Any other star gazers?

[astrnmrtom]

Originally Posted by LPVagabonds

. . . .First order of business is to install blackout curtains, and red lights.

I used to swap out the light bulbs in all my fixtures with red LEDs when stargazing, until I purchased my current rig. All the main fixtures were fluorescent tubes, and I decided to convert them to LEDs. I purchased both white and red, self stick LED strips in rolls. I then gutted the fixtures, added an on-off-on mini toggle switch and put in two strips of white LEDs, with one red strip in the center. When it's time to stargaze, I flip the toggles and go all red in the rig. I sometimes wonder what other people think when they see the red glow. I made blackout panels for the windows that double as extra insulation in the winter cold or summer heat. This year I added a 16' multi color LED strip under the awning frame that's controlled with a remote. Its dimmable too, so if I'm setting up or tearing down after dark, I have it switched to red, and dimmed down so I don't have to work with a red flashlight in my teeth. A couple years ago I added glow tape to the sides of my retractable steps and the grab handle. I did that after a friend took a nose dive off my steps at a Starparty. Fortunately, he wasn't hurt. Those darned back retractable steps are nearly invisible in the dark. Got the tape online and it glows all night. I have a strips on the ends of my telescope legs too. I recently added a couple red LED strips to illuminate the steps but at Starparties I don't use any exterior lights - even red ones - and the glow tape works great.

I too can't wait to get my scope under some truly dark skies. My wife retires at the end of the year, and we'll sell the house and hit the road next spring. My 12" will have to go in storage and I'll travel with the 6" refractor.

In 1997 we went on a 3 week camping vacation through the southwest. Spent three nights in Zion National Park and did some stargazing with a 6" Mak in the darkest skies I've ever seen. Normally I can walk around fine when dark adapted, using only starlight and skyglow, but down in the canyon I couldn't see a hand in front of my face. Incredible skies though! Can't wait to do it again.

[gazingm42]

We have a 14” meade dobsibion we take rving with us. Living in Utah we love star gazing in the high desert with clear sky’s.

[MSchu]

This reminds me of an old Steven Wright joke.

I’ve been getting into astronomy so I installed a skylight. The people who live above me are furious."

[Wmjp]

Originally Posted by LPVagabonds

Love astronomy! I have an 8" Meade SCT that I deforked and put on a Celestron AVX for imaging. I also use just a standard dslr and lens on the same mount with a guiding system for long exposures (usually 3 to 5 minute exposures). My wife and I are picking up a travel trailer in May, and I'm excited to be able to haul it out to some serious dark skies. First order of business is to install blackout curtains, and red lights.

My 25 year old niece saw me looking up at the stars a few nights ago. I have been outside every night since she showed me Skyview for my iPhone, staring off into space, mouth hanging open and making lots of ooh and ahh sounds.

[JHGIII]

I’m kinda into it.

[JHGIII]

OkieTex Star Party with John Pratte’s 32”
With Ed and Elvira
Site overview

[astrocamper]

I bought my 5x8 cargo trailer back in 2009 as a way to haul all my astronomy and camping equipment plus have a dark place to sleep in after going to bed at 4:30AM. I added solar, fan, furnace, switchable red/white lighting and used it about 15 nights a year for astronomy camping.

Last year my wife and I decided to upgrade to a real travel trailer. Had to buy a real truck since we pulled our 5x8 with a Highlander. Bought a GMC2500HD double cable with 78 inch long bed and put a Leer cap over the bed to securely haul the astronomy gear. Bought an Arctic Fox 22G for sleeping. I added about $10K in power related improvements plus independently switches red led lighting inside the trailer.

The 400 amp-hours of BattleBorn LiFePO4 batteries plus 1000 watts of solar on trailer and truck cap and Spartan 2200 watt PSW inverter gives us plenty of quiet power for camping off the grid. Almost all astronomy camping is off the grid. We bring a generator only for the times when we know we want air conditioning.

Been going to the Golden State star party near Adin Californian every year since 2008. We have gone to the Oregon star party 3 times in the last eight years. We also have done outreach astronomy at Lassen and Great Basin national park events multiple times over the years. I camped next to a guy with a home made 40 inch Dobsonian telescope at the Oregon star party back in 2011. Had to be up on a 16 foot tall ladder to see through the eyepiece. It weighed about 800 pounds.

Astronomy star party camping is great. Alway dark outside, great neighbors and a common interest among everyone there.

[Dwleigh]

Hi, i’m only just starting to look at the sky more (when I was working I was tired at night). This past year I’ve found dark skies in the Davis Mountains, Texas. You’ll find the McDonald Observatory there. They run great programs for the public on Tuesdays and on weekends. The last one of the night they haul out 7 to 20 telescopes depending on crowd size. When I was there, one was pointed toward two spiral galaxies 12 million lightyears away. They also sometimes run special access to their telescopes for small groups. There’s also Fort Davis National Historic Site and a good state park with plenty of hiking in the area. Plus the mountains are scenic so sky watching isn’t the only thing to do. I also found Seminole Canyon State Park (Texas) to be good. Their rv campsite is about three miles from the Mexican/US border and, when I was there, I saw only one faraway light. The night skies were great. Another great place was Capital Reef National Park (Utah). There’s a small town on the west side with rv parking plus some BLM land you can boondock on. About three miles into the park, there’s a scenic pullout high above a little creek and a bit off the road. It is relatively flat and it is dark. But most of Capital Reef is isolated and dark, so pick your spot.

