Cannot see the milky way in dublin?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the visibility of the Milky Way from Dublin, addressing factors such as light pollution, air quality, and optimal viewing conditions. Participants share personal experiences and suggest potential solutions for better visibility.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that light pollution and air pollution significantly hinder the visibility of the Milky Way.
  • One participant suggests that high altitudes and remote locations away from city lights are ideal for viewing the Milky Way.
  • Another mentions that certain times of the year, particularly outside of May, June, and July, may provide better opportunities for viewing, especially on moonless nights.
  • There are differing opinions on the ease of spotting the Milky Way, with some suggesting that age may affect visibility.
  • Several participants share links to resources for identifying areas with less light pollution.
  • One participant recounts a personal experience of seeing the Milky Way in Amazonia, emphasizing the stark contrast to urban settings.
  • There is a discussion about the effects of aerosols in urban air on visibility, with some arguing that both light pollution and air quality contribute to the problem.
  • Participants debate the definitions of "overcast" versus "fog" in relation to visibility conditions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that light pollution is a significant barrier to seeing the Milky Way, but there are multiple competing views on the extent of its impact and the conditions necessary for visibility. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the definitions and implications of atmospheric conditions affecting visibility.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the specific conditions required for optimal viewing, such as the influence of cloud cover versus light pollution. There is also a lack of consensus on the definitions of atmospheric phenomena affecting visibility.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to amateur astronomers, individuals planning stargazing trips, and those curious about the effects of urbanization on astronomical visibility.

gttjohn
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i have been to the mountains and been to the beach lots of times looking up at the sky away from the city lights ,but i have never seen the milky way .i have seen lots of amazing pictures of it on the net from other places around the world .Then is it only possible to see it at certain times of the year or certain latitudes ,thanks for reading
 
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Light pollution and air pollution make it hard to see. Best places are high in mountains, far from any cities. I have seen it in many places in Poland, so if you will be able to find a good place in Ireland, as it is a similar latitude, you should be able to see it as well.
 
In the UK the night sky never gets dark enough to get a really good view in May June or July. You should be able to see it on cloudless moonless nights for the rest of the year, but you need to wait several hours after sunset (or before sunrise) to get a really dark sky.

FWIW the best view I have seen was from an island off the west coast of Scotland, at abut midnight in September, so your latitude is certainly not a problem.
 
It's not a stand-out sight in any event. If you're older you may have to use your near-peripheral vision to see it. If you're young it should be easy to spot directly.
 
You can try to use images from this website to locate areas near you with less man-made light:

http://www.darksky.org/
 
Bobbywhy said:
You can try to use images from this website to locate areas near you with less man-made light:

Can you point us to the exact page showing European skies?
 
thank you very much all for the replies and links very helpful indeed it seems i live in the centre of a very light polluted area but if i travel west should help me ,now planning a camping trip !
 
  • #10
Antiphon said:
It's not a stand-out sight in any event. If you're older you may have to use your near-peripheral vision to see it. If you're young it should be easy to spot directly.

you have got to be joking ? what part of the world are you in ?

maybe you need to move to the Southern Hemisphere ;) where the milky way is stunning from a dark sky site

cheers
Dave
 
  • #11
I lived in Amazonia for 9 years. On moonless nights we could walk across the savanna with ONLY the light from the heavenly stars, including the the Milky Way, to light up our path. Talk about "stand out"! It is brilliant under those (dark) conditions!
 
  • #12
There is probably too much of an overcast. Many more stars are visible in the desert.
 
  • #13
dimensionless said:
There is probably too much of an overcast. Many more stars are visible in the desert.

Not overcast, just light pollution.
 
  • #14
Drakkith said:
Not overcast, just light pollution.

I would say both - air in large cities is always full of aerosols, they obscure the visibility and make a perfect nucleation sites for water vapor. In effect they disperse the light from the ground, making effects of the light pollution much worse.

Perhaps technically this is not an overcast (as that means sky is completely invisible), but kind of a fog?
 
  • #15
Borek said:
Perhaps technically this is not an overcast (as that means sky is completely invisible), but kind of a fog?

I would not classify it as overcast. To me it means it's cloudy. But to each his own I suppose.
 
  • #16
Astronomy forecasts consider cloud cover and transparency to be completely separate issues, though obviously a cloud covered sky will be opaque: www.cleardarksky.com
 

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