Tell us your sky quality

[F15Rules]

Bortle Class 4 for me..RAF and plane vapour trails can be a pain on some nights though..

Overall, I am thankful for my locations' skies ☺

Dave

Edited February 10, 2019 by F15Rules

[Geoff Barnes]

Probably not the right thread, but this is the sky here this afternoon, as clear and deep blue as you'd ever see. So I'm really hoping it stays this way after dark, should afford some wonderful seeing tonight, fingers crossed!

Edited February 10, 2019 by Geoff Barnes

[RT65CB-SWL]

Here is my zenith sky brightness information... (when it's not cloudy!).

Coordinates:  somewhere between... 51.43N, -0.93W 

SQM:  19.38 mag./arc sec2

Brightness:  1.91 mcd/m2

Artif. bright.  1740 μcd/m2

Ratio:  10.2

Bortle:  class 6

Elevation:  55 meters

Edited February 11, 2019 by Philip R

[kev100]

Here's mine. Not too bad ?

Edited February 12, 2019 by kev100

[Moonshane]

Just checked and it's 18.9 at zenith and 18.5 towards Manchester. Not ideal!

[Geoff Barnes]

Can I join in?

Better than I thought actually, now if only I could cut down a few dozen huge trees.....

If I could get the 12 inch Dob about a half hour drive east of here I would be well into Bortle 2 territory, if only.....

Edited February 25, 2019 by Geoff Barnes

[Davesellars]

SQM: 19.92..   So i should get close to 5.3 / 5.4 NELM in theory on a good transparent night.   I have yet to judge this visually from here on how close this is the only times I've observed has been with the Moon from my yard and once from the nearby park however there was significant high level haze / cloud.

I have some annoying lights from neighbours' windows as it seems round here people don't believe in using curtains or blinds... grrr.  It is nice and dark with everything shut off after 11ish or so though for better observing of the faint stuff which needs dark adaption.

If the fog doesn't appear again like the previous couple of nights then it looks we're in for 2 or 3 clear nights so time to get the dob out!

[PeterW]

About 18.8 best, though just noticed the shield on the nearest streetlight has fallen off... reported! 21.few at the dark sites I don’t get to often enough.

 

Peter

[Ally8446]

Est 20.72 Bortle 4 at home. Back in November I spent a week in 21.95 Bortle 2 skies in NW Scotland.....it was magnificent.

[PeterW]

Skye? Those numbers are almost “down a mine” dark!

Peter

[Moonshane]

Just had a wander down to where my obs will be and it's a bit better there. Tonight near the house was 18.85 and down where the obs will be 19.12 both at zenith so hopefully a worthwhile exercise for a number of reasons.

[Stub Mandrel]

You know it's bad when your SQM reading and Bortle scale are the same number...

[Paz]

The light pollution map says my area is sqm 20.22 and bortle 5. I don't have a sky meter but I know that NELM is usually around 4.5 give or take a bit, which is not as good as the map suggests.

[JOC]

I get this below.  However, I don't really know if this is good for the UK or not.  What I do know is that I went out last night and looked up and I reckon I could see as many stars here as I've ever seen - it was glorious and I wish that I had chucked the big scope out, but boy was it cold.  I went and grabbed the little Vixen on her new mount and my box with the small number of expensive bits of glass in it and had 15 minutes before the cold got to me.  I took at look at an easy target - M42, the nebulosity was there to the naked eye with the 14mm Morpheus, but even with the 5mm Pentax the little scope could only twist the normal 4 stars out of the trapezium.  I then took a look at Pleiades with the 14mm and that was rather glorious with the little scope.  Then because I didn't really know what I was looking at I found a nice bright yellowy golden star to the left of Orion.  Looking at Stellarium earlier this morning I think it could have been Sirius, but it wasn't even doing it's usual 'party star' thing the sky was that clear.  It was just a glorious evening to look up and gaze amazed at the heavens.  OK, not a lot serious astronomy went on which rather wasted the night, but at least I went out and appreciated the sky. 

 

[LukeSkywatcher]

Beautiful clear blue sky here today and nice and warm.

10/10

[geoflewis]

Ditto here and I just have my rear lawn a high cut as it’s been growing away the last week or so - earliest I’ve cut the lawns in many a year, as normally end of March for the first cut....

Thats looking SW, an horizon that’s improved since my neighbours very tall willow tree came down in the high winds 2-3 weeks ago ??

[mapstar]

On 25/02/2019 at 16:56, Ally8446 said:

Est 20.72 Bortle 4 at home. Back in November I spent a week in 21.95 Bortle 2 skies in NW Scotland.....it was magnificent.

We had the same figures from borreraig Isle of Skye and yes they are magnificent.

Nothing more than a chair and mk1 eyeball to see the milkyway running horizon to horizon. Anyone seriously into astronomy should visit. Fantastic

Edited March 15, 2019 by mapstar

[Demonperformer]

Some years ago I visited a cub camp with a scope for an evening. It was quite a dark location and, while setting up, I glanced upwards and had a quiet moan about the cloud that was invading a previously 100% clear sky - until I realised it was actually the summer milky way. Just not used to seeing any of it from home. 

Edited March 15, 2019 by Demonperformer
Autoincorrect

[JamesF]

Having checked mine, I'm thinking some of these figures are a bit dubious.

Central Wellington (Somerset, this is) is classed as Bortle 4.  I've stood in central Wellington well after sunset in the last few years and struggled to make out the shoulder, feet and belt stars in Orion.  My home is also classed as Bortle 4, where M31 is an easy naked-eye target even with my less-than-youthful eyes.

I'd say that Wellington is probably nearer Bortle 7, whereas home is much nearer the mark: probably good 4/not so great 3.

James

[estwing]

2 hours ago, mapstar said:

We had the same figures from borreraig Isle of Skye and yes they are magnificent.

Nothing more than a chair and mk1 eyeball to see the milkyway running horizon to horizon. Anyone seriously into astronomy should visit. Fantastic

I just checked and it said 22.00...!?

[estwing]

20.64 from home..☹️

[Dave Lloyd]

Our back garden appears much darker than this would suggest. As has been said before the widespread adoption of led lighting has noticeably darkened the zenith. 

[mapstar]

3 hours ago, estwing said:

20.64 from home..☹️

Better than mine buddy. 19.35 . Usual viewing spot 21.45. Galloway star camp  21.92 

[wookie1965]

No idea how good or bad these are.

[kirkster501]

I'm Bortle 5.  On a clear night does not seem so bad.

Always a balance been accessibility to services/civilisation and being able to do astronomy.  Regardless of Bortle class, give me some clear skies.  I'd happily swap a drop in Bortle and have more clear skies.