Your Astro Holiday Plans

[scarp15]

Late summer and we have a week planned on the isle of Mull. Therefore hoping for some clear skies, I will take along my TV76 & porta mount along with three choice eyepieces, two filters and my SQM. Attention will centre on nebula hunting in and around Cygnus. 

Plenty of day time activities such as hill walking, cannot wait.

Do you have late summer (with astro) holiday plans?

[MarkyD]

Not lat summer but a week in the Lake District at the end of June.  I'm also taking some slope soaring kit and the Speed Triple

[Highburymark]

10 days in Menorca in late July - a small farmhouse about 3 miles outside the main town on the island, Mahon. Equinox 80mm, photo tripod. And while Saturn/Mars/Scorpius/Sagittarius/Milky Way etc will be main targets, I really want to try and see some galaxies and other more challenging dsos to the (darker) north. 

[John]

Touring central and western Canada in September but I suspect I'll be limited to a couple of pairs of binoculars, 1 birding and 1 astro. Should be fun anyway though

Might try and get over to see the eclipse in the USA next Summer.

 

[Ibbo!]

Did Mull last year not late summer but in April.

Great couple of weeks with great weather and lovely dark skies at night with bright aurora on 2 nightsa throw in a couple boat trips lots of birds and cracking scenery what else do you need.

I am sure you will love it if the weather is good.

[Knight of Clear Skies]

19 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

10 days in Menorca in late July - a small farmhouse about 3 miles outside the main town on the island, Mahon. Equinox 80mm, photo tripod. And while Saturn/Mars/Scorpius/Sagittarius/Milky Way etc will be main targets, I really want to try and see some galaxies and other more challenging dsos to the (darker) north. 

I remember seeing some lovely dark skies on Menorca. Got my first decent shot of the Milky Way by laying my camera down on the patio, pointing straight up. We were only a mile from the airport but in the off season it seemed to shut down at about 11PM, with most of the lighting going off.

[scarp15]

2 hours ago, Ibbo! said:

Did Mull last year not late summer but in April.

Great couple of weeks with great weather and lovely dark skies at night with bright aurora on 2 nightsa throw in a couple boat trips lots of birds and cracking scenery what else do you need.

I am sure you will love it if the weather is good.

Thanks, yes definitely will. Last visited Mull cycle touring many years back. Climbed Ben More and hiked along coast to fossil tree. This time plan on acending Mull's one Corbett (Scottish mountain between 2500 & 3000 ft).

If night time observing is possible, will quite certainly have a bottle of smidge that midge and my desert cap to hand☺

Great that you got to see the aurora. Some good holiday plans being posted.

[ollypenrice]

Dark skies are obviously a huge benefit but if you want to observe in the north do not, in principle, go south.

Olly

[DaveS]

Not specifically astro, but I've booked a week self-catering in Dorset, hopefully in a fairly dark area, well, as dark as you can get in Dorset, which isn't very.

Hoping to judge the sky brightness as I intend to retire to that area.

[Highburymark]

7 hours ago, Knight of Clear Skies said:

I remember seeing some lovely dark skies on Menorca. Got my first decent shot of the Milky Way by laying my camera down on the patio, pointing straight up. We were only a mile from the airport but in the off season it seemed to shut down at about 11PM, with most of the lighting going off.

That's good to know. I actually changed the dates of the holiday so I'd get a couple of darker nights towards the end of the trip - first few nights will be moon drenched. 

[alan potts]

I could have gone on a white water rafting holiday last night in my own garden as 26mm of rain fell in 20mins, not a record I am sure but my oh my, it is a long time since I have seen rain like that.

Sounds great I do hope for clear skies for you,

Alan

[YKSE]

I'm going south to low 40°, a pair or two bins will be with me for the last 4 missing Messiers. If M83 can also be bagged with the bins, I may as well start a new project - Messiers with bins.

[cotterless45]

The annual two week trip to Skye in the beginning of October. The nights have been gorgeous and it's been lovely to get away somewhere quiet.Taking the highly transportable Lightbridge. So very lucky.

Anyone going to Mull should nip over to Iona. Ignore the crowds turning right and head straight over to the Atlantic shore. There you'll find very find beaches.

Nick.

[Paul73]

A week in the Lot Valley for us. Everyone else wants to fly. I'm voting for driving so that I can bring my baby scope.

Paul

[Linda]

I haven't made astro-holiday plans yet, as this is still my first year as an amature astronomer.

But I have thought that we need to go as often as possible to our cabin in Darkland. It is 5 hours driving from home, a bit of a strain for just a weekend, but it's a nice place to be and the skies are fabulous. Although it is at 62 degrees north and I can't see as many constellations as you can see in the south of France.

Usually we also go a week to the south in September, somewhere warm with a beach and nice food, usually Crete in a small village. The skies there are dark. So next time (this year) I will try to bring the Mak or at least my binoculars. I am not really sure when I take take this holiday this year in relation to my and my husband's work situation. And after September there are fewer charter planes. So we'll see where and when we end up this year.

[JemC]

Nothing planned for late summer  however i am planning a return trip to Iceland in December, will be taking camera and probably take the travel scope 70, sure the boss will allow it

[Peter Drew]

Kelling Heath in September and then back to Tenerife in November.  

[scarp15]

1 hour ago, cotterless45 said:

The annual two week trip to Skye in the beginning of October. The nights have been gorgeous and it's been lovely to get away somewhere quiet.Taking the highly transportable Lightbridge. So very lucky.

Anyone going to Mull should nip over to Iona. Ignore the crowds turning right and head straight over to the Atlantic shore. There you'll find very find beaches.

Nick.

Wife and daughter have been, always wanted to visit Iona and is on the itinery. Thanks Nick for the tip about those beaches,  will check them out.

[scarp15]

9 hours ago, alan potts said:

I could have gone on a white water rafting holiday last night in my own garden as 26mm of rain fell in 20mins, not a record I am sure but my oh my, it is a long time since I have seen rain like that.

Sounds great I do hope for clear skies for you,

Alan

Cheers Alan, hope that the weather  improves for you.

[ollypenrice]

I just gate crash other peoples' astro holidays!

lly

[DirkSteele]

It's back to the International DarkSky Association Gold rated skies of Namibia for me. becoming a bit of an old stomping ground for me. Will be my fourth visit though heading out soon rather than my usual Sept/Oct time frame so the sky will be a bit different which is nice. Taking my FS-60Q and will have access to a 12" scope while I am there. Can't wait.

[laudropb]

Going down to Galloway for a long weekend in late August and then off to Mallorca in mid September, so plenty to look forward to.

[Beulah]

No holiday for me, I'm already here!

Some of the planned locations in this thread sound great.

Have a great time and please report back as I am always interested in reading others' observation reports from different areas of the world.

[Special K]

Resort in Menorca on the very SE tip of the island. Our package includes tons of luggage allowance so I'll be taking the ED80 on AZ4 again.  There are cliff side trails nearby away from lights...  

[Uranium235]

No holiday planned for me as such, but once I get my wheels sorted Im going to take a half hour drive out to clee hill - looks like a fairly good view!