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Summer observing...

smiddit

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xyz

xyz

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It does get a bit challenging during mid-summer - here, we are an hour ahead of the UK so it does not get dark until 11:00 ish for some part of the summer. But it does get dark enough to see and the warmer evenings have their own attraction. I love just sitting out there waiting for "darkness" to fall, listening to the sounds of nature. I guess the ideal would be early, warm, dew-free nights but that's maybe only for astronomy fans.

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AndyUK

AndyUK

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As you're in Scotland, you'll get an extra few minutes than us southerners anyway :rolleyes:.

I got my first "real" scope / mount last May so my first attempts at imaging were all through last summer. For starters, you have the moon and planets (Saturn will hopefully in good view shortly), but I found that even on the shortest nights, I could get a good 2-3 hours or so...

The milky way is pretty awesome in the summer, especially if viewing from a dark site... And if you're talking about imaging, it's amazing what you can get, even with relatively short exposures in the relatively short space of 2-3 hours... Or of course you can accept that you're only going to get maybe 10 subs or so of a target and then shoot it over multiple nights.

So I'd say there's still plenty enough to do in the summer months without freezing your Trossachs off...

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russ

russ

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Loads to do in the summer, only June gets a bit tricky but still worth it, at least for us on the South Coast. We had some brilliant observing sessions last spring/summer. Loads of clear skies, our group managed at least one planned dark sky visit every month of the spring summer period.

As Andy says, the Milkyway from a dark site is worth it alone. Just be prepared for some very late nights, starting just before midnight and packing up around 3am. And it's great being able to observe without multiple layers of clothing, hats and gloves.

Normally winter is prime time observing but that is fast becoming something of a myth. The last 3 winters have been pretty dreadful, with this winter being particularly poor.

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stev74

stev74

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Hi smiddit,

It looks like everyone posting so far is a lot further South then you are. Unfortunately being in Scotland like myself you will find for most of June and July there is no astronomical darkness - when the Sun is at least 18 degrees below the horizon, so it never really gets fully dark.

Most of the people in my observing group take a bit of time off then from observing. It's a good opportunity to do any maintenance or mods - last year I cleaned my primary mirror and flocked the inside of my scope.

You can still do some limited observing on the Moon and Planets but to be honest the heat rising off the ground at night means there is usually a lot of atmospheric turbulence to see through so the views wont be as rewarding.

Of course the other option is to book a holiday as far South as possible and the closer to the equator the better!! :rolleyes::eek:

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m_j_lyons

m_j_lyons

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How true - It's not gone fully through yet, but it went through the 1st parliamentary vote :eek:. Obviously not enough MP's are amateur astronomers...

THAT'S IT! You've had enough - get out in the streets and start protesting - it seems the 'in-style' thing to do these days!

Just kidding - best of luck to you - honestly I didn't know that parts of the UK received NO true darkness in the summer. You're always welcome to visit the States...we'll have several hours of darkness either via the night or because we can't afford to pay our bills. :rolleyes:

Cheers.

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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THAT'S IT! You've had enough - get out in the streets and start protesting - it seems the 'in-style' thing to do these days!

Just kidding - best of luck to you - honestly I didn't know that parts of the UK received NO true darkness in the summer. You're always welcome to visit the States...we'll have several hours of darkness either via the night or because we can't afford to pay our bills. :rolleyes:

Cheers.

The reason is because most of the UK/Ireland is on the same LAT as parts of Canada.

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AndyUK

AndyUK

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If it does pass, i wonder will they do the same for winter?!?
What we'll end up with is permanent BST (1 hour forward) but put the clocks forward an additional hour during the summer months - GMT will cease to exist... :rolleyes:.

So instead of it getting somewhere near dark at (say) midnight in the summer, that won't occur until 1am. However, we'll still get the same time under the skies, although we'll get to bed an hour later than we currently do... and still have to get up at the same time. :eek:

I think the French would like to take it on - but it would then be called something like Paris Mean Time (oh, maybe not - that would be PMT...)

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Httetal

Httetal

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Hmmm - I'm going on holiday to a remote cottage in the middle of nowhere between Aviemore and Inverness in June. I was going to take my scope as the nearest streetlight is likely to be many miles and mountains away. Is it still worth it - surely Saturn and the like will still be fun to observe then?

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acey

acey

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I give up deep-sky observing from late May to early August. The best months are March and April: decent night-lengths, decent weather (well, as decent as it gets), and lots to look at. William Herschel discovered roughly 2500 DSOs over a period of years, and roughly half of all those discoveries were made in the months of March and April.

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smiddit

smiddit

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Once again folks thanks again for the numerous replies. Being a beginner when I get my scope I'll probably be out with it everytime it's clear.

Maybe by the time winter comes around this year I'll have some idea how to work it properly!

Thanks, Brian

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saturn5

saturn5

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New to this and just wondered what observing is like in the summer as it never really gets completely dark like in the winter.

Is it still doable or does everyone take a break until it's minus 5 again? :rolleyes:

I'm up on the North cost of Scotland,I give up in the middle of May and usually wait until the Persieds on the 12th of August.

Still have a look at the moon but anything else i dont usually bother with anymore.

Noctilucent clouds can add a bit of excitement to the summer.

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Debostar

Debostar

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I guess our winter here is summer viewing for you....I think summer viewing here would be a bit problematic, especially in coastal areas due to the humidity which on some nights can be very uncomfortable, plus I think it would create moisture on the scope's optics....However, not all nights are very humid....I plan to do my observing from an inland location that is mostly spared from humidity...The darkness hours are also good, even in the summer it still gets dark by 7pm till about 5.30 am. But I will have to try to tell you....Now i think it is the perfect time here for observing, cool air, little humidity and temps around 20-22C....provided there is no wind or clouds...

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saturn5

saturn5

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Stewart, you are in Thurso?. Thats about as close as to the land of the midnight sun without actually being there.

Sun sets on midsummers day at 22.27 and rises at 04.04 so thats roughly 18.5 hours of daylight for around 3 weeks,the other 5.5 is varying degrees of twilight, up in Shetland they call it the "simmer dim".

Look north during the summer and its always light.A lovely blue twilight glow,weather permitting that is.

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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Sun sets on midsummers day at 22.27 and rises at 04.04 so thats roughly 18.5 hours of daylight for around 3 weeks,the other 5.5 is varying degrees of twilight, up in Shetland they call it the "simmer dim".

Look north during the summer and its always light.A lovely blue twilight glow,weather permitting that is.

I'm in Dublin (52 degrees North) and i agree...........in the height of summer the sky to the north never really gets dark.

From my location i think in the height of summer that it is really only truly truely dark between 11pm-3am.

A few yrs ago i was at a family wedding in the west of Ireland (right on the coast) during the height of summer and i swear that at 11:30pm i could look out to sea and it was still somewhat bright.

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