How much can you realisticaly do in the summer

[earth titan]

Have now spent a number of frustrating nights in the garden and at a dark sky spot this last week or so. Just doesn't seem to get dark though - struggling to get much of anything. Even the Hercules cluster is dim.

Any tips for sky observations in the summer?

On the plus side, I woke up for a pee at about 3:00 and got a lovely view of Jupiter and the moon. Should of got the scope out I guess - but hey at 3:00 when nature calls, who has much commitment?

[Rusty Strings]

I guess this is what observatories are for. Getting the scope out at 3am and waiting 30mins to cool down whilst falling asleep on the sofa.

I think the summer can be used for telescope modding/upgrades, building an obsy ready for the longer nights.

[GuillermoBarrancos]

I live in Oslo and last friday was pretty much the last night I could get a glimpse of Saturn.

Now it's just not getting dark at all anymore till August.

So here in Norway, the sun is pretty much the only object for the summer.

[Dave Smith]

Double stars make good targets at this time. I had two clear nights last week (Th & Fri) and devoted most of the time searching out some new to me doubles. The highlights were Rasalgethi (alpha Herculis), Sigma Cas, Algieba (gamma Leonis), Izar (epsilon Bootis). There were others that I was already familiar with namely Eta Cas, Epsilon Lyrae, Albireo. Even though the sky was not very dark M57, M27, C15 (Blinking nebula), ngc7662 (Blue snowball) were all clear in my FL102S refractor.

I haven't previously been much interested in double stars but observing these was great fun and I think I'm getting hooked.

Dave

[NGC 1502]

Hi, the previous posts have said it all, but I would add compiling lists of objects to observe/image when the darker evenings arrive. I sometimes find that I head out to observe, without any plan of what to do, and lose time hunting my sky maps. Regards, Ed.

[acey]

This website is useful for finding when your sky reaches "astronomical darkness", i.e. is fully dark.

Sunrise and Sunset for U.K. – England – London – June 2010

For most places in UK there is no astronomical darkness in June, and for northern England there is none from early May to early August. Summer is close season for deep-sky observing at our latitude.

For dark summer nights we need to head south: Greece is currently getting about 5 hours of full darkness each night (and clear skies too).

[John]

Double stars make good targets at this time. I had two clear nights last week (Th & Fri) and devoted most of the time searching out some new to me doubles. The highlights were Rasalgethi (alpha Herculis), Sigma Cas, Algieba (gamma Leonis), Izar (epsilon Bootis). There were others that I was already familiar with namely Eta Cas, Epsilon Lyrae, Albireo. Even though the sky was not very dark M57, M27, C15 (Blinking nebula), ngc7662 (Blue snowball) were all clear in my FL102S refractor.

I haven't previously been much interested in double stars but observing these was great fun and I think I'm getting hooked.

Dave

I'm with Dave - I'm really getting into double stars this time of year (Cygnus is full of them !) but Jupiter will start making an appearance later in the Summer as well and Saturn can still be observed in the twighlight. Summer nights on a reclined deckchair looking for meteors can be fun (no scope needed !). As the "Summer Triangle" gets higher in sky you can still pick out the Ring and Dumbell nebulae when its reasonably dark. Galaxies, in the main, will have to wait until later in the year.

[Macavity]

It seems to be a good time to develop your "methodology". It's far easier to "nip back indoors", for that forgotten piece equipment in the Summer than with glass-ice or 2" of snow on the ground? I do love the (late) Summer skies though - Perhaps a relic of School Holidays and being allowed to stay up really late...

[Chris H]

Right now I'm just looking at Saturn and the odd bright DSO. It's just too damn light, not long till the 21st then its long nights here we come.

[BazMark]

On the plus side, I woke up for a pee at about 3:00 and got a lovely view of Jupiter and the moon. Should of got the scope out I guess - but hey at 3:00 when nature calls, who has much commitment?

This could almost have been my post. I got up for the same reason at 3.30 and remembered that Jupiter is currently a morning object. The sky was beginning to lighten, but there was Jupiter and the Moon looking like jewels in the eastern sky. I briefly toyed with getting the scope out but my bed won out.

[zedds]

building an obsy ready for the longer nights.

This is what i`ll be starting on this weekend :hello2:

[nitram100]

I love the summer for Astronomy, i just sit back and watch the astrobuysell bargains roll in lol

[davew]

If you do take a fancy to observing doubles, especially coloured doubles, they are often better to look at when the sky isn't fully dark.

The same can be said for colourful clusters. Not quite as saturated as some photos but not far off.

Plenty of lists out there to download,

Dave.

[narrowbandpaul]

imaging offers more possibilities for summer.

doing LRGB broadband will have high nackground signals, but if you do a bright object, with enough subs you can mitigate the extra shot noise.

but narrowband really offers up opportunities....

2 years ago, my friend and I imaged the pelican in Ha. We live in central scotland, 56N, and even then we only had one hour of useful data even with a 6nm bandpass filter.

the results speak for themselves...

please note, pic taken June 21st 2008, full moon....1x15mins 3x20mins

here is the link...

http://stargazerslounge.com/imaging-deep-sky/65584-pelican-imaged-during-summer-solstice.html

paul

[Andrew*]

The SUN!!

Get yourself a white light filter. IMHO Baader solar film is the best way into solar viewing.

I've just completed my summer project - turning my ED120 into a 90mm Hydrogen Alpha solar scope, and I'm very much looking forward to some summer astronomy for once!

For me, up here in Aberdeen, astronomy just would not happen in summer without the sun.

Noctilucent clouds are also worth looking out for.

Andrew

[shaunster]

still manage to get 3 or so hours of dark skies here in portsmouth at the moment

[acey]

Us northeners are less lucky. According to this very useful page by SteveL there's currently no half-decent darkness north of Bedford, while north of Newcastle it's all-night twilight.

Astro Events for UK based locations

So it's a case of sun, moon, planets, double-stars, imaging, list-making, mirror-cleaning, obsy-building - anything except visual deep-sky.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Summer here is most often the rainy season and with rain come clouds so not much to do but watch tv. Its not dark til after 11pm and almost daylight by 4am.

For me the biggest attraction of the summer is the meteor showers........if the clouds play ball. Mind you i will definitely be spending some time later on in the summer on Jupiter. I've only seen it a couple of times with my 90EQ and not observed it for too long.

Having a house full of foreign language students and a dog that loves the sound of her own bark mean i dont get much time to go out in summer. I'd be arrested if the dog was outside with me all night barking.

[WayBig]

I'm still in my first year of observing, I didnt realise when I bought my scope in the autumn time that this was such a seasonal (for me anyway) pastime.

I like to be tucked up in bed by 11, so I'll probably not get really good skies until september.

I'll try a few doubles, they sound good.

I was enjoying watching ISS passes, but even that seems to have gone south for a while!

[Pete Presland]

you can always catch the moon during daylight hours,it was superb on thursday morning.mediterranean blue skies,lovely moon,not a cloud in sight and all this from bedfordshire!

[earth titan]

Doubles are nice I have to say. One or two very pretty ones.

Some where at the start of this post, someone mentioned a list or cataogue of doubles. Anyone have a list of favourite doubles? Particulalrly colourful pairs.

Ta.

[kniclander]

sitting out in a t-shirt looking at the moon. what could be better?

[davew]

Just to start you off - http://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/dblstar/dblstar2.pdf

A printable list in RA.

For a laugh, on a wet night, have a look at - Washington Double Star Catalog

Try a google search. So many people have been there before us and have done all the hard work.

Enjoy your summer,

Dave.