Star gazing

[Woody girl]

I'm lucky enough to live in a dark skies area and I'm presently wrapped in my lovely new winter bag in my garden watching the geminiod shower. It's freezing cold but boy it's amazing. I have been here about half an hour and seen about 20 shooting stars already. Does anyone else star watch? I realy love watching the sky at night.

 

[Bishop]

Personally just the basics of naked eye astronomy, enough to find North and that's about it. The wife Julie on the other hand when her illness meant she had difficulty holding cameras & binoculars I bought her small spotting scope. Things grew from there and fatigue/weather permitting can be found freezing her bum off with eyeball glued to a 4" dobsonion.

 

[Toddy]

I wander out before I go to bed, and I can find myself enthralled by the sheer vastness of the skies.
I don't live in a dark sky area, but on clear nights there's still a lot to see up there. I rather like following the stars as they move through the seasons.

I was a very little girl when I asked my Granny what the stars were. Granny replied, "Other hearths, our Sun is a star too".
We see the stars, make up legends about them, but we don't see the worlds nearby, and I always wondered about other people and 'their' stars.

Typically it misted over here last night, so no view on the Geminids. Lucky you, and worth getting chilled to see

 

[Bionic]

I dabble and I’m fortunate enough to have a few useful accessories

 

[mousey]

I was driving late the other night and kept seeing loads of shooting stars - I read somewhere a good shower is meant to happen 1st - 6th Jan.

I live some where with semi light pollution, small village NE Scotland near a working harbour so lots of light from boats and some houses/ street lights, but not a massive town. I've just googled uk at night to get a satellite image and was surprised how many lights from vessels you can see in the North sea.

 

[saxonaxe]

" surprised how many lights from vessels you can see in the North sea."

If you look at a disposition map of the North Sea Oilfields Mousey, you'll see that the great swathe of bright lights from off the West coast of Norway and to the North East of the Shetland Islands, all the way South to the North coast of Holland and Germany is almost certainly Oil Rigs with their arc lights that the Satellites are picking up.
Crossing the North Sea in a yacht on a dark night the wretched things rob your night vision if you are not careful when doing an horizon sweep with binoculars,

 

[Woody girl]

That picture really shows how much light pollution there realy is. Ireland looks like a good place to star watch though. I'd hate not being able to see the stars as I do now. I'd love to have a telescope lucky you bionic. But having the vast sky above with millions of stars to see is truly awesome. Sirrius was so bright last night. Can't wait till the next clear night. Seems it will be cloudy tonight here, so a cosy night in front of the fire is in order this evening.

 

[snappingturtle]

Every night we get to gaze out into infinity, yer I look up at night a lot! I work nights so the moon is my sun.

 

[Nice65]

I'm lucky enough to live in a dark skies area and I'm presently wrapped in my lovely new winter bag in my garden watching the geminiod shower. It's freezing cold but boy it's amazing. I have been here about half an hour and seen about 20 shooting stars already. Does anyone else star watch? I realy love watching the sky at night.

Good for you. I had a night out a couple of years ago to watch the Perseids. I wanted to try out the Alpkit Hunka XL and a new bag. Having installed the bag into the bivi, and wriggled in, I went to grab my beer bottle and touched something cold and slimy. Torch on, and it was covered in black slugs, some on their way into the bottle.

A glance around with the torch and I saw hundreds of them, heading out from the flower beds. Not to be thwarted, I went to the garage, got a fishing bedchair out and had a brilliant night. Must have dropped off around 02.00 and woke up very heavily dewed at about 04.30.

 

[Woody girl]

Yes a camp cot or fishing bed is the best way to watch the stars. Away from the slugs and you don't get neck ache or get dizzy. Nice and relaxed.

 

[Ruud]

Just look at my country, Belgium, for a second. Just one intense beam shining into the night. We literally have light posts just 10 meters apart, all shining their orange light onto streets and highways.

 

[Joe tahkahikew]

I am glad some of you enjoy the stars. Our winter nights are long and there is no light pollution at all. From all the places we travel, hunt or canoe there are no artificial lights at all. When I was little my grandfather used to tell us stories about the stars and how they came into being. These stories I don't think have been written down and most are pretty lost now.

I've spent many nights watching the sky and I always enjoy it - its a great friend and guides us at night.

We used to have many people come from cities up here and I was surprised how almost non of them could identify north or south on clear nights. So on clear nights when the moon 1st came out I asked which side of the sky the moon comes from - most didn't know. Another surprise. So I ask which side of the sky does the sun come up. Many knew - but no all. So if the sun comes up in the east then imagine you are home - which way does the moon come up. Many never noticed that the moon always comes up the same side of the sky as the sun. So all you need is to see moon and you always know which way is north south east & west.

 

[Woody girl]

Our street lights such as we have go off at about 11pm. On a moonless night it's pich black. I don't use a torch much as even on one of these nights if you give your eyes time to adjust you can see ok. Though must admit I did walk bang smack into a black car that someone had thoughtfully parked at the bottom of my driveway one night!

 

[Woody girl]

I am glad some of you enjoy the stars. Our winter nights are long and there is no light pollution at all. From all the places we travel, hunt or canoe there are no artificial lights at all. When I was little my grandfather used to tell us stories about the stars and how they came into being. These stories I don't think have been written down and most are pretty lost now.

I've spent many nights watching the sky and I always enjoy it - its a great friend and guides us at night.

We used to have many people come from cities up here and I was surprised how almost non of them could identify north or south on clear nights. So on clear nights when the moon 1st came out I asked which side of the sky the moon comes from - most didn't know. Another surprise. So I ask which side of the sky does the sun come up. Many knew - but no all. So if the sun comes up in the east then imagine you are home - which way does the moon come up. Many never noticed that the moon always comes up the same side of the sky as the sun. So all you need is to see moon and you always know which way is north south east & west.

Joe I used to have a book of native american legends. I must try find it. there are some wonderful stories. I vaguely remember one about the seven sisters though details long escaped me. Thanks for reminding me.

 

[nobby8126]

Just missed out on the dark skies on the IOW although there are a few good places to go

 

[gonzo_the_great]

There is an interesting camping, astronomy and music festival/gathering, in mid August (to coinciide with the meteor shower peak). In mid Wales.
It's lectures during the day, some bands in the evenings and a low light area to go and set up your scope/binos.

Have a google for 'Solarsphere".
I'll be there with a few friends. And the kettel will always be on.

 

[Sundowner]

Just figured out that we are down from on of the finest "dark zones" in Europe. Will have to go to Kielder observatory again. Hoping for a hint of the northern lights