Spooked by the dark on my own!

[mikeDnight]

"YOU'RE NEVER ALONE IN THE DARK!"

 

[glowjet]

On ‎26‎/‎03‎/‎2017 at 18:54, Rusted said:

Don't get me started on those wild hedgehogs in the dark!  If you hear one.. RUN! 

You would not believe the row they make during the courting season

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, glowjet said:

You would not believe the row they make during the courting season

Hardly surprising... if you think about it.

[Paul M]

I sympathise with the OP, I really don't like being out alone in properly dark locations. Which is a bit of a problem for stargazers!

It isn't based on rational fear of animals or people. It's my imagination that runs wild without visual reference to my surroundings. Completely irrational and imaginary but don't bother telling my brain that. It isn't listening...

So I don't go looking for dark sites. I wouldn't even get out of the car. 

[Nova2000]

40 minutes ago, Paul M said:

I sympathise with the OP, I really don't like being out alone in properly dark locations. Which is a bit of a problem for stargazers!

It isn't based on rational fear of animals or people. It's my imagination that runs wild without visual reference to my surroundings. Completely irrational and imaginary but don't bother telling my brain that. It isn't listening...

So I don't go looking for dark sites. I wouldn't even get out of the car. 

Same here. Mind games. 

[LukeSkywatcher]

If its not animals or other people you are worried about, what else is there to worry about?. Ghosts and/or monsters is not an acceptable answer.

[Nova2000]

39 minutes ago, LukeSkywatcher said:

If its not animals or other people you are worried about, what else is there to worry about?. Ghosts and/or monsters is not an acceptable answer.

Hallucinations! 

[Jeff-Colorado]

Great topic!  I get slightly anxious at times observing up in the mountains when I hear deer moving around me.

True story. For a semester in college I worked at an observatory at the top of a mountain. Forty five minutes to get there--very remote. One night I cut my headlights before the final turn and creeped up to the building just in case anyone was there observing. I didn't see anyone there. I opened the main door and it was pitch black inside the anteroom. I had forgotten my red flashlight and there was absolute darkness with no reference points, no glowing LEDs, nothing. I stumbled a little getting inside. The first door on the right leads to the main telescope room and I walked over towards it. My imagination was racing because I had watched too many scary movies and I thought I had just heard a sound in the room. Was someone there? I ran my hand along the wall until I found the doorknob and opened the door. Suddenly a hairy face hit mine and I tumbled back on the floor with my attacker on top of me. I nearly had a heart attack and slashed my hands out in self defense, hit something hard (a weapon?) and it clattered on the floor next to me. I laid still, listening for any sounds like breathing, but heard nothing more.

It turned out that I had opened the closet door instead of the observing room door, and a heavy mop had fallen on my face.

[Paul M]

11 hours ago, LukeSkywatcher said:

If its not animals or other people you are worried about, what else is there to worry about?. Ghosts and/or monsters is not an acceptable answer.

You don't want to know what goes on in my imagination! 

 

[Guest]

11 hours ago, Jeff-Colorado said:

Great topic!  I get slightly anxious at times observing up in the mountains when I hear deer moving around me.

True story. For a semester in college I worked at an observatory at the top of a mountain. Forty five minutes to get there--very remote. One night I cut my headlights before the final turn and creeped up to the building just in case anyone was there observing. I didn't see anyone there. I opened the main door and it was pitch black inside the anteroom. I had forgotten my red flashlight and there was absolute darkness with no reference points, no glowing LEDs, nothing. I stumbled a little getting inside. The first door on the right leads to the main telescope room and I walked over towards it. My imagination was racing because I had watched too many scary movies and I thought I had just heard a sound in the room. Was someone there? I ran my hand along the wall until I found the doorknob and opened the door. Suddenly a hairy face hit mine and I tumbled back on the floor with my attacker on top of me. I nearly had a heart attack and slashed my hands out in self defense, hit something hard (a weapon?) and it clattered on the floor next to me. I laid still, listening for any sounds like breathing, but heard nothing more.

It turned out that I had opened the closet door instead of the observing room door, and a heavy mop had fallen on my face.

Love it.Hope that you gave that pesky mop a good dunking.

[James]

I must admit I don't generally get bothered by the dark (or by being on my own which I suspect is what actually bothers many people)  - it's taken a while to get used to the sounds the animals make and the vegetation - trees in a light breeze can make the wierdest of sounds... I have pretty good night vision so as long as I keep lights to a minimum I'm pretty confident I'll see trouble before it sees me (not that I've come across any).

... but, when I get tired my brain does start to play tricks and I do curse various horror movies for ever having existed.

I've used public car parks sometimes and there's often an interesting selection of people who turn up late at night. I also tend to sit a little ways from my kit - curious people have sometimes walked up to my scope and when, out of the darkness, I tell them not to touch anything it usually scares them. 

I also always check out a potential site in daylight, more than once - that way when it's dark and most the visual references have gone I know what's where. I take my boy Tom with me to check as when I go out he'll kindly remind me of all the potential hazards (he's young enough to have a functioning memory). He also comes out stargazing sometimes but he gets very nervous in the dark - some work to do there...

Dark sites are well worth the effort though, the difference they make is really quite something

James

 

 

 

[barkis]

If you start to get feelings of fear, and irrational  thoughts start to grab you,
it's just those pesky Aliens using  Their Hi-Tec. to suck the rationale bits of your brain out.
They don't bother you if you have company with you, so don't ever go solo .

[kev100]

Hiya, I'm not too far from Swanage, and would be more than happy to come along. Security in numbers, and all that ...

Kev

[chiltonstar]

We're not that many generations from being hunter-gatherers (and prey to top level predators) so I imagine being afraid of the dark a little is only natural and common-sense from a Darwinian perspective, bearing in mind our poor dark vision! Maybe night vision goggles are the answer - if we can see around us well, we're not likely to be afraid of the unseen!

Failing that, get a dog??

Chris

[DeepSkyBagger]

If your only objective is to see potential threats, then night vision goggles would be great. If you need dark adaptation for any weird reason, then maybe not.

[scarp15]

Large carparks have become my least favourite places, there is one I will use that is well established by Astronomers and Photographers, Cawfields on Hadrians Wall, usually no problem here. Smaller spaces feel more intimate, welcoming and reassuring. As soon as I arrive, the first thing I would eagerly do when I step out of the car is to look up, though it will not be to long before arriving around sun set.

[Physopto]

A long time ago around 1968,  a friend of mine was heavily into Karate. He at that time was a brown belt. The club he was in, was approached to train some soldiers in unarmed combat. This was done over some months and then they were taken out on a training course in the field. He was asked if he would like to go on the course with them. The day went OK and as night fell and darkness came the trainees set up a camp for the night.  They posted some lookout/sentries as expected to do. At some point during the the early hours of the night they went out to do a sortie.  I believe it was around 3/4 in the morning. They came across a farmer in his field and silently surrounded the poor sod. All he heard was the weapons being cocked  before they politely said Hi and then silently dissapeared again.

Pat, my friend, just said he would have done the a same as the farmer and probably required new underwear !

Sometimes the noise you hear, just might not be a sheep. 

Derek

[James]

That's one reason I quite like timelapse photography and will often set up a timelapse even if I'm actually imaging or observing that night. There's been a couple of occasions when I've been out and my cameras have picked up someone walking nearby. Last year in Cornwall at about 4am one morning I was sitting quietly by the side of a river as my camera clicked away and a local was rummaging around in some boats nearby. He came past me but didn't notice and about a minute later there was a loud splash. I actually thought it was him falling in but nothing drifted by. About 15 seconds later he walked back and went past about 3 foot from me. I said good morning quietly and the poor bloke nearly died... felt quite bad actually

Never did work out what he was dropping in the river...

 

[Swithin StCleeve]

Am I the only one that actually prefers sky-gazing alone? I find it quite therapeutic,  just me and the countryside, the scope and the sky. Very calming and tranquil. I don't think I've ever worried being out in the wilds of Shropshire.

[nightfisher]

I adore being out at night on my own,

Many years ago i was doing a spot of rabbit hunting and wearing camo kit, a game keeper spotted me and assumed i was after the pheasants and struck out to catch me, heard him a mile of so ended up behind a broad oak, he came blustering up the path and as he past the tree with me near invisible i stepped out behind him and said "you looking for me", i honestly thought he was gonna have a heart attack but was okay when he calmed down

I think i will be going back to my old spot over the back of Meltham

[AlistairW]

Finding this an interesting thread. I live near the Mendips in Somerset, and have started scouting around for dark sites - with some success. I need to build up my portable set up but I am nearly there. Eventually I plan to go to my sites to image - I am not scared of the dark but company would be great. 

[Guest]

12 hours ago, kev100 said:

Hiya, I'm not too far from Swanage, and would be more than happy to come along. Security in numbers, and all that ...

Kev

Hi Kev.I actually live in Hertfordshire.My in-laws live in Swanage  and we visit frequently.If I may PM you next time I am planning a visit, then perhaps we could share an observing session sometime soon.

Regards

Martin.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, nightfisher said:

I adore being out at night on my own,

Many years ago i was doing a spot of rabbit hunting and wearing camo kit, a game keeper spotted me and assumed i was after the pheasants and struck out to catch me, heard him a mile of so ended up behind a broad oak, he came blustering up the path and as he past the tree with me near invisible i stepped out behind him and said "you looking for me", i honestly thought he was gonna have a heart attack but was okay when he calmed down

I think i will be going back to my old spot over the back of Meltham

My brother and I were looking at the night sky at a local layby in South Wales.We had binoculars in our hands.All of a sudden a welsh sheep famer came running at us .He thought that we were stealing his sheep.We did not stay to find out if he was armed with a shot gun.

[Swithin StCleeve]

12 hours ago, Grumpy Martian said:

My brother and I were looking at the night sky at a local layby in South Wales.We had binoculars in our hands.All of a sudden a welsh sheep famer came running at us .He thought that we were stealing his sheep.We did not stay to find out if he was armed with a shot gun.

The things we put up with. I used to get sexually propositioned regularly when I used public countryside park back in the 90's. 

I've often said - campsites are the way forward. Average camping per night is £7.00. You could pay that and not even bother camping, the campsite owners don't care as long as they get their money. Just use the field. It'll likely have toilets and hot water too. I do all my April-Sept observing on rural campsites, nice and safe with the Milky Way stretching overhead, and no-one driving up to you trying to get you to give their wife a cormorant while they watch.

[Guest]