c/backyard-stargazing

My neighbor said I should stop using my phone for star charts

We were out last Tuesday, looking at Jupiter. I had my phone out with SkyView. He said, 'You're missing it. Your eyes never fully adjust.' He said he uses only a red flashlight and a printed planisphere. He's been doing it since the 90s. I tried it his way for an hour. The sky did seem darker, more stars popped out. But I missed knowing exactly what I was looking at right away. Is the old school way actually better for your night vision, or is having the info on your phone worth the trade-off?

2 comments

nina_knight99•1d ago

Stumbled on a stat about light pollution that blew my mind

Just read that in a truly dark sky, you can see about 2,500 stars. From my suburban backyard in Phoenix, I can maybe see 200 on a good night. That's a 90% reduction, which is just depressing. Anyone else in a city feel like you're missing the real show?

2 comments

oliviahenderson•2d ago

Went camping near Flagstaff and the Milky Way looked totally different

I drove up to the Coconino National Forest last weekend, just to get away from the city lights for a night. I set up my old camping chair and a basic pair of 10x50 binoculars, expecting the usual view. But when it got fully dark, the Milky Way wasn't just a faint smudge like it is from my backyard. It was this thick, detailed band of light with dark lanes cutting through it. I could actually see structure, like it was a real thing in space and not just a picture. It made me realize my 'backyard' is basically the whole sky, and I've been limiting myself to one polluted corner of it. I spent three hours just scanning along it with the binos, spotting little star clusters I never knew were there. Has anyone else had their view totally changed by just driving an hour or two out of town?

2 comments

nelson.vera•2d ago

My tripod leg snapped right as Jupiter was rising

I was setting up my Celestron 8SE in the driveway last Tuesday night, getting ready for a clear view of Jupiter. When I extended the third leg, the plastic locking collar just cracked clean through. I had to prop the whole scope on a stack of old books for the rest of the session. Has anyone found a good, sturdy replacement tripod that won't break the bank?

3 comments

troy_sanchez4•4d ago

The new floodlights on Maple Street are wrecking our galaxy views

Seriously, who approved those insane LED floodlights for the park renovation? They blast light straight up into the sky, washing out everything past Orion. Before, I could see the Andromeda galaxy from my deck, now it's just a gray blur. The town council needs to fix this or we lose one of the best things about living here.

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ryan_price•6d ago

Leveling my tripod fixed months of blurry views

My tripod was on uneven ground for months. Once I leveled it, Mars' surface detail popped right out. Such a simple fix for a frustrating problem.

3 comments

terryb11•6d ago

Camping in the high desert gave me a new perspective on my backyard setup...

The stars were so vivid without city lights... Now I'm trying to block more streetlight glare in my own yard.

3 comments

jenniferj65•8d ago

My daughter's unprompted shout for Cassiopeia from the backyard

We've been practicing with a basic star chart for weeks. She kept calling it 'the crooked chair' instead of the queen. Out of nowhere tonight, she looked up and yelled 'there's the W!' I was so surprised I sloshed my coffee. Just two lawn chairs and a clear sky... nothing special. But her getting it right on her own? That's a win I'll remember.

3 comments