Andromeda easy under dark sky

[adder001]

I have just come back from a camping trip down in Norfolk last week and I thought I would share my experience under dark sky. I was actually at Tibenham airfield doing a trial glider flight  so as you can imagine lots of open space and considering the area very flat.

One word - amazing. Milky way very visible going right across no problems. Could fully see ursa minor (usually only see a couple of stars of it back home).

Then after getting some good views of saturn and mars once it got fully dark I looked for Andromeda. Normally it is a bit of a struggle to find and even then it is only a blob but not this time. Found it straight away due to no light pollution and what a difference. I only have a 90mm mak but I could see probably twice as much as I could normally , I couldnt stop looking at it. 

It was about half eleven by now and daugter getting tired so packed up and went into the tent and called it a night. 

I was so tempted to go back out on e my daughter went to sleep but I fell asleep as well but anyway that was the best observing session we have ever had.

Lots more to come I hope.

 

[baggywrinkle]

Yep! In Deepest Darkest Norfolk we do have some good skies....some towns on the coast even turn their lights off. Kellings Heath is a dark skies area

Sadly LP is creeping in and one of my neighbours 100 yds away is trying to do his best to assist it by having powerful garden lights that come on when even a mouse moves...

[adder001]

4 minutes ago, baggywrinkle said:

 one of my neighbours 100 yds away is trying to do his best to assist it by having powerful garden lights that come on when even a mouse moves...

Yep My neighbour has one of those as well and they have two cats so its on and off all blooming night

[The Admiral]

Never mind the astronomy , how did you like your glider flight? I used to glide from an airfield just outside Swindon, until the kids came along and put paid to that! Originally it was the Vicker's company airfield, and then we got booted out when it got sold off. Now it has the Honda car plant built on it. That's the trouble with airfields, they're prime building land and worth a lot of dosh to the owner.

Ian

[Knighty2112]

Glad you had a great time viewing under the dark skies. Andromeda is a great galaxy to see under great conditions and a dark sky!  

[adder001]

Hi Ian,

Yeah the flight was ace, we were up for 37 mins and I controlled it quite a bit doing straight and level, turns, finding thermals etc he even let me do the release as we were launched by tow. Gliding is very different from what I am used to. Similar to yourself I used to fly years ago however mine was a  Cessna 172 from Barton aerodrome near Manchester.  I had lessons (A package of 10 lessons, unfortunately 40 minimum needed for PPL) and it was great. I have always loved flying and the glider flight was a gift from the wife. Only problem is that it has set the fire in my belly again that I thought had gone away when my PPL lessons stopped. Although now I am married and kids its a lot harder to justify £1000's on flying lessons. Maybe a lottery win