Your View of the Sky.

[Geoff Barnes]

I've been meaning to start this thread for a while now, I thought it would be interesting to see what sort of a view folks have of the sky at home.

It has to be said, my view is pretty awful really, big trees on three sides and a fairly open view to my north and overhead.

It would be nice to see photos of your views, be they good or bad, here are mine.... 

West, hopeless below 45 °.

 

North, my best view.

 

East, hopeless below 50°.

 

South, terrible.  See my scope house on the left under the cover of the roof overhanging, keeps it dry and at outside temperature.

Let's see your views!.....

[Merlin]

I feel your pain Geoff. I, too, am boxed in by trees, but it wasn't always like this. Some years ago, the Borough Council went berserk with indiscriminate tree and shrub-planting. Someone decided on the idiocy  of planting tall-growing trees immediately behind our gardens.What were once wide, airy, open spaces are now dark and dank.

[Stub Mandrel]

My view?

Have you ever fallen down a well?

[Les Ewan]

I'm very lucky I have a fairly dark site. I love trees and planted a few over years but made sure that they at the north side of the garden so  I have clear vista's towards the East ,South and West,the trees towards the North pretty much block out the Northern sky from where my scopes are sited but can just see Polaris for which is handy for alignments. From certain parts of my garden my Southern aspect is down to declination -31Deg. and can easily see Fomalhaut. From the  observatory itself my limiting declination is   -25 deg but I have a 90mm refractor grab and go to get to favoured spots of the garden if need be including access to the Northern sky. 

[VNA]

Oh those beautiful trees! Similar situation with very large oak trees and a hill, at least viewing North is open!
The oak trees are protected and were there before I was born and will be there when I kick the bucket!
Right now looking at a very cloudy sky and that is great! (we need rain)

[Moonshane]

My garden (we moved in February) has a lot of potential but currently is pretty bad for observing. It is north facing and drops 20 feet or more over 85 feet.

The good news is I am planning an observatory at the bottom allowing me access to southern and eastern views albeit at higher elevations only. 

Here's my northern view in the day and at night. I'll be sheilding this with my obs walls! The lights literally cast a shadow on my dob!

I'll add some pics tomorrow if dry to show the approximate view from my planned obs.

 

[Geoff Barnes]

9 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

My view?

Have you ever fallen down a well?

I have actually!

We used to live in a 300 year old cottage on the outskirts of Southampton that had an old dry well in the garden. One day a hedgehog fell down it and I had to clamber down to rescue it. 

Looking up at the sky from the bottom was certainly a good replica of tunnel vision! ?

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, Geoff Barnes said:

One day a hedgehog fell down it and I had to clamber down to rescue it

You, sir, are a true hero!

[Moonshane]

.Here's the view from where my obs will be. The first a panorama looking south so I therefore get the darker bits of sky and zenith of course. I will build the walls high enough to hide to house (and other houses plus the light pollution behind me) from my seated observing position to try and maintain as much darkness as possible.

Also a few pics as I walked back up the garden. The obs will be about where the brown plastic box is at the bottom. As you can see my plans are a work in progress at the moment hence my reduced observing opportunity at the moment!

Today I have been making my fingers sore fitting stainless wires into my handrail posts pending fitting a wooden handrail next weekend.

I think there's enough to keep me going in the available sky, especially if my eyes can properly acclimatise and remain so.

 

[Geoff Barnes]

Wow! Quite a project Shane, and not the easiest site to work on either.

Will the big willow tree at the bottom be a problem or will you be able to prune it to improve the view?

[Moonshane]

It's actually sheilding the worst light pollution so beneficial really?

[Merlin]

Now where did I put that chainsaw?

[Moonshane]

Trust me, I wish the builders at the bottom of the garden had not cut down the trees.

September

Now

[Geoff Barnes]

Oh no, they've given you a view you really could have done without .

I was wondering if they were planning on building on that empty block of land down there, that's not what you need!

[Moonshane]

I have already started planting to mask the land with 'Red Robin' just over the first wall and I have planted a load of willow and alder whips in the bottom (technically not on my land but a 'no man's land' council owned strip in between my end of garden and the builder's land. I am hopeful looking at the plans that we will be looking up the middle of two of the houses although it won't really affect my observing at least. We hope to end up with something like this

[Rob]

I too am surrounded by trees on the left & rear of the garden (east and south). Which is not great for planets!. West & north are pretty good.

I have to go out on the front lawn.. or down the street to pull lower south skies. Sure I moved to this house a year ago. So i knew what I was letting myself in for, but I've moved to the outskirts of Southampton. And I'm now in a low light leafy sub area next to a large copse. So home observing is pleasing enough.. just need to plan planet rotation for certain objects!.

Then step two is I can travel to the New Forest (30min drive right into the heart of it) for major session (work allowing these days!)

Best Rob

[Davey-T]

Blimey that's a lot of steps Shane, guess you weren't thinking of your dotage when buying 

Dave

[Moonshane]

I think there's nearly 30 to the bottom. At least I won't have to carry the 16" back up again after each observing session once the obs is sorted!

[maw lod qan]

When I bought my property in the mid 80''s there was only 3 trees on the 5 acres. Right from the start, I planted oaks around the house and down the drive. 

Thanks to the birds, most of it now is trees.

I have a few shots to the horizon to the east and west but mostly I can not see below 25 or 30 degrees above the horizon. 

The chain saw is primed up for 2 trees to the East to clear a spot hopefully to get an early start when the Mercury transits in '19.

As much as the trees bother my viewing, they are a great buffer when the storms give me high winds.