walkhighlands

This forum is for general discussion about walking and scrambling... If writing a report or sharing your experiences from a route, please use the other boards.

Camping and star gazing

Camping and star gazing


Postby darren » Sat Sep 01, 2012 7:19 pm

Strange one for you all.. I love the night sky(who doesn't)..Any great places to camp where the night sky is not affected by light pollution..MilkyWay and all love, camping out this time year but yet to see the night Sky at her best.
darren
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 169
Munros:35   Corbetts:2
Sub 2000:1   
Joined: May 25, 2009
Location: Condorrat

Re: Camping and star gazing

Postby RicKamila » Sat Sep 01, 2012 7:33 pm

Skye
User avatar
RicKamila
Mountaineer
 
Posts: 2358
Munros:5   Corbetts:5
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:16   
Joined: Jul 17, 2010
Location: Aberdeenshire

Re: Camping and star gazing

Postby nathan79 » Sat Sep 01, 2012 7:56 pm

Million and one places. Anywhere not too close to a sodium-blighted settlement really. I've seen some cracking skyscapes in Glencoe.

Galloway has it's own officially designated dark sky park so it's a definite hotspot for lack of light pollution.
User avatar
nathan79
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 909
Munros:103   Corbetts:29
Fionas:13   Donalds:8
Sub 2000:15   Hewitts:14
Wainwrights:16   Islands:7
Joined: Jan 24, 2010
Location: The Kingdom of Fife

Re: Camping and star gazing

Postby Paula Hubens » Sat Sep 01, 2012 8:01 pm

I saw the Milky Way when staying at Polskeoch bothy along the Southern Upland Way (15-16 km from Sanquhar).
User avatar
Paula Hubens
 
Posts: 272
Joined: May 23, 2011

Re: Camping and star gazing

Postby tenohfive » Sat Sep 01, 2012 8:13 pm

This might help - unsurprisingly the darkest parts of the map are the ones with the lowest light pollution.
http://www.darkskydiscovery.org.uk/images/darksky01.jpg

I've heard the Kielder Forest in Northumberland officially has the darkest skies in England but there are plenty of other places.
tenohfive
 
Posts: 780
Munros:2   
Hewitts:40
Wainwrights:44   
Joined: Apr 23, 2012

Re: Camping and star gazing

Postby IamAJMiller » Sun Sep 02, 2012 10:00 am

We stared into the Milky Way in Glen Shiel on a cloudless night, that's the clearest I've ever seen it.
User avatar
IamAJMiller
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 739
Munros:13   Corbetts:31
Fionas:2   Donalds:3
Sub 2000:18   Hewitts:51
Wainwrights:78   
Joined: May 17, 2010
Location: Perthshire

Re: Camping and star gazing

Postby Caberfeidh » Sun Sep 02, 2012 10:32 am

Skye and anywhere up the west highlands and islands away from settlements with street lighting. I got photos of the Aurora Borealis on Skye, and spent a long time watching a meteor shower over the Sea of Hebrides from Arisaig whilst wandering home from the pub to the campsite. The glens of the Eastern Cairngorms are good too. A decent pair of binoculars are better, cheaper and more easy to carry than a telescope. Also you can watch wildlife with them in the day time.
User avatar
Caberfeidh
Stravaiging
 
Posts: 8367
Joined: Feb 5, 2009

Re: Camping and star gazing

Postby clivegrif » Sun Sep 02, 2012 11:29 am

I'm afraid this may not be very helpful, but the best night sky I have ever seen was camping out in the high Himalayas in Nepal, near Everest. With the thin air and no light at all, the night sky was simply amazing.

However, back to reality....

