Dark Site Ain't So Dark Anymore...

[niallk]

Well I got out for the first time in months - perpetual lockdown here - and I drove 20mins to the end of a headland which is my best local dark site.

2 things were wrong for me: there was another car - ok sometimes this happens and I move on, but then I noticed something bad: there's an old watchtower at the end of the headland, and it was lit up with electric lighting 😖

My heart sank - the spot I'd scouted out and felt fine going to on my own is ruined.  It's elevated, and looks south over the sea - literally no light domes from ESE to WSW.

With a heavy heart, I turned for my backup spot, and found a couple in a Taxi there 🙄😂, but I found a dirt track nearby and set up.

Set up, impatiently waited for dark adaption, then tested the air with a look at M51: hmmm.  Spiral structure was indistinct, the bridge wasn't as obvious as I'd like.  Conditions weren't great, but it has been months, so I ploughed on

In with the N31T5, and sometimes toggling to the 17E (didn't use any shorter focal length EP!) - first up, NGC3115 the Spindle, followed by 3242, ghost of Jupiter: I believe this was my first time on this - wow, I see straight away where it gets its name!!  Bright, and seemed to have a blueish tinge to my eye.

Next over to Leo: M95/96/105, and then M65/66/NGC3628.

Then over to Makarians Chain.  I love the streaks of NGC4402/4388 bracketing M84/86.  Had a wander around the area, just marvelling at the galaxies scattered everywhere!  I remember it took me 5 nights to find my very first galaxy (M31) when I started out, and to randomly point anywhere in Virgo/Coma B and find galaxies is such a treat

Over to NGC4567/68 the Siamese Twins - pretty cool interacting pair.  Next up to the Needle, 4565.  Lovely and huge in the 31T5, but not the best view.  On to another edge-on: 4244.  Then over to the Cocoon Galaxy 4490 - my first time on this pair.  Pretty cool! Could see the curve to 4485 - presume these are an interacting pair.  Finished off with the Whale 4627, and 4657.  Didn't see any of the others in the vicinity.

I checked M51 again - no improvement,  so decided to head home to my wife and a beer As I turned on my torch to tear down, I could see the moisture / mist in the air which was responsible for the poor transparency, and the diffuse brightness in the sky as surrounding light pollution got refracted all around the place.  Oh well, some nights it's like this- you get the opportunity to actually get out, then the conditions aren't the best.  Still, nice to use my scope again, and see all these galaxies with my own eyes - better than TV 😂

 

Edit: D'oh meant to post in Reports, not Discussion - sorry!! 

Edited April 4, 2021 by niallk

[Froeng]

Still sounds like a brilliant evening. I have so far not had the guts to drive to and setup at a dark spot on my own. It is a bid scary with all the news of “county lines” and this kind if stuff...

So well done and sorry about the loss of your preferred spot!

[Stardaze]

Great report and sounded just good to get out. I haven’t taken mine out for a drive yet, put plan to soon enough. I like the sense of adventure and effort made with a large dob, bet the views are immense.

[niallk]

Went for a cycle and hatched a plan

The new spotlight on the tower at my dark site is at ground level: I may be able to fashion a some kind of a wooden cover or something to safely shroud it while I'm observing... must investigate in daylight   All hope is not lost yet!!

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

4 hours ago, Froeng said:

Still sounds like a brilliant evening. I have so far not had the guts to drive to and setup at a dark spot on my own. It is a bid scary with all the news of “county lines” and this kind if stuff...

So well done and sorry about the loss of your preferred spot!

It's highly unlikely you will find county lines heroin drug runners at your local dark site. Maybe a dogger or two (usually two at least come to think of it!) 😯

Nice report Niall. A good haul there. Shame about the lighting at your prime spot though. ☹️

Edited April 4, 2021 by ScouseSpaceCadet

[Pixies]

24 minutes ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

It's highly unlikely you will find county lines heroin drug runners at your local dark site. Maybe a dogger or two (usually two at least come to think of it!) 😯

Nice report Niall. A good haul there. Shame about the lighting at your prime spot though. ☹️

If you find a single dogger, that's when you have to be careful!