Any Bright Ideas - viewing sites

[rider]

I’m looking for any hints for finding comparatively dark sky sites in cities.

When possible, we head off to the country for a good view, but we would like to be able to see a star or two near home as well, so I naively spent last night driving around my local suburbs thinking that there must be somewhere that could be used.

I have now formulated “Rider’s rules of Illuminance”

• all public sites are lit to levels that require polarised sunglasses.
• all school grounds employ security guards to ensure that astronomers don’t vandalise the state government owned sky.
• all foreshore reserves have a legal requirement for high beam headlights to be left on in the carpark.
• any slightly darker areas are only to be occupied by children on wheeled appliances.
• any mildly suitable place will have a resident friendly drunk who happens to be an expert on all things.
• any other mildly suitable place will have innumerable quantities of starving mosquitos, sandflies and midges.

2 hours later we found a site which was better than any other. – our backyard.
( only I blazing street light, houses without curtain technology, and a little old lady in a 2 story house who is really into next-door neighbour observation)

Has anyone found a class of site (which may be legally entered) that provides better access to those little spots of light we all like to look at?

Rider

[Kokatha man]

Ha ha rider (that reminds me of an old song) - I sympathise with you and I liked your satire: personally "I'm ok Jake" but it sounds like you an me old mate omnivorr from your neck o' the woods might have a thing or two in common. Perhaps you could go cruising for "sights" together - but don't expect me to be able to bail youse out if'n you get arrested or somethin...

On that particular note mebbe some of me old bush experiences gives a clue to a solution to the problem: sometimes when working on really deep windmill bores (ie when we were at the bottom of really deep holes) we could see a star or two in the middle of the day when we looked up: it's something about how light's transmitted I recall.

So my suggestion (idiotic) is mebbe find some deep dark creepy alleyway that's between two very tall buildings with no lights - there's allways some somewhere or another in cities - and do your obbing from there. Russ can keep any muggers off whilst you view and vice versa! Come to think of it, around the back of some older buildings (ie the "blank" wall end) would be ideal; maybes you could organize a "star party" there and force the muggers etc to move on by sheer weight of numbers!

Regards

[GeoffW1 (Geoff)]

Originally Posted by rider

I’m looking for any hints for finding comparatively dark sky sites in cities.

Has anyone found a class of site (which may be legally entered) that provides better access to those little spots of light we all like to look at?

Rider

Hi,

For those in the South of Sydney the oval at Barden Ridge might be worth checking out. It is high up and reasonably dark as it adjoins undeveloped areas to the West and South.

Cheers

[erick (Eric)]

Bad news! In my limited experience there are no dark skies within 100km of our big cities. And what you find 100km from the big cities is nothing on the skies 500km from our big cities! So if it is observing from hidden corners in the cities you are faced with, don't set your expectations too high and you might be pleasantly surprised rather than disappointed.

[goober (Doug)]

Originally Posted by rider

I’m looking for any hints for finding comparatively dark sky sites in cities.

When possible, we head off to the country for a good view, but we would like to be able to see a star or two near home as well, so I naively spent last night driving around my local suburbs thinking that there must be somewhere that could be used.

I'm not sure how portable you are, but how about golf courses? One with lots of trees should block out a lot of the direct lighting.

[rider]

mmmm "portable Astromomy", an interesting concept.

as Galileo probably said...

"I used to be portable, but since I got my current telescope, I find carrying both it and my newly aquired hernia, quite restraining."

- The reply about the two buildings brings up an idea.

Has anyone tried improving the backyard view by surrounding the scope site with temporary tarpolin walls? if so was it worth the trouble?

Rider

Originally Posted by goober

I'm not sure how portable you are, but how about golf courses? One with lots of trees should block out a lot of the direct lighting.

[Kokatha man]

Originally Posted by rider

Has anyone tried improving the backyard view by surrounding the scope site with temporary tarpolin walls? if so was it worth the trouble?

Rider

Yeah - but dey fell on me an' stuffed up me hernia repair as well as me bad back tryin' t' fights me way clear.

[omnivorr]

G'day rider, seems we're 34k's apart in this sprawling big country town called Brissie.. but same prob here.. if not worse.. my plan is to DIY "the best damn baffle ever made" for the open end of my OTA"s..

I had thought of a deep hole too.. but bayside & 19m elev. according to google-earth ( they haven't seen hightide at the creek just up the road..)the watertable sez "No". But I'm still thinkin..if'n I can't dig down..can I build up??? Cheers, Russ.

[mark3d]

even though we have a streetlight out the front i think the biggest problem is just the skyglow. looking away from the city shows more stars.. about double and a hint of the milky way glow. of course thats where the trees are

i dont might pollution sometimes - easier to star hop... in a totally dark sky theres bloody stars everywhere

[omnivorr]

"of course thats where the trees are " too true

but I live on the cnr of a main drag, 'bout 18 streetlights here
You're right 'bout starhoppin' too! ..& I finds the same thing applies goin' up in mag' too, smaller peephole and more stars! "which one was it I was lookin' at???"

[Davros (Lauren)]

I know what your feeling. I am up at Caboolture and i just spent half an hour moon watching through the scope. Crystal clear view of the lunar surface but useless for anything deeper out. Way to much light round here. I am thinking of converting one of the sheds into an observatory to get some darkness. I will try again later when the moon drops down and go play in the back yard for a while away from the street lights.

[omnivorr]

Hi Davros, mmmmm.. shed mmmmmmmmmm.. observatory
you on a block in the 'burbs or acrage ? spose it's changed since I worked there decades ago.

[Davros (Lauren)]

Just in the burbs, but ive got a big plock with a few big sheds. I am making plans to kick the mower out of one and throw in a pier. It would be nice to just have everything set up ready. Just plug the laptop in and away you go. Never got to try again last night it poured rain till i eventually threw the towel in.

[rider]

My sincerest appologies for the rain last night.
My fault.
I wanted to try out a new lens..

It was 100% clear, then in the 10 minutes it took to bring my gear out: 100% cloud cover. then RRRRain.

In the interests of SE Qld drought, I suggest we all buy a new lens and meet at Wivenhoe Dam. - it's only 28% full

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hey, the city is going to turn off the lights for an hour next month..
I, for one, intend to be observing that night!

Rider.

[cahullian]

I go to the local Aussie Rules ground, the skies are not darker but I'm further away from street lights and have a brtter fov to find my fav sights in the night sky.

Gazz