Campaign for Dark Skies

me too

--
Wishing you clear dark skies
Jim Vincent.
Telescopes and accessories www.jimsastro.com
Castle Point Astronomy Club www.cpac.org.uk


"karl sykes" wrote in message
...
Tried to support your campaign for dark skies but once there page said i
had
already voted. ?????

Karl.
"Das" wrote in message
om...
Most of you will have heard of the Campaign for Dark Skies - a
campaign to put a halt to light-pollution (wasted light which destroys
our view of the night sky
whilst wasting money and making our street unnessesarily dim!).

Please see the CfDS website for more details at:
http://www.dark-skies.org


Can you all PLEASE do me a favour and support the Campaign for Dark
Skies campaign on the BBC iCan website at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ican/G630

Please go to that page, and click the "support" button (only takes a
few minutes).


This is because I will be talking about the CfDS on the East
Midlands
BBC News in the next few days and the journalist wants to use that
slot to
also promote the BBC iCan website - and so we obviously want to make
the
CfDS to look as popular as possible! (we have 125 members, but the
BBC's
short notice isn't too useful!)


Also, the news item will also be on the BBC News Sci/Tech website,
maybe
wednesday or thursday.

Cheers!

Das

"Chef!" awed those around him with an impassioned reading of:

"The beautiful and inspirational view of a sky full of stars with the
Milkyway arcing overhead is denied to millions of people and children in the
UK."

Well we do have the Milky Way "f'arcking" overhead for quite a few
months of the year. And it is quite lovely! Though 'Her Outdoors'
complained, on more than one occasion, that there were far too many
stars! I have yet to discover a strategy that would pacify Her
concerns in this respect. Short of moving back to the UK. (Or getting
brighter outdoor security lights) ;^)

Chris.B

(Chris.B) wrote:

"Chef!" awed those around him with an impassioned reading of:

"The beautiful and inspirational view of a sky full of stars with the
Milkyway arcing overhead is denied to millions of people and children in the
UK."

Well we do have the Milky Way "f'arcking" overhead for quite a few
months of the year. And it is quite lovely! Though 'Her Outdoors'
complained, on more than one occasion, that there were far too many
stars! I have yet to discover a strategy that would pacify Her
concerns in this respect. Short of moving back to the UK. (Or getting
brighter outdoor security lights) ;^)

Chris.B

Me too - but when I see it from a REALLY dark site, I realise just how
much is lost even from a darkish rural location. As for seeing it in
towns, where the majority of children live - no chance at all.
Something like 15% of UK children live in London: add Birmingham,
Manchester etc etc...

--
Martin Frey
http://www.hadastro.org.uk
N 51 02 E 0 47

"Martin Frey" wrote in message
...
(Chris.B) wrote:

"Chef!" awed those around him with an impassioned reading of:

"The beautiful and inspirational view of a sky full of stars with the
Milkyway arcing overhead is denied to millions of people and children
in the
UK."

Well we do have the Milky Way "f'arcking" overhead for quite a few
months of the year. And it is quite lovely! Though 'Her Outdoors'
complained, on more than one occasion, that there were far too many
stars! I have yet to discover a strategy that would pacify Her
concerns in this respect. Short of moving back to the UK. (Or getting
brighter outdoor security lights) ;^)

Chris.B

Me too - but when I see it from a REALLY dark site, I realise just how
much is lost even from a darkish rural location. As for seeing it in
towns, where the majority of children live - no chance at all.
Something like 15% of UK children live in London: add Birmingham,
Manchester etc etc...

--
Martin Frey
http://www.hadastro.org.uk
N 51 02 E 0 47

What does the MilkyWay look like? I'm 28, been interested in Astronomy on
and off for years, a couple of years ago, I got serious and have been
learning how to use my scope properly (and I'm still learning, it a bit hit
and miss still) I've been observing in a few 'rural'ish places, but I can't
say that I've seen the milky way. I've even used star charting software to
show me where to look, but nope. I honestly can't say that I've seen it.

Regards

Colin Dawson
www.cjdawson.com

Colin Dawson wrote:

What does the MilkyWay look like? I'm 28, been interested in Astronomy on
and off for years, a couple of years ago, I got serious and have been
learning how to use my scope properly (and I'm still learning, it a bit hit
and miss still) I've been observing in a few 'rural'ish places, but I can't
say that I've seen the milky way. I've even used star charting software to
show me where to look, but nope. I honestly can't say that I've seen it.

These days you need somewhere really dark. Where are you observing from ?

