What do the neighbours think!?

[brassbones]

Hi folks!

* I'm a newbie so forgive me if this is an old hat post and point me to an old thread *

What amusing anecdotes does anyone have on reactions of the neighbours to their star gazing antics? There must be loooooooooads!!!

I was out the front of my house at the weekend staring at the Moon with my bins and steadying them against the corner edge of the house. Next thing I know the woman next door is pulling into her drive in the car, she could clearly see me in this suspicious looking pose! Needless to say I quickly dashed back into the house making the whole thing look even worse!!! I only moved in early December so haven't got to know either set of neighbours properly yet! God knows what she's thinking!

[Tim]

No, for sure they all think we are perverts.

[Paxo]

I bit the bullet and produced a small desk calendar of some of my images taken from the back garden. I passed these out to the neighbours, they all think it's fascinating now, it answered a few questions as to what I was doing in the wee early hours - some of them even come round for a view, others have become a little more sympathetic to the light pollution issue.

Steve..

[nuttystar]

My neigbour poked his head over the fence one evening when I was out with my binos and torch and scared me half to death! He was just checking as he thought I was a burgler!!

Its nice that he was checking but goodness knows what he thought I was up to

[philj]

I bit the bullet and produced a small desk calendar of some of my images taken from the back garden. I passed these out to the neighbours, .

Steve..

What a great idea Steve. I might have a bash at that next year.

My neighbours used to think I was mad, now they know

Phil

[centroid]

Quite a few people in the village know about my astro activities, but don't react one way or the other really.

Perhaps with the exception of one 'kindly lady', who though amateur astronomy would be a good 'talk' subject for the local WI, and volunteered me

So, next week that's what I'll be doing, and those that didn't know about my atro activities will then .

So far, there has been no mention of a new WI Calendar!!!

Dave

[dave1978]

The old geezer next door has seen me out over the past year or so and the other day i spied a crummy 75mm reflector in his back window! could have asked for some advice.

[Helen]

My neighbours have been fine - once we told them why I made strange noises in the middle of the night . And they were also supportive when I decided to build the Obs - our one side said they thought it was great because it meant we weren't going to move

I think I actually get far too worried about making noises in the night - one night I was convinced I'd woken the whole house next door at 3am when my roll-off roof wouldn't go back on properly.. So I turned up next day with some flowers as an apology, only to find they hadn't heard a thing, and then Allan even said that if I'd needed help I should have just knocked him up :shock: ..

That's a nice idea about the calendars Steve hopefully by the end of the year I'll have enough good ones (hopefully in colour) to populate one!

On a slightly tangential note.... my 18-year-old nephew asked on Sunday if he could bring his girlfriend to see my scope and Obs

Helen

[SteveL]

Great idea! Thanks for that...

I bit the bullet and produced a small desk calendar of some of my images taken from the back garden.

[tony]

most of my neigbours know about my scope, but on a non astronomical note when i first moved here my neighbours never knew i had a parrot (blue fronted amazon) which used to go through spells of just screaming as loud as it could. i was outside talking to one of my neighbours one day and then the bird started really going for it, i said " here him in there", he said "who", i said " my parrot". when i told him about the parrot he said " oh, its a parrot doing all that screaming". he thought that i was giving the wife a good hiding, quite embarrassing at the time to think that he was thinking that for about 18 months, although i can see the funny side now.

[philsail1]

We've got good understanding neighbours - now that they know I'm not some kind of high-tech peeping tom.

If they are out in their back yards, I often invite them over to look through my scopes.

They are quite awestruck when they see the Planets, particualry in the early summer evenings, when it's still daylight and you cannot see any planets with the naked eye!.

regards,

philsail1

[James]

My next door neighbour is an amateur astronomer too :hello1:

He supplies the dark sites, I supply the kit...

James

[ChrisEdu]

I bit the bullet and produced a small desk calendar of some of my images taken from the back garden. I passed these out to the neighbours, they all think it's fascinating now, it answered a few questions as to what I was doing in the wee early hours - some of them even come round for a view, others have become a little more sympathetic to the light pollution issue.

Steve..

What a lovely idea. A couple of my neighbours know of my stargazing. One of them did some work for the owner of a local astro shop and got chatting about astronomy. Fortunately, my neighbour, to the south, is a drs' surgery, so the lights are off at night.

[The Warthog]

I was asked by my neighbour a couple of years ago what the red light in my back yard was for when I was out there. I explained about the telescope, and since, my neighbours have come over for a look occasionally. They are quite tickled with the view.

I've never told him that his son comes outside to smoke a joint sometimes late on summer evenings.

[Tim]

(No, you need to keep that "one up" on the son Warthog! May come in handy one day.)

You could do what we do, and apply reverse psychology.

I got an outside hot tub and put it next to where the telescope goes. Now instead of the neighbours looking down at me and thinking "High Tech Peeping Tom", they are afraid to look out in case they appear to be spying on US!

Besides, the only neighbours that really overlook the back garden are both well into their eighties. It's when I take the scope out the front to look at Jupiter that causes the real funny looks. Could be because directly below Jupiter is the bedroom window of a young blonde lady who lives alone.....

Steve, that's a great idea about the calendar. I may do that. Then I could give one to the guy at the back, with a note saying ;

"Now you know why I had to shoot your lights out........."

[philf]

Are you saying that if you really want them on your side then there's always the "full moon" from the front of the house

[Talitha]

Ummm... what's a neighbor?

The only time anyone can see me is when I set things up at the end of the driveway. It doesn't happen too often, though.. just when there's something happening that I can't see from my regular viewing areas.

Even though I'm in the middle of nowhere, someone called the Sheriff on me when I was imaging the end of the Venus Transit at sunrise a few years ago. Apparently a passer-by thought I was spying on the horses in the field across the road.

Bill was one of the officers on duty that morning and he knows I'm into this stuff, so he said he'd take the call. He pulled over onto the side of the road and got out of the squad with a big grin on his face, asked what was happening, and then took a quick peek at the historic event... he thought it was pretty cool. 8)

[jonbarr87]

Beautiful spot there Talitha!

[scotastro]

Definitely worth being friendly with the neighbours. When I lived in Bradford mine they fine about turning off external lights when I was out with the scope.

Now I don't have to bother they are too far away. Everyone knows what we do as there is a big sign outside the house!

Nice pic Carol. Lots of snow, still no snow here must be the only place in the UK.

Mike

[The Warthog]

Ummm... what's a neighbor?

Even though I'm in the middle of nowhere, someone called the Sheriff on me when I was imaging the end of the Venus Transit at sunrise a few years ago. Apparently a passer-by thought I was spying on the horses in the field across the road.

Spying on the horses? :scratch:

[ChrisEdu]

She doesn't even look like David Attenborough!

[philf]

Apparently a passer-by thought I was spying on the horses in the field across the road.

I've heard of Horse Whispering but Horse Bothering ?

[Talitha]

Yep, there's a field across the road with a herd of horses. Here's an old (pre-herd) satellite image. My land is in the yellow line, north is up and east is to the right.. who did they think I was spying on? Honestly, some people need a hobby, lol.

Actually, when I'm out taking pics of the horses with just the camera, everything's cool. I think it was the 90mm ETX that might have spooked the busybody person who reported me.

[Tim]

hehehe, you couldnt make this stuff up eh? Spying on horses, heheheheheheheh. That's given me a real chuckle, thanks!!

[Talitha]

Oh, that's not the best part. Deputy Bill said he'd call the person back and tell them not to worry.. I was merely keeping an eye on the Venusians for everyone.