Anyone still imaging in the UK?

[rnobleeddy]

16 hours ago, AbsolutelyN said:

We've had more clear skies since April than in the entire of last winter so I'm certainly making the most any clear skies I can get. I was unsure how possible it would be without proper dark skies and very short nights but so far so good and soon nights start getting longer again. This is 5.5 hours over two not very dark nights last weekend - approx 23:30 to 2:30. 

Really like target with a shorter focal length. May be the next thing I try - thanks!

[rnobleeddy]

6 hours ago, Budgie1 said:

Up here we have Sunrise at 04:28 and Sunset at 22:16 and 17 hours and 48 minutes of daylight for today. It's also Twilight all night at the moment, so never mind astronomical darkness, it doesn't even get completely  dark! 🥴

Still, on the bright side, it's been cloudy for the last 3 weeks so I couldn't have done any imaging anyway and it means I don't have to slather on the Smidge just to setup the scope!  

I'll be back imaging by August (hopefully) and in the meantime I get to see what everyone else is managing to do on SGL, finding handy tips for processing and swapping a bank balance for more astro kit, so it's not all bad.  

I have no sympathy - I spent a week on the Caledonian canal so I know the views more than make up for it!

[Aramcheck]

We don't get many clear nights so I have to try no matter what time of year, although our observable sky view is limited by houses/trees/streetlights. Here's NGC5466 from the 12th & 16th June. About 2 1/2 hours total.
Canon 600d DLSR (astromodified), IDAS D2 filter, SW200dps & Bortle 7 skies.

NGC5466 is notable for it's 'blue' horizontal branch. It's quite a loose globular cluster & has lost many of it's stars due to tidal perturbations.

Cheers
Ivor

 

[Budgie1]

7 minutes ago, rnobleeddy said:

I have no sympathy - I spent a week on the Caledonian canal so I know the views more than make up for it!

So do the Bortle 2 skies, especially in the winter when it's dark by 17:00 and doesn't get fully light until about 08:30. 

[Grant93]

Sadly, it's my 4:30AM get ups for mornings and night shifts that stop me from imaging on these short nights, been lucky recently on afternoons and weekends! When winter comes the 4:30AM get ups won't effect imaging when it gets dark at 6 🤓

[Grant93]

Sadly, it's my 4:30AM get ups for mornings and night shifts that stop me from imaging on these short nights, been lucky recently on afternoons and weekends! When winter comes the 4:30AM get ups won't effect imaging when it gets dark at 6 🤓

[david_taurus83]

38 minutes ago, Grant93 said:

When winter comes the 4:30AM get ups won't effect imaging when it gets dark at 6 🤓

It's a nice thought but since I started this hobby a few years ago the most opportunities occur between April and August. Winter sadly just seems to bring Forever Cloud.

[iapa]

13 hours ago, Astro Noodles said:

Have you been at the Wiskey Iapa?

I might crack open a bottle of Highland Park Odin this evening as it’s Father’s Day tomorrow, so, I am allowed a lie-in

[Grant93]

1 hour ago, david_taurus83 said:

It's a nice thought but since I started this hobby a few years ago the most opportunities occur between April and August. Winter sadly just seems to bring Forever Cloud.

Thats the truth, but sadly also due to it not getting dark until like 11:50Pm atm, more of these clear nights are missed out due to my shift rotation than the few we get in winter 😪

[SiD the Turtle]

Unmodified DSLR + Bortle class 5 + no real night time + the need to sleep means no chance for a few months. 

One of the few people celebrating that the solstice is over and the nights will start drawing in again!

[geordie85]

Yep, well I suppose technically I am. I'm mainly doing tests on my wide field rig for when astro darkness arrives so I can take it to darker skies. Busy making sure guiding is working and everything is talking to eachother as it should.

Edited June 21, 2021 by geordie85