Steve

"Colin Dawson" wrote:

What does the MilkyWay look like? I'm 28, been interested in Astronomy on
and off for years, a couple of years ago, I got serious and have been
learning how to use my scope properly (and I'm still learning, it a bit hit
and miss still) I've been observing in a few 'rural'ish places, but I can't
say that I've seen the milky way. I've even used star charting software to
show me where to look, but nope. I honestly can't say that I've seen it.

Colin - you'll know it when you see it. A sort of smear across the sky
starting (typically) at Cassiopeia and carrying on to the far horizon.
I'm in a reasonably dark place - nearest town 10 miles away but the
Milky Way is very variable - sometimes blindingly obvious, sometimes
not really visible at all. A bit of Moon can knock it out completely
and thin cloud that stars seem to shine through unhindered can blank
it out.

Just keep trying - you'll see it. Now is a good time - it goes almost
through the zenith (Cygnus). The brightest part, the centre of the
galaxy, is in Sagittarius on the horizon - but that's very low, south
to southwest at midnight

--
Martin Frey
http://www.hadastro.org.uk
N 51 02 E 0 47

"Martin Frey" wrote in message
...
"Colin Dawson" wrote:

What does the MilkyWay look like? I'm 28, been interested in Astronomy
on
and off for years, a couple of years ago, I got serious and have been
learning how to use my scope properly (and I'm still learning, it a bit
hit
and miss still) I've been observing in a few 'rural'ish places, but I
can't
say that I've seen the milky way. I've even used star charting software
to
show me where to look, but nope. I honestly can't say that I've seen it.

Colin - you'll know it when you see it. A sort of smear across the sky
starting (typically) at Cassiopeia and carrying on to the far horizon.
I'm in a reasonably dark place - nearest town 10 miles away but the
Milky Way is very variable - sometimes blindingly obvious, sometimes
not really visible at all. A bit of Moon can knock it out completely
and thin cloud that stars seem to shine through unhindered can blank
it out.

Just keep trying - you'll see it. Now is a good time - it goes almost
through the zenith (Cygnus). The brightest part, the centre of the
galaxy, is in Sagittarius on the horizon - but that's very low, south
to southwest at midnight

--
Martin Frey
http://www.hadastro.org.uk
N 51 02 E 0 47


I've no intention of giving up. I'll get to see it one day.

Regards

Colin
www.cjdawson.com

Martin Frey wrote in message . ..

Colin - you'll know it when you see it. A sort of smear across the sky
starting (typically) at Cassiopeia and carrying on to the far horizon.
I'm in a reasonably dark place - nearest town 10 miles away but the
Milky Way is very variable - sometimes blindingly obvious, sometimes

The Milky Way is not "a smear" when seen from a dark location.(like my
back garden) It has the appearance of sharp edges and holes and
patches that are clearly seen without effort. From a dark location the
sky often seems too full of stars. Minute jewels against a velvet
blackness that is itself pierced with masses of stars. Nebulæ stand
out starkly and M31 in Andromeda is so bright as to be unmissable.
It takes about 20 minutes to start adapting properly. Then the
background sky seem to lighten progressively. As your eyes become more
sensitive with longer exposure to low light levels. No Moon, no
torches, no neighbours' lights and no passing traffic are essential. I
often find that they sky becomes almost grey after a couple of hours
outside. Yet contrast is improving steadily until the first light of
dawn.

Chris.B

(Chris.B) wrote:


The Milky Way is not "a smear" when seen from a dark location.(like my
back garden) It has the appearance of sharp edges and holes and
patches that are clearly seen without effort.

I agree - but I have only seen it like that on a very few occasions.

Colin is clearly not blessed with a location like yours - few of us
are - or he would never have asked the question.

--
Martin Frey
http://www.hadastro.org.uk
N 51 02 E 0 47

"Steve Taylor" wrote in message
...
Colin Dawson wrote:

What does the MilkyWay look like? I'm 28, been interested in Astronomy
on
and off for years, a couple of years ago, I got serious and have been
learning how to use my scope properly (and I'm still learning, it a bit
hit
and miss still) I've been observing in a few 'rural'ish places, but I
can't
say that I've seen the milky way. I've even used star charting software
to
show me where to look, but nope. I honestly can't say that I've seen
it.

These days you need somewhere really dark. Where are you observing from ?

Steve

I normally observe in Baildon, W Yorks. Which isn't that dark really. I've
been up to Bainbridge a couple of times, that's in the middle of the dales
and it's the darkest that I've observed from. I think I was unlucky that
time.

I'll see it one day.

Regards

Colin.