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Hi there. I'm very new to this, and am at my initially-viewing-through-binoculars stage. I'm still pretty amazed by what I see though, and it's whet my appetite for more. I live in Dublin (D15), and so I'd like to take a trip to a dark site to have a good look up. My problem is I can't think where!

Can anyone recommend a decent site around there (presumably out the Navan Road/Meath direction, although I don't care what side of Dublin I need to travel to)? I was half-thinking of the airport (where the lads park to look at planes), but then quickly realised an airport is absolutely designed to project all available light into its aerospace. I know the whole countryside is my oyster but I don't particularly want to spend my time running around dark fields, being chased by irate farmers waving sticks at me. Do people just simply head out the country and set up camp by the side of an offroad, or is there a good designated site to head to?

Hi there Orinoco, welcome to the Boards.

Some Dublin astronomers have some favourite 'out of town' sites they go to in order to get clear skies with their scopes. I know some of them will travel all the way to Tullamore (TAS's Observing Site) and Lough Ennell near Mullingar to get those skies! If you think that there is a spot you would like to do observing and it is on private land, you can always just get the cahonays (cojones? sp.) and talk to the land owner. Yeah, it sounds funny to them ("Uh, I'm wondering if you wouldn't mind if I walked around your field in the dead of night with a red light and a telescope that looks like a 200mm rocket launcher?" :lol: ), but it has been done by some of us here (though not with those exact words!). Keep an eye out when there are observing sessions going on, either on these boards, or elsewhere. Almost none of them are closed-door sessions in that visitors would be welcome (hence why it is being advertised).

Seanie.

Seanie,

Just for my curiosity, how dark are the darkest skies in Ireland? Also, how common are mountains and how tall are they? Is humidity a common problem or is the weather generally dry?

I realize stupid questions but for someone who has never been there, perhaps not as stupid.

On the coldest of Winter nights, the darkest skies I have ever seen are down near a place called Cahirdaniel on the Kenmare Penninsula in County Kerry. We're talking 3 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, next stop New York. But in 'normal space', away from towns etc, you can find your dark spots. Trouble is, there will always be a distant orange glow in some direction, so 360-degree observation is like prime real estate - hard to get, but probably has a price to match.

The highest Irish mountains are also in County Kerry. that southwest corner of the island does have high humidity at times, as the prevailing wind brings in clouds from the southwest, and due to the mountains, are often the first place to get rain. Elsewhere, humidity is not that much of a problem. In summer it can get hazy, in Winter, crisp and clear. Our temperate climate does us justice for seeing conditions most of the time.

The weather itself? As unpredictable, though sometimes repetitive, like your retorts on me! .

Seanie.

On the coldest of Winter nights, the darkest skies I have ever seen are down near a place called Cahirdaniel on the Kenmare Penninsula in County Kerry. We're talking 3 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, next stop New York. But in 'normal space', away from towns etc, you can find your dark spots. Trouble is, there will always be a distant orange glow in some direction, so 360-degree observation is like prime real estate - hard to get, but probably has a price to match.

If someone were to concentrate their imaging on objects which are at least 50-60 degrees high (or higher), how would things change? I am very picky about when I image something and I never settle for below 50-deg since the sky is darkest the higher we go, atmospheric extinction is minimized the higher we go and the seeing tends to be best the higher we go (again). Judging by your text above and with my strict criteria of 50+ degrees altitude, it sounds (?) to be very doable.

The highest Irish mountains are also in County Kerry. that southwest corner of the island does have high humidity at times, as the prevailing wind brings in clouds from the southwest, and due to the mountains, are often the first place to get rain. Elsewhere, humidity is not that much of a problem.

Humidity tends to lead to really good seeing and this is something I noticed about folks in the UK doing astro work. Of course this becomes a double-edged sword since work becomes impossible if the humidity is too great.

In summer it can get hazy, in Winter, crisp and clear. Our temperate climate does us justice for seeing conditions most of the time.

I think you nailed it here and this is where British weather shows its best. It is not a coincidence that some of the best lunar and planetary work comes from your immediate area. Nothing beats a "crisp and clear" winter and in the presence of "some" humidity to help stablize the currents.

The weather itself? As unpredictable, though sometimes repetitive, like your retorts on me! .

Moi? Never!

Thanks Seanie, I'll keep an eye out for advertised get-togethers.

you can always just get the cahonays (cojones? sp.) and talk to the land owner

Better get a thicker neck on me as well.