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Hi from Central London

Gerrymac

By Gerrymac
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Gerrymac

Gerrymac

Posted
Posted

I've been lugging a CGE1100 in and out of the house this nine months so that I could peer at the orange murk of my Central London sky. There are tall townhouses all around with only the sky above about 20 or 30 degrees to see. With little chance to leave the city, it's a bit frustrating, but I'm going to be very British about it and absolutely make the best of adversity. The neighbours gaze down at me from their various windows, surely thinking that I'm either mad or a not very subtle voyeur.

There are about 30 stars to be seen with the naked eye on the average night, but I'm transported as soon as I put eye to cheap eyepiece. So far, I enjoy planetary visual and imaging, gazing at stars and nebulae through various filters, and trying to convince myself that the dim little stains I see are actually galaxies.

I'm slowly getting to know the mount and OTA and starting to experiment with DSLR imaging - just waiting to pluck up the courage to open up my old dusty EOS10D and tear out the IR filter.

I have a 25 year old physics degree, mostly forgotten, but I'm working through an old OU Astronomy textbook 'Stars and the Interstellar Medium' and it's a nice companion for the scope.

I'll surely have loads of questions for the inmates at the Stargazers' Lounge, and particularly hoping to hear from other Central London users - for there must be many around me struggling against sodium and mercury.

Cheers!

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iamjulian

iamjulian

Posted
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Hello

Sorry to hear your plight. I had no idea the effect of light pollution was so severe until I got interested in astronomy. I don't have the darkest of skies, but I'm glad I can see more than 30 stars. Just imagine how good it will be on that day you retire from the big smoke and move to the country.

Have you added your support to the campaign for dark skies?

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nitram100

nitram100

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Fellow Londoner here, Harrow to be exact, i must live quite close to you vlebo? I'm in Harrow Weald. The light pollution is awful but must be even worse in central London, i admire your determination!

I had done all of my observing from London for the last 13 years and thought the skies were OK because i didn't really know what dark skies were like, that was until i went to Oregon last year. Words can't describe how dark the skies were! Only 30 minutes drive from Portland, the sky was literally dusted with pin pricks of light.

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DaveS

DaveS

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Hi Gerrymac from yet another London sufferer, though I'm further out, in Acton. The LP is still pretty awfull.

Still trying to get a budget together for a new 'scope, while putting up screening against neigbour's lights. Aargh!

Dave

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Gerrymac

Gerrymac

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Well, thanks for the very friendly reception. For all that I say, the LP does ease off at about 1am when most people clear off to bed and some big buildings switch off the external uplighters. I haven't yet but now will add my support to the Campaign for Clear Skies.

I notice that there's nobody yet more central than me - I'm beginning to feel like I have the very worst plot in all of the UK - time for my 'victim complex' to run riot :-)

I know, I'll go buy something for the scope, that's the best therapy.

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cosmic dave

cosmic dave

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Hi Gerrymac I'm a newbie to the site myself (only been using it a few days) but the guys on here are cool and will help with anything they can. Sorry to here about your sky conditions, I have virtually no LP but nothing else either our nearest supermarket is a 16 mile drive away !! its very quiet and very cold in winter.

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