Mid-summer observing

[West End Wendy]

Hi,

This is my first year as a telescope owner, and I'm already slightly dreading the period around mid-summer's day where there is no astronomical darkness.

Do people just pack their telescopes away for 3 months or is there still observing or imaging to be done?

Thanks,

Tim.

[Nexus 6]

Hi,

This is my first year as a telescope owner, and I'm already slightly dreading the period around mid-summer's day where there is no astronomical darkness.

Do people just pack their telescopes away for 3 months or is there still observing or imaging to be done?

Thanks,

Tim.

no chance Tim, always a chance to observe the Moon for starters

[shaunster]

Depends where you live

Down here on the southcoast we can observe all year, get about 3 hours in summer... dark enough for DSO

[Ben Ritchie]

Depends where you live

Down here on the southcoast we can observe all year, get about 3 hours in summer... dark enough for DSO

Indeed, some great summer objects to view too and nice to be able to observe without being freezing! Meandering through the summer milky way with a small refractor and widefield eyepiece is one of my favourites.

[Nexus 6]

Indeed, some great summer objects to view too and nice to be able to observe without being freezing! Meandering through the summer milky way with a small refractor and widefield eyepiece is one of my favourites.

looks like a plan, warm weather as well, shorts and t-shirt seems a way off yet but here's to it!

[Rob]

No,no the opposite for me. I enjoy summer 'T shirt' observing more than winter too be honest. Ok its late, but when your standing there in T shirt at midnight, cold beer in one hand feeling all warm (no coats, gloves.. freezing cold feet). Also like the reduced dew, and on most nights...no dew.

Its ace!.. also love to browser the summer triangle & milky way.

Brill

Rob

[West End Wendy]

Depends where you live

Down here on the southcoast we can observe all year, get about 3 hours in summer... dark enough for DSO

That's very interesting. According to the software I use there is no astronomical darkness in Plymouth (only south coast town I could find in its database) between 30th May and 15th July.

And yet from your experience DSOs are still visible at this time?

Tim

[DarkerSky]

That's very interesting. According to the software I use there is no astronomical darkness in Plymouth (only south coast town I could find in its database) between 30th May and 15th July.

And yet from your experience DSOs are still visible at this time?

Tim

Hi Tim. In Plymouth you'll be fine. Best time to observe 30 May to July 15 is from 11.30pm/ midnight to 1.30am. The sky is at its darkest then. Last year in June and early July I got some great double star systems, globulars including M107 and M9 down to the south, open clusters in Aquila and Cygnus and even got a Mag 12.6 galaxy in Delphinus and the Veil Nebula visually.

The further north you are the less darkness you'll get though

[shaunster]

And yet from your experience DSOs are still visible at this time?

indeed, last year our best observing sessions where in june and july

[Si W]

No way Tim, there's still loads to look at, planets, the moon, open and globular cluster's, and Cygnus is a treasure high up near the zenith, and lots of other things.

[Pete_inthehills]

hmmm...I'm up in the far NE Scotland. We have 2-3 hours of dusk during june.

I've heard that you can see some planets during the day light if you know where to look. I figure I'll have a play with that. And there is always the moon which is under rated by some.

On the plus side, in the winter, its dark from 4pm to 8am. Althought its often blinkin' cold.

pete

inthehills

[twotter]

I'm really looking forward to seeing the summer triangle again this year. The Ring Nebula is probably my favourite astro view, that gentle smoke ring hanging in the cosmos....lovely

[West End Wendy]

Thanks for the replies - much more positive than I was expecting.

Before I got a telescope I always regarded late August as being the best time of the year for stargazing - the best chance to see Sagittarius and Scorpius (although that darn teapot is always behind something), and of course the time I'm most likely to be on holiday and at a dark sky.

Maybe I won't write off June and July yet though.

Cheers,

Tim