I’d like to hear where others are finding good spots to view the skies.

[Mtn. Lion]

After reading this thread, it sounds like I'm not a star gazer. But every night I love to find the Big Dipper, then the North Star.

I spend a lot of time in Nevada way far from civilization and away from light pollution. Frequently, there has been meteors (guessing) that illuminates a super bright path in the sky, then burn out. Pretty low too. It seems like aircraft are much higher than these meteors. The look is similar to a shooting star, but more powerful and a much wider illumination. So exciting to see that.

[beenthere]

I have an evolution celestron and just added star sense last year. I havnt used the star sense yet. and have not taken my scope and dozen eypeices with yet on the coach. wife want me to sell it as I don't use it much but we are selling house this fall and I am brining with. we have way more storage than needed in our alfa. I like the moon when conditions are good for it. and wonder how it is perfect size to cover sun and perfect distance from earth and turns at the perfect rate in an oblong orbit to never reveal the dark side and on and on and on. the chances are just unreal and no math can calculate. in writings in many cultures it spoke of dark sky's, then the light at nite just appeared, uh. jeff

[astrnmrtom]

Originally Posted by diginomad

Frequently, there has been meteors (guessing) that illuminates a super bright path in the sky, then burn out. Pretty low too. It seems like aircraft are much higher than these meteors. The look is similar to a shooting star, but more powerful and a much wider illumination. So exciting to see that.

From your description what you may be seeing is called an Iridium flare. Its a reflection of sunlight off the solar panels of a satellite. They move much slower than a meteor and can be very bright.

If you go to the website link below, you can sign up for email alerts sent to your phone to let you know when one is likely in your area. You can also set-up alerts for seeing the International Space Station passing overhead as well as aurora alerts. The one drawback for a camper is the site bases the predictions on your lat and long which changes as you move around.

As far as I'm concerned, you don't need to own a telescope to be a stargazer. If you enjoy sitting in the dark and looking up at the night sky, it qualifies. I recommend if you own a pair of binoculars, try them, they can really open a whole other aspect of the night sky.

https://www.calsky.com/

[Itchytoe]

I absolutely adore the night sky. I'd like to get into astrophotography, but I'm just in the research phase. Nothing makes me happier than being out in the middle of nowhere under nice dark skies. Just being outside under the Milky Way can give you such a grandiose feeling.


I'm all ears if someone has a suggestion for a good telescope and mount that will track well enough to get shots of some of the Messier objects.

[astrocamper]

Originally Posted by diginomad

After reading this thread, it sounds like I'm not a star gazer. But every night I love to find the Big Dipper, then the North Star.

We call star gazing with only our eyeballs naked eye observing. Use a little app on your phone called SkySafari and you can learn much more about what you are looking at.

I spend a lot of time in Nevada way far from civilization and away from light pollution. Frequently, there has been meteors (guessing) that illuminates a super bright path in the sky, then burn out. Pretty low too. It seems like aircraft are much higher than these meteors. The look is similar to a shooting star, but more powerful and a much wider illumination. So exciting to see that.

I learned to love the night sky from many backpacking trips when my children were still kids. We had to keep the milage shorter because they were young. I would have a lot of energy and would lay on a pad in my sleeping bag on the open granite and enjoy the wonderfully dark skies. About 20 years ago I goy into astronomy using telescopes and much of my RV camping is organized around last quarter and new moon observing off the grid as just our family or a major regional gatherings of astronomers called star parties.

I still backpack but we hike a lot more miles and now I am in bed by 7:30 at night in my tent after hiking 15+ miles. I only see the stars on most backpacking trips when I get up for midnight bladder relief. I stand out there for 10-15 minutes in my thermal underwear until I start freezing. It can get pretty cold overnight above 10-11,000 feet.

I am fortunate that my wife loves astronomy and backpacking. She didn't start backpacking until our youngest was 8 years old. He is now 33. I started backpacking as a boy scout and rediscovered it when moved to Reno and live close to the Sierra Nevada. We enjoy some of the finest backpacking in the world.

[cmac7203]

Originally Posted by Itchytoe

I absolutely adore the night sky. I'd like to get into astrophotography, but I'm just in the research phase. Nothing makes me happier than being out in the middle of nowhere under nice dark skies. Just being outside under the Milky Way can give you such a grandiose feeling.


I'm all ears if someone has a suggestion for a good telescope and mount that will track well enough to get shots of some of the Messier objects.

Depends on what you own already. If nothing, you could use a 35mm and a SkyTracker/SkyGuider Mount. If you already have a scope, then
You need to ensure that you’ve got a tracking mount Sturdy enough to track without periodic errors in the gears. Best way to find out is to get out with what you have. Baader seeks a line of EPs capable of connecting directly to a 35mm.

Just a few thoughts. Sign up for Cloudy Nights Astro forum. A ton of info there.