a smaller gap towards the north so lots of the popular targets come into view at some point. The skies vary from completely rubbish to reasonably dark and I can occasionally make out the Milky Way with the naked eye.

But the main reason for not getting out under dark sky is the size of my scopes. The CPC1100, 12" Dob and Evostar 120/EQ5 are not exactly grab-n-go and would be impractical if I found myself in a place that I wanted to vacate quickly. My intention is to get myself an Explorer 150P-DS on as light a mount as it will take so that I can whiz out to Surprise View in the Peak District when the seeing conditions are good.

The main downside of finding a dark site is that my beloved wife wouldn't be able to enhance my viewing experience by turning the kitchen light on and off twenty times a night

[RikM]

I almost always observe from home. It's not the best of locations, but I have been amazed at just what is observable. I will look at planets if they are about but I'm much more a DSO fan. To get somewhere dark enough to be worthwhile would mean a long trip and I generally don't drive if I can help it.

[Paul73]

Garden only, except with the bins.

My garden has pretty good horizons and 5.5 mag darkness (milky way easily visible on good nights). So I don't do too badly.

I'd love to seek out the really dark sites but my family commitments make regular dark sky hunting "politically unacceptable"...

Being in reach of the beer fridge is some consolation.

Paul

[asset189]

Dark sky for me, living less than 1 hour from the dark skies in Galloway it not too difficult with a we bit of planning to load some kit into the motor and find a we bit of darkness. Having said that with the changeable weather we get I still have a few nights in the back garden , particularly during the week. I've now built a couple of inexpensive screens with plastic pipe, black binliners and pound shop tarps, which do block out some surrounding light from neighbours.

[Laurie61]

Back garden for me, according to my philip's dark sky map I have 5.0-5.25 sky's which is about right   I can see the milky way which is regarded as doable at mag 5 or better. I find weather conditions play a bigger part in seeing things and on nights with low humidity can see objects like M 33 (5.7 mag) which has a low surface brightness. 

[mog3768]

Back garden for me would love to go to dark sites but non functioning legs

don't permit it. Just about to move house so hope the new one gives as good

views as here. But recently have got into Solar viewing and really enjoy it

so have a good fall back.

[greyhaven]

Now my observing is done from my backyard observatory. I am the primary care giver for my disabled wife so observing from dark sky sites is no longer an option.

Grey

[Stridor]

I am a back garden observer at the moment; light pollution is fairly minimal , it is mainly tall trees and hedges that are a problem............it will be those that get me to `stretch my legs` a bit in the coming months.

[DaveS]

Having had another depressing look at the Avex-Asso site, I cannot see anywhere dark within a 2 hour drive from here, so I think a dark-site is no-go until I buy something in mid-Wales.

Question is, do I buy a second / "doer-upper" to use until I retire, or wait till then?

Dunno.

[bomberbaz]

I am both actually. I mainly observe from the back garden but do like to get out to dark sites with fellow enthusiasts. I know more or less what I can get from the BG so I tend to view what I know and enjoy doing this, I like to go to darker sites to view things I haven't sen before, particularly galaxies and nebula.

Steve

[laser_jock99]

Having had another depressing look at the Avex-Asso site, I cannot see anywhere dark within a 2 hour drive from here, so I think a dark-site is no-go until I buy something in mid-Wales.

Question is, do I buy a second / "doer-upper" to use until I retire, or wait till then?

Dunno.

Here's a doer upper

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33809139

Not so sure about the 30 year 'clawback claus' on the out buildings though?

In fact it looks like the Vyrny Estate are having a bit of a sale......

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33809146

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33809136

[Luke]

Interesting poll. I like a dark sky but garden under okay sky is my normal. We did love being able to see more with our 12 inch dob under the darker skies at the Kelling Heath Star Party.

We thought it would be lovely if we could get views like those from home. So we bought a 16 inch dob, hoping to "bring Kelling home."

We both feel that the 16 inch dob actually does a bit better at home than our 12 inch dob did at Kelling. So result there

Mind you, I'd love to bring home views that the 16 gives at Kelling :grin:

[DaveS]

This a place I've been looking at.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-30579663.html?backListLink=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Fmap.html%3FlocationIdentifier%3DUSERDEFINEDAREA%5E%7B%2522id%2522%3A2466475%7D%23_includeSSTC%3Don%26auction%3Dfalse%26locationIdentifier%3DUSERDEFINEDAREA%255E%257B%2522id%2522%253A2466475%257D%26previousSearchLocation%3DDark%2520Sky%2520Search%2520(Drawn%2520Area)%26radius%3D0.0%26searchLocation%3DDark%2520Sky%2520Search%2520(Drawn%2520Area)%26searchType%3DSALE%26useLocationIdentifier%3Dfalse%26box%3D-3.84608%2C-3.73003%2C52.28617%2C52.37806%26popupPropertyId%3D30579663&fromMap=true

It's been on the market a while. Wonder if they'd take £200k cash, no chain?

[bomberbaz]

Here's a doer upper

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33809139

Not so sure about the 30 year 'clawback claus' on the out buildings though?

In fact it looks like the Vyrny Estate are having a bit of a sale......

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33809146

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33809136

Bit of a duffer if the rear view tio the first one is south facing LJ, however if its the lake whose name I cannot pronounce that faces south its bingo

[DaveS]

Looking at the map I think the first one is on the north shoe of the lake, so the view south is OK. However I'm thinking that unless you're an experienced developer I'd give it a miss, since they want all services re-connected and running between exchange and completion.

Still fancy the one I saw on Rightmove, it's in a very dark area and is habitable as-is while renovating. It also has a southern-ish 3.6 acre paddock for a major observatory complex. The outbuilding looks nice for a workshop / wood store / observatory.

Dunno.....having just been through the horrors of buying / moving I'm not sure I want to go through them again so soon.

[laser_jock99]

Looking at the map I think the first one is on the north shoe of the lake, so the view south is OK. However I'm thinking that unless you're an experienced developer I'd give it a miss, since they want all services re-connected and running between exchange and completion.

Still fancy the one I saw on Rightmove, it's in a very dark area and is habitable as-is while renovating. It also has a southern-ish 3.6 acre paddock for a major observatory complex. The outbuilding looks nice for a workshop / wood store / observatory.

Dunno.....having just been through the horrors of buying / moving I'm not sure I want to go through them again so soon.

The Cwmystwyth house looks to be a very dark location though. It's been on the market a while- why not put in an offer (spend the £20K you've saved on kit........).