Please help me plan my dark sky trip

[RobertI]

I have booked a couple of nights at the Kelling Heath autumn star party in October and am really looking forward to it. If COVID restrictions and weather allow (a very big IF), I am planning to take some equipment and do some observing under lovely dark Norfolk skies. Also hoping to cadge a look through some light buckets while I'm there. So the questions are, what to observe, and what to take with me?

It's a new moon and the skies should be dark, so I guess the logical thing is to try and observe things I can't see so well from from my home. I'm thinking nebuae and galaxies. Obviously I'd also want to make the most of Mars while there too. And as for the mount, I'd like to keep it simple if possible. if I were to take one scope, I was thinking the non-goto, but driven CG5 (uses 4xD cell batteries which last forever). But if taking two scopes, perhaps the Skytee? My current feeling is that the Skytee with the C8 on one side and the 102ED-R on the other would be nice. I've had fun with this kind of setup in the past. But the 150PL is such a good all-round scope, and on the CG5 would be good for tracking Mars and also great for faint fuzzies. But I have the 102ED-R with a 38mm 2" eyepiece and UHC filter - fabulous for wide fiields under those dark skies. The simplicty of just a refractor on a simple mount really appeals. Of course I could squeeze everything into the car, but I don't want to spend all my time 'faffing' with equipment or make things too complicated.

I've not done a full scale observing weekend, so would appreciate the thoughts of those that have. What are your thoughts? What would you do? What have I missed? What SHOULDN'T I do? Thanks!

 

Equipment

Scopes - C8, 150PL, H130P, 102ED-R, Tal 100RS, WO 66SD

Mounts - CG5 Goto, CG5 non-goto, Skytee 2, SkyProdigy, Giro-WR

Eyepieces - 5mm, 10mm, 21mm, 8-24 Zoom, 2" 38mm, 2.25x barlow.

Filters - UHC (2" and 1.25") and OIII (1.25")

Edited September 24, 2020 by RobertI

[scarp15]

Hi Robert, see if you can get Mirach's Ghost in Pegasus. Might also be a consideration if you have a pair of binoculars to take along in case dew became late on a potential issue.

[RobertI]

37 minutes ago, scarp15 said:

Hi Robert, see if you can get Mirach's Ghost in Pegasus. Might also be a consideration if you have a pair of binoculars to take along in case dew became late on a potential issue.

Dew control and binoculars - excellent suggestions, added to list.

[markse68]

Hi Robert, did you book recently and they still have pitches? 

Mark

[RobertI]

I actually don’t have a tent or caravan,  so I didn’t look at availability of pitches, but I did manage to find a privately owned lodge (static caravan!) for a couple of nights. Nice and comfortable I imagine, but the down side is I will have to trolley my stuff to the observing site, so need to keep weight/size down! I think that eliminates the 150PL! 

[icpn]

Hi Robert. Without trying to dampen your enthusiasm I doubt very much whether people will be willing to share views through telescopes this year because of Covid. I suspect that there may well be something in place about that in the guide to  the star party. So if you ask and they are unwilling it will not be because they are unfriendly but because of the safety aspects. If you know somebody who is there they may be willing to let you leave your kit on their pitch however.

[RobertI]

26 minutes ago, icpn said:

Hi Robert. Without trying to dampen your enthusiasm I doubt very much whether people will be willing to share views through telescopes this year because of Covid. I suspect that there may well be something in place about that in the guide to  the star party. So if you ask and they are unwilling it will not be because they are unfriendly but because of the safety aspects. If you know somebody who is there they may be willing to let you leave your kit on their pitch however.

I suspected that would be the case, fortunately my main reason for attending is for the dark skies and the camaraderie, but thanks for pointing out. I think I might feel a little uncomfortable asking to use somebody else’s pitch, but I don’t know anyone that’s going anyway! 🙂 But again thanks for the thought. To be honest even it’s raining all weekend I’m still getting away for a break, so will happy. 👍