LP survey

[Ruud]

I'm in Europe's light pollution capital.

[Buckethead 2.0]

I'm in Europe's light pollution capital.
LP.png

Good Lord !

[pakarinen]

Oy!

[Ruud]

It's not that bad! I can sometimes see magnitude 4 stars from home.
The really bad areas are greenhouses with light leaking out. The orange areas are mostly cities and villages.

Here is a differently colour coded map with a proper legend.
It shows most of the Randstad region where 8.2 million people live.

Just a few km North of me is a light green spot where you can see magnitude 5 stars if you're lucky. There's a similar place 5 km East of me.
The biggest problems are horticulture, Schiphol airport, industry and streetlights, billboards, etc.

[KathyNS]

When my wife wanted to move from the west coast to the east coast, my condition was that we'd move to a dark sky location and I'd build an observatory.

It's Bortle 3 on a fair night, and Bortle 2 on a good night. I don't bother going to the local RASC's observatory because mine has darker skies.

[pakarinen]

It's Bortle 3 on a fair night, and Bortle 2 on a good night. I don't bother going to the local RASC's observatory because mine has darker skies.

Outstanding.

[Arctic]

My backyard is Bortle 3 on a decent night.

[bobharmony]

Bortle 6 to Bortle 8 depending on time of night and transparency here. No dark site for me - the back deck is as far as I want to go. I heard the local owl hooting about 1:00 AM last Friday morning. We hadn't heard it for months and were beginning to wonder if it had moved on.

It is all AP all the time (except for the little binos I amuse myself with when collecting data on a warm night). No special adaptations for the local LP, I just push through it in post-processing.

Bob

[mikemarotta]

My question is, how many of you have a dark site to retreat to? Are some of you observing in city light conditions only? If so, what are you using for equipment and how effective is it working for you? ...

That's three questions.

[1] To take the last first, as a member of the Austin Astronomical Society, I have three dark sky sites (pre-Covid) and one available right now. The club partnered with two state parks, got criminal background checks on our core group, and installed equipment to support public star parties. We have a private site owned by a member. Before this, when I first joined in 2014, we partnered with a resort motel about 70 miles outside of town. I went there twice in 2015. I have not been to any of the other sites. As much fun as observation is, it is not how I experience and engage astronomy as an amateur.

[2] I am in the city. tri-county metro Austin has 1.8 million. I live a mile from a major shopping center. My sky is Bortle 6. I just spent two hours in my backyard, the eighth night in the last ten. Last night, with no work today, I set up in the evening about 6:30 PM with Jupiter and Saturn, then came back at 2:00 AM and viewed until about 6:30. Tonight I started watching one of Jupiter's moons go behind the planet. Then, I was viewing in Orion for the rest of the night.

[3] I am using my newest telescope, an Explore Scientific First Light 102-mm refractor (f/6.47), mostly with the 32mm and 17mm oculars and generally with the 2x Barlow. So, I am seeing at 20.6, 38, 41.2 and 76x.

Today, the Canadian Astro's Observer's Handbook 2021 arrived. But, yesterday, I got A Student's Guide to the Mathematics of Astronomy by Fleisch and Kregenaow. On my blog is a review of Astronomy Activity and Laboratory Manual by Alan Hirshfeld (https://necessaryfacts.blogspot.com/202 ... felds.html) Last year, I joined the American Astronomical Society and added the Dynamical and History divisions to my membership. I just published a short article on the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram with the AAS Historical Astronomy Division. (https://aas.org/posts/news/2020/10/mont ... tober-2020 ) Observing is the foundation of the hobby, but not the only way to engage and enjoy it.

[Buckethead 2.0]

Are you shaded from street and housing lights?

No. A street lamp within 50 yards. So I hide behind my spruce trees when viewing. I just found your response, by the way.

[Buckethead 2.0]

My question is, how many of you have a dark site to retreat to? Are some of you observing in city light conditions only? If so, what are you using for equipment and how effective is it working for you? ...

That's three questions.

[1] To take the last first, as a member of the Austin Astronomical Society, I have three dark sky sites (pre-Covid) and one available right now. The club partnered with two state parks, got criminal background checks on our core group, and installed equipment to support public star parties. We have a private site owned by a member. Before this, when I first joined in 2014, we partnered with a resort motel about 70 miles outside of town. I went there twice in 2015. I have not been to any of the other sites. As much fun as observation is, it is not how I experience and engage astronomy as an amateur.

