Poor Seeing

Hi all

I stepped out to the back garden at 10.00 last night, a quick look at the sky told me the seeing was poor and the transparency awful.  I got out the 20x90 binoculars and started with M44, this sparkling open cluster was diminished by the seeing, when I moved to M67, it was just visible as a misty patch with no stars resolved.
I knew it was pointless in going after anything fainter, such as galaxies and quick!y called it a night after about 40 minutes.
My observing problems are exacerbated by the LED streetlights that surround my back garden, if I get it right, or wrong, I can have seven of them looking down upon me, from north, south and east, west is blocked by the house.  The best I can do is have one, the one sitting to the east, and the closest at a mere ten metres of so.  My front garden has four looking down at me.
It is getting difficult to garner any enthusiasm for observing with these lights and I long to get back to the countryside.

That's the rant.

Paul

Sorry for your trouble, Paul. 

M44 and M67 are amongst my favourite open clusters. 
Those street lights must causing great difficulties for any would-be astronomer. 
Maybe some politician can be approached by somebody.

Monday night is said to be a clear night (maybe). 

Folk on Cloudy Nights are talking about a splendid double called Iota Cancri. 
Good binoculars might split it. 

Aubrey. 

Paul, have you considered light shields? Some ideas here

www.google.com/search?q=light+shield+for...QLg&biw=1903&bih=937

Aubrey, Iota Cancri is indeed a splendid sight, a yellow primary and bluish secondary, which can be split at 40x

Hi Stevie.

It's good to hear from you again, hope everyone is keeping well up north.

I have constructed a pair of shields, but if the wind blows they are ineffective as they are in danger of blowing over, fine when it is a calm night.  Even with the shields, the light from the streetlights is very invasive, they are incredibly bright, I believe they are set at too high a luminosity.  I got the council to put a light shield on the light outside the front of the house, using the excuse that it shines in on the bedroom windows, which it does, from the back garden, the shield does not completely block the light, it is like a solar eclipse, 80% of the light might be blocked, but what gets through is still bright.

People complained about the old sodium lights, I never had too much of a problem with them, I found the light was more scattered, a curse for astrophotographers to be sure, but not so much of an inconvenience for visual observers.  These LEDS are harsh, anyone who lives beneath them will understand, it is possible to read a book with ease.

Sorry, ranting again.

My next astro purchase will be a shotgun. 

Saying that, I saw these: www.firstlightoptics.com/binocular-acces...ons-bino-bandit.html .  They look useful for cutting out the stray light getting into my eyes.  Maybe I will hold off on the shotgun, for the time being at least.

Paul

I feel for you Paul... I really do. Thankfully, it won't be long before you're back under a dark sky again. Just remember to leave the shotgun behind 

All the best, 
Darren. ​​​​