How would you rate your area as a star gazing spot?

[Shadow]

Is the area you live in good for seeing stars? The area I live in is great, I can see everything! So obviously, I gave it a "Yes, excellent!" rating

 

[Lonewolf]

I can see the moon...on a good night.

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

It's not all that bad, where I am, a city nearby, but not as much illumination from it as from most cities.

The clouds make it tricky though. (Tee-hee)

 

[stuffy]

It's OK in the south-eastern suburbs of San Diego. The thing I worry about most is the obnoxious pool light that's always on when I'm in the backyard.

 

[chroot]

I live on the peninsula about 15 minutes south of San Francisco. The benefit of living in this area is twofold:

1) The weather is almost always agreeable for astronomy. Our 'bad' nights are better than most places' good nights.

2) The populous areas are in the valley, surrounded on all sides by mountains. I only need to drive up into the mountains about 7-8 miles to be in darkness that rivals many fairly rural areas.

The bay area is truly a great place to be -- astronomically, too.

- Warren

 

[BoulderHead]

It is excellent where my home is. The sky is very dark at night as the nearest ‘city’ (town, actually) is about 30 miles away and few lights (by American standards) exist anyway. Clouds/rain can be problematic, but the mosquitoes are probably the worst thing. It makes me wonder sometimes about the sanity of my ancestors (doing all that star-gazing stuff).

 

[I, Brian]

I'm in the city of Hull in England. Very poor visibility. High magnitude stars only.

 

[jcsd]

I live in a big town (Reading) just 30 miles from London, so as you can imagine the light pollution means you can't see that much, also the great British weather means that it's always cloudy.

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

Some time past I had lived near a 'Cottage Country' resort area. When they turned on the lights for the Ski Hills, the reflection off of the snow made it difficult to continue to see the stars, a real example of light pollution as the timing of them makes a self evident truth of it.

What was interesting was them leaving them on all night, as it serves as promotion of the Ski Hills, a practise that was sometimes observed in the summer as well, even then it's affects, althought lessened, were still very obvious.

When I was a child in that area, there were no Ski Hill lights, and you could see the stars to infinity, since then three, or four, major operators of Ski hills moved in and lit up the night skies.

Had enjoyed enormously spending nights down at the lake, laying on the Wharf, looking up at the vastness/beauty of the Night Skies.

 

[Phobos]

My locale in southern NH is outside of, but still suffers* from the nearby evil that is mega-opolis (the Boston-New York swath of light pollution which is probably among the worst places in the world in this regard). I used to live closer into this band of light pollution, so since my move, I am enjoying some improvements to the night sky outside my doorstep. I used to be lucky to see 3rd magnitude stars...now I'm getting that more frequently, and on a particularly good night I can barely make out the Milky Way...but only because I know where to look for it. But I'm still residing in a busy suburban area so I have lots of skyglow to deal with among other light nuisances. Fortunately, being in NH, a short drive can get me to clearer skies.

* perhaps not in direct skyglow effects, but in the property developer's mentality to turn every unused parking lot into 24-hour daylight.

Did you know that about two-thirds of Americans can no longer see the Milky Way (by eye) because of light pollution? And light pollution affects about 99% of Americans to some extent?

Where is Astronomer107?

 

[BoulderHead]

Originally posted by Phobos
Did you know that about two-thirds of Americans can no longer see the Milky Way (by eye) because of light pollution? And light pollution affects about 99% of Americans to some extent?

I knew it was bad near the cities, but that was about it. It kinda sad in a way that technological advancement is stripping away something as enjoyable as that.

 

[Shadow]

Did you know that about two-thirds of Americans can no longer see the Milky Way (by eye) because of light pollution? And light pollution affects about 99% of Americans to some extent?

Yes, I'm lucky that I can still see the Milky Way where I live. It's so clear.

Where is Astronomer107?

That's funny, I was just about to mention her and NDSW

 

[Astronomer107]

Originally posted by Phobos


Where is Astronomer107?

I'm right here, and unfortunately, my area sucks, how ironic...

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I voted: um, what's star gazing? I live in Oregon. At times we really have fantastic night skies, but with the all too frequent and famous Oregon liquid sunshine, most major astronomical events go unseen. The price for living in paradise.

 

[StephenPrivitera]

My sky is overcast 250 nights a year thanks to the Great Lake Erie. And besides that the neighbors never turn their outside lights off. Best time to view is at four in the morning in the dead of winter.

 

[meteor]

I live in a huge city, Barcelona. Clear enough to see Andromeda galaxy with my 60mm diameter refracting telescope

 

[Shadow]

Well, arent you lucky

 

[Sourire]

Originally posted by Ivan Seeking
I voted: um, what's star gazing? I live in Oregon. At times we really have fantastic night skies, but with the all too frequent and famous Oregon liquid sunshine, most major astronomical events go unseen. The price for living in paradise.

I live in Oregon as well and have to say that during the summer we have the premo spot you can get out to the middle of nowhere and just look for days!

It is great!

 

[Integral]

Originally posted by Sourire
I live in Oregon as well and have to say that during the summer we have the premo spot you can get out to the middle of nowhere and just look for days!

It is great!

Yet another Oregonian, I live in the middle of the Willamette Valley, perhaps the worst seeing in the state, short of downtown Portland, still not to bad, I can pick up Delphinas and Sagitta most nights of the summer. Really good seeing (Pine Mountian for example) is about 2hrs away. Even a 30 min drive to the coast range or any where in the Cascades is also execellent seeing. (Execpt for the liquid sunshine Ivan mentions!) Are there stars in the sky from October to June? I hear rumors of a constellation called Orion, but if seeing is believing, I remain skeptical! :)

 

[Phobos]

Originally posted by Astronomer107
I'm right here, and unfortunately, my area sucks, how ironic...

If it didn't, then you would not have been inspired to do all your good work!

 

[Phobos]

alright! who's the joker who chose "um,,,what's star gazing again?"

 

[Shadow]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Astronomer107
I'm right here, and unfortunately, my area sucks, how ironic...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



If it didn't, then you would not have been inspired to do all your good work!

Phobos, you speak the truth!

alright! who's the joker who chose "um,,,what's star gazing again?"

lol that would be Ivan Seeking

 

[J-Man]

My area sucks, as I've mentioned before. I'm hoping we run out of coal, gas, uranium, plutonium and wood pretty soon. And a minor ice-age might help get rid of some of the clouds.
I guess I could move though.

 

[Shadow]

My area sucks, as I've mentioned before. I'm hoping we run out of coal, gas, uranium, plutonium and wood pretty soon. And a minor ice-age might help get rid of some of the clouds.

hahaha, yeah I think moving may be slightly easier, not ot mention faster.

 

[Isotope]

Reisterstown, Maryland is Moderate. Not much lights, however, its very rare to have little clouds.