How dark is your not dark site?

[neural]

For me a 'normal good night' is mag 4.5, exceptionally approaching 4.8-4.9. No hint of Milky Way, though I did memorably catch a glimpse of C/2014 Q2 Lovejoy naked eye two winters ago, and binoculars in the Cygnus region when near zenith do give a hint of twinkly milkywayness.

I consider myself lucky to be able to say I live in London and to have a sky no worse than this. Also south is my best direction (north is OK for doubles and PNe - NGC 6543 for example - but not much else). The club next door recently installed a second security light right next to the first one (of course that improves your security... right?) so I have to position myself carefully!

New year's resolution is to get out more   January's job was getting the kit together, and by the end of the week I should have mount and tripod for the new GT81 so no excuses!

[Thalestris24]

Prob nelm about mag 2 here - maybe 2.5 on a very good night  

[Stu]

4 hours ago, Thalestris24 said:

Prob nelm about mag 2 here - maybe 2.5 on a very good night  

That's very tough to deal with , you deserve a medal for achieving what you do!

[Ags]

I can sum up my local darkness as: bright enough for color vision. The question mark in Leo is barely visible on the worst nights.

[nytecam]

My skies in SW London inside the M25 are dire ie rarely better than mag 3 and old eyes don't help. 

Milky Way - what's that !  Haven't done visual for more than a decade but it doesn't bother me as my 12" SCT + OSC Lodestar cam can regularly reach mag 18/19 in very brief exposures. It's essentially live-view on my laptop in seated comfort within my domed obsy.  See my gallery links below

Nytecam

[Thalestris24]

On 2/2/2017 at 07:07, Stu said:

That's very tough to deal with , you deserve a medal for achieving what you do!

Yeah, I'm close to Glasgow city centre - red zone. I think only central Paris is worse in western Europe! I don't have a car so can't get away from it  IR cuts through it but then no colour - and no nebulosity (as far as I can tell - I might try a few more experiments )

[Stu]

11 minutes ago, Thalestris24 said:

Yeah, I'm close to Glasgow city centre - red zone. I think only central Paris is worse in western Europe! I don't have a car so can't get away from it  IR cuts through it but then no colour - and no nebulosity (as far as I can tell - I might try a few more experiments )

Not that I know much about imaging but does narrowband not have any possibilities?

[Thalestris24]

1 minute ago, Stu said:

Not that I know much about imaging but does narrowband not have any possibilities?

To a certain extent but I still get gradients with a 7nm Ha. I was discussing it on another thread in the imaging section. The concensus was that a 3nm filter would be better but they cost an arm and two legs...