ICEINSPACE
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Moon Phase
CURRENT MOON
Waxing Gibbous 92.4%
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19-05-2009, 03:13 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Blue Mountains, Australia
Posts: 1,338
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Volunteers Needed for Naked Eye Survey
Hi all,
Do you want to know how dark your sky is?
How does the city and suburbs compare to the country?
Then join the naked-eye limiting magnitude (NELM) survey here.
It should only take about 15 minutes of your time (you will need a little time to dark adapt your eyes). 
For any of the nights of the 19th through to the 25th May, could you simply note the magnitude of the faintest star you can see (naked-eye) in Crux from the attached maps. Anywhere between 7pm and midnight will be fine. Most people will only need Crux NELM 1. If you can see beyond magnitude 6 (you lucky devils!) you will need Crux NELM 2.
Then report two things back to this thread:
a) NELM
b) whether it was an inner city, an inner suburban, an outer suburban or a rural reading.
When judging NELM, make sure you can actually see the star. Not just, I thought I saw it but I can't see it now. If you can see the star but it seems to continuously fade in and out, that's fine. 
The map(s) have a two-fold use ...
Once you've got the hang of it, you will be able to use the map(s) on any night you are observing to judge that night's conditions.
All data can be seen here on this thread.
The more data, the better!
Hope we get some clear skies.
Thanks in advance. Rob
Last edited by Robh; 21-05-2009 at 04:10 PM.
Reason: Included mag 6.4 star to instruction 11 (Crux NELM 2)
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20-05-2009, 12:53 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Bright, Vic, Australia
Posts: 2,187
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Hi Rob -
Did it tonight - not ideal as there is a slight smoke haze and a 'searchlight' next door (security lighting!), but I'm heading away for several days so this was the last opportunity. Had no trouble with 5.5, got 6.0 OK, just managed a 6.1 but no further. So:
NELM: 6.1
Rural (as previous full moon, on outskirts of small country town).
Good luck with it!
Cheers -
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15-06-2009, 11:39 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Blue Mountains, Australia
Posts: 1,338
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Hi all,
I've extended this survey, as last month was a total washout. Doesn't look good for the east coast again this week but will give it a try. New dates for the test from 15th June to 24th June. So if it's dark, you've got a spare 10 minutes or so and you've got clear skies, grab the map form below and let us know what your naked-eye limiting magnitude is.
Regards, Rob
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16-06-2009, 12:22 AM
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Shadow Chaser
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Moonee Beach
Posts: 1,945
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Rob, I'm glad you nudged this one up as I'd forgot.
Did you produce those charts? They are really useful and I'd like to share them with my fellow AAQ members if I may.
If you did, could you do me a favour and put your name on them - Credit where credit is due...
Oh, and I will try
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16-06-2009, 02:16 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Blue Mountains, Australia
Posts: 1,338
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AstroJunk
Rob, I'm glad you nudged this one up as I'd forgot.
Did you produce those charts? They are really useful and I'd like to share them with my fellow AAQ members if I may.
If you did, could you do me a favour and put your name on them - Credit where credit is due...
Oh, and I will try |
Yes, I produced the maps using the SIMBAD database. As with all my documents, they can be shared freely.
Regards, Rob
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16-06-2009, 05:27 PM
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Shadow Chaser
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Moonee Beach
Posts: 1,945
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Perfect, thanks!
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16-06-2009, 06:15 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 4,646
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NEML = 6.0 but no more.
Location = Mt Beauty, small country town surrounded by big mountains. On the outskirts of the town.
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16-06-2009, 07:37 PM
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6EQUJ5
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Sydney
Posts: 3,663
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my son did something similar for his year 10 Senior Geog project, oh now quite some 5 years ago-went from outer Sydney to Bondi-West to East in other words- measuring how bad light pollution was by the faintest star in Crux visible to the naked eye
ugly results
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16-06-2009, 09:26 PM
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Shadow Chaser
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Moonee Beach
Posts: 1,945
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NELM 5.3 direct and 5.5 averted on an nice but far from stunning sort of night.
Samford = Semi-rural - 25km from Brisbane CBD on boutique acreage
I always guessed it was around that, so it was good to confirm.
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17-06-2009, 01:52 PM
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Chronic aperture fever
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Sydney
Posts: 393
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Rob, you don't happen to know Dr. Ragbir Bhathal from UWS do you? He's heading a very similar study in south-western Sydney.
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17-06-2009, 05:05 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Blue Mountains, Australia
Posts: 1,338
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Darth Wader
Rob, you don't happen to know Dr. Ragbir Bhathal from UWS do you? He's heading a very similar study in south-western Sydney.
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I know of him but have not personally met him.
This is not a formal study but something I was curious about, of which I thought others might also be. Hence, the open invitation for results to be posted here.
Regards, Rob.
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17-06-2009, 05:27 PM
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daniel
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Macedon shire, Australia
Posts: 3,427
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i recorded for Kilmore victoria, 4.6
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18-06-2009, 09:33 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Mt. Waverley, VIC, Australia
Posts: 741
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Fog in Melbourne.
Robert
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19-06-2009, 01:21 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Mt. Waverley, VIC, Australia
Posts: 741
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Hi Rob,
Last night was excellent in Melbourne. I recorded NELM at 4.1. Best I've seen in yonks.
Robert
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19-06-2009, 02:35 PM
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daniel
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Macedon shire, Australia
Posts: 3,427
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22-06-2009, 09:04 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 276
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Rob, inner western suburbs of Sydney 7:30pm 22/6/09 NELM 4. A couple of street lights and neighbours lights in the vicinity of my backyard don't help at the best of times. Quite dissapointing really as in the past I could make out the Jewel Box but not tonight.
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23-06-2009, 09:59 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Mt. Waverley, VIC, Australia
Posts: 741
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Rob,
Another good night in Melbourne although not quite like last Friday (19th). NELM at 3.9. Location, sorry, forgot to say in previous post, is ~14km S.E. of CBD.
Robert
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23-06-2009, 10:12 PM
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Hooked since Halley's
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Baulkham Hills,NSW
Posts: 790
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Hi Rob
New moon & clear here at Baulkham Hills,an outer suburb about 28km west of Sydney......4.1
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24-06-2009, 12:47 AM
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The sky is Messier here!
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Darwin
Posts: 2,587
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Gday Rob,
Sydney, Inner West: 4.1
(New moon, some scattered high cloud, otherwise quite clear)
cheers
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24-06-2009, 06:52 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Blue Mountains, Australia
Posts: 1,338
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Thanks guys,
Managed to get my own reading here (lower Blue Mountains). NELM of 4.6. Actually thought it would be better that. Tried again at Linden, higher up the Mountains, but was still 4.6; although I think the seeing was not that great. Survey still open to and including the night of 25th Jun.
Regards, Rob
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