If your garden is surrounded by light pollution where do you go?

[MrsR]

My front and back garden is srrounded by light pollution from the surrounding factories and so I was wondering if anyone had the same problem where they go safely to gaze? Bear in mind I am female so safety is an issue for me.

[dmahon]

Have you tried a light pollution filter?

[Chris H]

Graveyards are quite often good dark locations and tend to be deserted at night due to people watching too many horror films.

[MarySkater]

Do you have a local astronomy club that has viewing evenings? They should know the dark sky sites, and you'd have company.

[EcoTed]

One of the other users on this forum mentioned having a barrier he puts up around his scope giving him at least some darkness - this wouldn't help from light pollution in general but might make your garden at least partly usable for astronomy.

Cheers

Ted

[Alkaid]

I had this problem. I don't have a garden and live near to the centre of Leeds.

Re safety I would get a member of your family into it and then get them to go with you, make the tea etc.

Or do what I did and put a post on here asking if there are any other SGL users who might want to hook up once a week, weather forcast dependent! I now go with pss53.

If you go on your own avoid city parks like the plague. They attract the baddies. And watch your car if you have to leave it whilst you observe from a darker place around the corner. After one city observing evening, I returned to find a few kids paying lots of interest to my car.....they hadn't broken in yet but they would have had I been five minutes later.

Another idea which some forum members have come up with is to ask a friendly farmer out in the nice dark skies of the countryside if they would mind you driving out, parking in a field gateway and using the corner of the field. You will be away from the baddies, your car will be safe and you will have nice dark skies.

Hope you find a good spot!

[jon273]

My local astronomy society has an observatory which is 'out of the way'. I've been up there a few times with my 'scope, even when it's not open, as the location is slightly less light polluted than my garden.

I think places like this are usually ideal as:

1: They're chosen on purpose to avoid light pollution

2: They're usually too out of the way to be dangerous (you don't get many people just hanging around in the middle of moorland)

Is there anything like this near you?

[Parus major]

Well I've got a streetlight above me, a insecurity light aimed right at me, a neighbour on one side who puts a porch light on and looks out if I make a noise and on the other side a conservatory fully lit up.

I make do because I don't have transport.

[Astro_Baby]

Hi Mrs R - where abouts are you - roughly speaking. If your round the Reigate/Dorking/Gatwick area you'd be welcome to tag along with me (also female).

I go to either an observatory I know down Worthing where its so far off the beaten track the chances you'd run into anyone other than another astronomer are practically zilch OR I go out to some of the hills round where I live. I always take a mobile and dtay close(ish) to the car just in case. I also take a heavy torch and not just for the light ouput

[nightfisher]

i go to moorland, and recently got permission to use a horse paddock area with stunning views and im a keyholder to this ground

[Tim]

You would be more than welcome at the SGL star parties, where you can observe in company and in safety. Sadly only once a year tho!

[MrsR]

AstroBaby thanks but I live in Nottinghamshire, would have been great though.

TJ when is the next one?

[keef_uk]

im quite lucky, cause although I live in Derby its on the outer edge so not to much LP although there is a street light right outside the front and alot of the neighbours have security lights that must be set on some stupidily sensitive setting as I think even the wind sets them off.

All this aside I get some good views from my back garden. Although my friend has a horse at some stables close by which she says I am more then welcome to visit at night as it really dark up there. I have not taken her up on the offer yet but you never know one of these day I may visit - my scope is GOTO and as yet have not got a portable power supply!

[Dave]

Hi Folks

I am surrounded by light pollution on all sides.

Hence my tendency to do more imaging these days than direct observing.

But I do enjoy getting to dark sky sites and doing some nice eyepiece work when possible.

Dave

[jam1e1]

Hi MrsR if its any help I have similar problem - here's one solution:

http://stargazerslounge.com/blogs/jam1e1/399-diy-garden-blackout-blind.html

[MrsR]

Hi MrsR if its any help I have similar problem - here's one solution:

http://stargazerslounge.com/blogs/jam1e1/399-diy-garden-blackout-blind.html

Thanks for that but I would have to make something so long it just wouldn't be feasible.

Thank you though x

[KenG]

Thought of using fold-up wind breaks? They're five feet high and about £35 from Argos.