The best I have seen in this country was in the Fisherfield - again, very dark.
User avatar
clivegrif
Rambler
 
Posts: 1452
Munros:282   Corbetts:37
Fionas:15   Donalds:3
Sub 2000:6   Hewitts:194
Wainwrights:50   Islands:3
Joined: Nov 28, 2010
Location: Worcester

Re: Camping and star gazing

Postby Hbrannigan » Sun Sep 02, 2012 12:50 pm

Campsite outside of Killin is good especially if you head up the road to the old visitor centre at Ben Lawers, that's the area where I have seen milky way best around early October. Around Braemar would be good too.
Hbrannigan
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 29
Munros:238   Corbetts:7
Fionas:3   Donalds:5
Sub 2000:3   Hewitts:4
Wainwrights:7   
Joined: Jul 16, 2012

Re: Camping and star gazing

Postby darren » Sun Sep 02, 2012 6:00 pm

Thanks for all the reply's much appreciated. I've been up to Glencoe a couple of times at night and yes great for walking but found the night sky to be a bit of a let down. Ben Lawers surprises me thought that might be to central.. It's a strange request from me on a hill walking forum but thanks for reply's. Would love somewhere on West Coast Sea and hills combined...Cheers...
darren
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 169
Munros:35   Corbetts:2
Sub 2000:1   
Joined: May 25, 2009
Location: Condorrat

Re: Camping and star gazing

Postby The Mighty Midge » Sun Sep 02, 2012 6:58 pm

I once camped at the base of Slioch - midge epoch. The sky was worth it however, with no moon we could see more stars than you could shake a large stick at.
User avatar
The Mighty Midge
Rambler
 
Posts: 37
Munros:29   Corbetts:3
Fionas:1   
Sub 2000:2   
Joined: Aug 18, 2010

Re: Camping and star gazing

Postby Astronick » Mon Sep 03, 2012 4:24 pm

It's worth noting that it isn't just light pollution that can degrade the quality of a night sky, but also the so called seeing conditions. Even miles away from sodium street lights a humid or dusty night (even one that appears cloud free) will not produce great stargazing. I've seen the Milky Way from just outside the city of Durham on a cold, crisp winter's night, and yet struggled to see more than just a few of the brightest stars whilst camped beside the upper River Feshie, all because of how transparent the sky was.

To get the best opportunities to see things like the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy you need to factor in the atmosphere and weather conditions alongside finding a good spot away from street lights. In general a cold, crisp winter's night will be better than a damp, mild autumn night. Usually the "best" skies are in the wake of a weather front - the air is generally much clearer and calmer and you'll get some stunning views.

I've had 13 nights out with the tent this year and I would say about two have produced truly "wow" skies so the best advice is just to keep on trying. Any wild camping location will give you a good opportunity, as long as the sky conditions co-operate :)
User avatar
Astronick
Stravaiging
 
Posts: 194
Munros:220   Corbetts:52
Fionas:11   Donalds:5
Sub 2000:7   Hewitts:8
Wainwrights:10   
Joined: Jan 11, 2009
Location: Tillicoultry

Re: Camping and star gazing

Postby RicKamila » Mon Sep 03, 2012 4:53 pm

So whats the best way to photograph the stars if you get a clear night?

Would it be as simple as having the camera on a tripod and a manual shutter speed?
User avatar
RicKamila
Mountaineer
 
Posts: 2358
Munros:5   Corbetts:5
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:16   
Joined: Jul 17, 2010
Location: Aberdeenshire

Re: Camping and star gazing

Postby Gythral » Mon Sep 03, 2012 5:05 pm

RicKamila wrote:So whats the best way to photograph the stars if you get a clear night?

Would it be as simple as having the camera on a tripod and a manual shutter speed?


Yes...
a 'B' (bulb) setting and a remote (cable shutter control), or self-timer setting help...

http://www.popphoto.com/how-to/2008/12/how-to-astrophotography-101
User avatar
Gythral
 
Posts: 773
Munros:19   Corbetts:8
Fionas:4   
Hewitts:141
Wainwrights:1   
Joined: Jul 31, 2010

Re: Camping and star gazing

Postby RicKamila » Mon Sep 03, 2012 5:25 pm

Gythral wrote:
RicKamila wrote:So whats the best way to photograph the stars if you get a clear night?

Would it be as simple as having the camera on a tripod and a manual shutter speed?


Yes...
a 'B' (bulb) setting and a remote (cable shutter control), or self-timer setting help...

http://www.popphoto.com/how-to/2008/12/how-to-astrophotography-101


Superb!! Am heading to Skye in a couple of weeks, so hope to try this then.

Cheers mate!!
User avatar
RicKamila
Mountaineer
 
Posts: 2358
Munros:5   Corbetts:5
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:16   
Joined: Jul 17, 2010
Location: Aberdeenshire

Next



Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to General discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests