Should I take the Vixen 80S to Scotland?

[JOC]

2 hours ago, laudropb said:

Been cloudy here in the West of Scotland for more than a week. Got to clear soon..... I hope.

That's where I am laudropb fingers crossed those clouds disappear soon!  We've been around the 10 mile perimeter on the bikes today.  I am padding the saddle tomorrow!

[JOC]

Well ever the optomist I have put the little Vixen together and sorted out the sighting scope alignment - that was a little fiddly as I haven't played with it much, but I think I have it now, and the whole setup is so dinky I won't need to dismantle until I go home, it can just sit inside the caravan on a surface.  In fact I have an ideal set up for it, the caravan has decking and a picnic table and on the picnic table it overlooks the edge of the decking and the caravan below us for a great horizon view west.  I'll get a photo so you can see.  All I need is no clouds!

[Stu]

Sounds ideal, fingers crossed for you

[JOC]

Here is the setup and the view.  I highly doubt much light pollution west of Gt. Cumbrae, now I just need no clouds and for it to get dark enough

 

 

[JeremyS]

16 minutes ago, JOC said:

 I highly doubt much light pollution west of Gt. Cumbrae,

Can they switch those lights off on the road side of the car park?

[Floater]

I found a problem when viewing from caravan decking - the scope shook when even my little dog walked around! Hope your decking is sturdier. ?

[JOC]

3 hours ago, JeremyS said:

Can they switch those lights off on the road side of the car park

I very much doubt it, lets hope they are not on all night!

[Floater]

On 04/08/2018 at 17:19, JOC said:

Here is the setup and the view.  I highly doubt much light pollution west of Gt. Cumbrae, now I just need no clouds and for it to get dark enough ...

So how did it go? Any viewing? Good time? 

Come on, @JOC, we are on tenterhooks! 

[JOC]

1 hour ago, Floater said:

So how did it go? Any viewing? Good time? 

Come on, @JOC, we are on tenterhooks! 

How lovely to have someone ask ?

Altogether we had a great time.  There is almost zero civilisation esp. the side of the island we were on.  The potential of the Island for excellent astronomy seems huge.  In this thread the first two shots are on the West side of the Island looking out towards Arran the third one is across the bay that faces south.  You will note the potential absence of light pollution.  There is scarcely a light to be seen across the water and a huge horizon.

I set the vixen up on the second day - yup I really did!  Here she is on the picnic table facing West. 

Oops....I forgot I'd already posted that.

On the edge of that Island (Little Cumbrae) is a cute short lighthouse type building with diamond shaped glass in it - just ideal for finderscope alignment!

Once I got the finderscope aligned I left her all set up the whole holiday - you will note that she is just the size to sit on a worktop. 

And......

There she sat......it wasn't cold, it wasn't actually too wet, but it wasn't cloud free either!  Neither did it ever get properly dark, which rather hampers things for astronomy in the summer.  I think on Wednesday night I nipped out at around 10pm because there was finally a gap in the cloud (not a huge one, but worth the effort, and I did get a great view of Jupiter.  The little finderscope works well.  The detail shown by the little scope vs. my 8" Dob was impressive.  8mm pushed it a bit too far I think, the view was better at 12mm and I'd even go so far as to say I got 3 bands visible - which is as good as I've seen at home.  

I think in the Winter on a clear night dressed in 10 layers of thermals it would be fantastic, but as it was apart from the one night that was the only astronomy I did.  However, I made the effort - does that count?  ?

[Alan White]

Sounds like a great spot when it’s dark,

our friends that far north do have a wait in summer for it to get dark, as least us South of the Watford Gap can get some summer observing in, in our half dark skies.

[Floater]

Sounds like it was as I might have expected - nothing spectacular but nothing disastrous. A typical Scottish summer scene. ?

We’re soon off for a week in a little place on the edge of Galloway Forest Park. A scope will go with me and I have no doubt that the skies will be dark. But will I see only clouds? Or trees towering over me? Part of the fun will be finding out.

I’ve had several trips looking for dark skies and mostly, like you, have ended up with only one or two sessions out of a week. But we stargazers are an easily-pleased lot, are we not? ?

Anyhow, thanks for the update. Glad you seem to have enjoyed your trip and, perhaps, even set the seed of a plan to return with your thermals ...? ?