Under dark, dark skies

[jetstream]

8 hours ago, ONIKKINEN said:

It was dark. Uncanny-dark, if you're in the forest you literally cannot see your legs-dark. City boys like the most of us were had never really seen a true dark sky and frankly i will tell you that it did not look like it was real, the dim light from my digital watchwas a serious source of light...

👍

A great adventure ONIKKINEN! 

Yes in the forest its very difficult to see but out in the open across a lake I find it easy to see the tree line as the MW in particular provides light, time of year dependent. We used to navigate these lakes at night using the tree lines pre gps.Winter gets very dark, MW diminished but I still find the snow and ice brightens things up in the open.

A digital watch can wreck true dark adaptation- I wear no watch observing.

Eagerly waiting reports! Sounds like a drive will bring you to vg darkness.

Edited September 11, 2021 by jetstream

[John]

9 hours ago, ONIKKINEN said:

.... the dim light from my digital watch was a serious source of light...

 

When I see discussion of using tablets / mobile phones while observing in the field I think of this. I've had just the same experience with a digital watch illuminator under a really dark sky - and that was on the other side of the field that I was observing in !

Until you have observed under really dark conditions and managed to get fully dark adapted, it is difficult to conceive how even dim lights can negatively impact the experience. But they really can.

 

[Stu]

3 hours ago, jetstream said:

A digital watch can wreck true dark adaptation- I wear no watch observing.

 

2 hours ago, John said:

When I see discussion of using tablets / mobile phones while observing in the field I think of this. I've had just the same experience with a digital watch illuminator under a really dark sky - and that was on the other side of the field that I was observing in !

Until you have observed under really dark conditions and managed to get fully dark adapted, it is difficult to conceive how even dim lights can negatively impact the experience. But they really can.

 

I think the thing is, most is us rarely, if ever, observe under a pristine, really dark sky. It’s probably only a few times a year that I am able to get dark adapted properly, and I don’t think I’ve ever observed under the sorts of skies I recall as a child down in Cornwall. So, most of the time a dimmed phone on red makes no impact, but if I lived where Gerry does then it certainly would. I really must get to Dartmoor soon though!

[jetstream]

20 minutes ago, Stu said:

I really must get to Dartmoor soon though!

👍

Yes! wherever Dartmoor is lol!

John picked the perfect spot- getting in low in a valley (even if the valley is raised). The best DSO spots I've found are like this- the trees and dark vegetation absorb natural, intrusive skylight and provide a great dark "nest" to observe from.

Eagerly waiting reports Stu!

[John]

6 minutes ago, jetstream said:

👍

Yes! wherever Dartmoor is lol!

 

Our most southerly National Park:

In the county of Devonshire (where I was born as it happens).

950 square km of granite uplands with deep wooded valleys.

 

 

[skyhog]

12 minutes ago, John said:

Our most southerly National Park:

In the county of Devonshire (where I was born as it happens).

950 square km of granite uplands with deep wooded valleys.

 

 

Rather depressing that map John. I'm assuming the blue areas are the designated dark sites? 

[skyhog]

Just now, skyhog said:

Rather depressing that map John. I'm assuming the blue areas are the designated dark sites? 

Ignore that... I've had a drink... National parks... 🥴

[scarp15]

29 minutes ago, skyhog said:

Ignore that... I've had a drink... National parks... 🥴

Yep National Parks, there is a campaign currently that the Scottish Parliament (now in collaboration with the Greens) to look at declaring a new national park in Scotland; Galloway & Dumfries is one of the contenders. Merging dark sky park status with national park status can only be a good thing.

[jetstream]

2 hours ago, John said:

Our most southerly National Park:

In the county of Devonshire (where I was born as it happens).

950 square km of granite uplands with deep wooded valleys.

 

 

This place looks great John!

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

The Yorkshire Dales - he shoots, he scores! Gawd if I only I could afford to move. In one hour arned with the Opticron 10x50s I've ticked off the Veil, North American, Heart & Soul plus Elephant Trunk nebulas. Also the dense open cluster Caroline's Rose, although it wasn't fully resolved it was an obvious big round smudge. Unless I mistook it for the Pacman Nebula?! All objects I've not previously observed. All without full dark adaptation due to various camp fires and unnecessarily bright head torches flicking on ocassionally. I had to cup my hands around  my eyes to block the lights. The Milky Way is incredibly prominent. 

A naked eye Double Cluster looked great in the binos. As did Andromeda, filling approx 40% of the fov! Melotte 2 was a magnificent bright cluster filling the whole field of view.

Unfortunately it's gettin a bit nippy, I've had a massive pub fish & chips, a skinful of local ale (it's taken 20 minutes to type this lol), walked up too many hills today and the missus is already snorin... 🙄

Anyone want to start an Astronomy commune?! 😉😀

[F15Rules]

Great report John and I envy you 3 consecutive pristine nights...I've had two decent nights in the past 2 months!

It seems so rare for our plans to come together perfectly like this, so it's a real encouragement to all of us to read of all the objects that look so great in just a pair of binoculars!

Some of the best views possible don't need any optical aid at all -  just the kind of conditions John has just experienced😊. 

Congratulations John!

Dave

[Captain Scarlet]

1 hour ago, F15Rules said:

Great report John and I envy you 3 consecutive pristine nights...

… though that must come at a cost? How were the sleep/tiredness levels John?

[John]

20 minutes ago, Captain Magenta said:

… though that must come at a cost? How were the sleep/tiredness levels John?

Not really a problem. I did not actually stay out too late each night - maybe until midnight ?

Being on holiday we were not getting up too early each morning either.

 

 

[JeremyS]

 Racking report, @John 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
 

Good there was no sign of The Hound 🤣

[John]

3 hours ago, JeremyS said:

 

....Good there was no sign of The Hound 🤣

Well, we did take this rather old and corny DVD with us and watched it on one of the cloudy nights

Quite fun with a bottle of decent red to calm the nerves !

 

Edited September 12, 2021 by John