[2] I am in the city. tri-county metro Austin has 1.8 million. I live a mile from a major shopping center. My sky is Bortle 6. I just spent two hours in my backyard, the eighth night in the last ten. Last night, with no work today, I set up in the evening about 6:30 PM with Jupiter and Saturn, then came back at 2:00 AM and viewed until about 6:30. Tonight I started watching one of Jupiter's moons go behind the planet. Then, I was viewing in Orion for the rest of the night.

[3] I am using my newest telescope, an Explore Scientific First Light 102-mm refractor (f/6.47), mostly with the 32mm and 17mm oculars and generally with the 2x Barlow. So, I am seeing at 20.6, 38, 41.2 and 76x.

Today, the Canadian Astro's Observer's Handbook 2021 arrived. But, yesterday, I got A Student's Guide to the Mathematics of Astronomy by Fleisch and Kregenaow. On my blog is a review of Astronomy Activity and Laboratory Manual by Alan Hirshfeld (https://necessaryfacts.blogspot.com/202 ... felds.html) Last year, I joined the American Astronomical Society and added the Dynamical and History divisions to my membership. I just published a short article on the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram with the AAS Historical Astronomy Division. (https://aas.org/posts/news/2020/10/mont ... tober-2020 ) Observing is the foundation of the hobby, but not the only way to engage and enjoy it.

Technically, four. Thanks for the response, and pointing out my error.

[turboscrew]

I live under Bortle 5 (for now, I think). The town is growing into this direction, so I don't know how long. I have my 12" tube and 10x50 binos. For the binos, I don't have any mount yet, so they are hard to handle. The night weathers haven't been very good. In the summer it was too light, and now in the autumn it's been pretty cloudy and rainy, so the LP has been least of my problems this far. On the other hand, just the eastern sky seems to be somewhat compromised due to LP.

[maceemiller]

I am in the suburbs of London UK, Bortle 8 and it sucks. These days I don't do much in the way of observing, naked eye I can only see the most major stars.

I do imaging and find that narrowband works well for the "brighter" targets, so I take myself off to darker skies (Bortle 4) about an hours drive away where I can do so much more, on a regular basis, though with the coronavirus lockdown rules that currently isn't happening.

Carole

I feel for you there Carol my Village is bortle 4, but my next door neighbour (and great pal) loves lights all over the place. Not worth loosing a friend over though. I’m lucky as the large Village green is beside my cottage, and if I go out into the middle of it there are few lights or obstructions. About 5 mile drive to something closer to 2/3. Still thinking of an LP filter for my canon, but I’m feeling a bit spoilt.

I live not far from you and have bortle 5. My village is stuck between Milton Keynes and Northampton yet you can still see Andromeda with the naked eye occasionally.

[GCoyote]

My question is, how many of you have a dark site to retreat to? Are some of you observing in city light conditions only? If so, what are you using for equipment and how effective is it working for you?

My queries are based on the fact I have decided there is no way I can see much of anything in a usually orange Bortle zone condition and 10x50 binos.

The fault is not with my binos. I love them, but I am just wondering how you yourselves get around suburban or urban LP issues.

For bino observing, I've taken to using the type of patio umbrella that has a tilt feature at the top. If I can use the house to shield me on one side, an umbrella or two will block the nearest and most annoying lights. Does not work for all targets but the minimal set up time and the fact that I have them for summer use anyway makes them a cheap and effective solution.

Hope that helps.

[OzEclipse]

Sorry, I can't help you. Just moved to Bortle 1/2. Even before I bought this place, I observed from another friends Bortle 2 property for many years. Haven't done any suburban DSO observing for about 30 years. Dark skies are much more rewarding and worth the effort for DSO.

For Moon and planets, LP is irrelevant within reason.

Joe

[GCoyote]

I'm in a Bortle 7 area myself so I have to wait for very good weather conditions to see even average targets. I also have a smaller choice of stars to being my hops from. Still getting used to using RA/Dec to navigate the sky and help locate objects of interest.

[Butterfly Maiden]

Bortle 4 skies for the whole of the New Forest and very few street lights.

There are lots of small villages scattered throughout the Forest which are street-lit, but once away from them the country roads are completely dark.

Where we live there are no street lights at all to cause any viewing issues.

Once the sun goes down it gets dark very quickly.