[ATMoB-discuss] Suburban light pollution / last night's seeing

[Paul A. Valleli]

Adding to other comments, M51 like M33 has a low
surface brightness and is easily washed out with a
little haze or light pollution. Isolation filters do
not help much because of the broad spectrum
involved.
These items are best seen in a 10-inch or larger
scope.
Paul

---- Original message ----

  Date: Wed, 9 May 2007 11:10:50 -0400
  From: "Bruce Wilson" <brucehughw at gmail.com>
  Subject: Re: [ATMoB-discuss] Suburban light
  pollution / last night's seeing
  To: "mmotta at massmed.org" <mmotta at massmed.org>
  Cc: ATMoB-discuss at atmob.org

  >Thanks, Mario (and Dave). Ok, the wind aspect is
  easy to recognize. Would
  >the clear sky clock have told me that it wasn't
  going to be a great night?
  >
  >On 5/9/07, mmotta at massmed.org
  <mmotta at massmed.org> wrote:
  >>
  >> I did not observe from my observatory
  >> last night for two reasons:
  >> 1. high haze, not apparent just looking
  >> up, but that scatters the existing light
  >> pollution and brightens the sky.
  >> 2. windy, that causes poor seeing.
  >> thus.. you just picked a bad night.
  >>
  >> Mario
  >>
  >> On Wed, 9 May 2007 10:41:44 -0400, "Dave
  >> Snay" wrote:
  >>
  >> >
  >> > I was out doing some astro-imaging last
  >> > night and was struck by how bright
  >> > the sky was compared to other recent
  >> > nights. I don't have an explanation,
  >> > but the sky's apparent darkness
  >> > certainly does seem to change from
  >> night
  >> > to
  >> > night.
  >> >
  >> > ttfn,
  >> > Dave
  >> > > -----Original Message-----
  >> > > From: atmob-discuss-bounces at atmob.org
  >> > [mailto:atmob-discuss-
  >> > > bounces at atmob.org] On Behalf Of Bruce
  >> > Wilson
  >> > > Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2007 9:37 AM
  >> > > To: ATMoB-discuss at atmob.org
  >> > > Subject: [ATMoB-discuss] Suburban
  >> > light pollution / last night's seeing
  >> > >
  >> > > I'm relatively new to astronomy and
  >> > was wondering if some of you more
  >> > > experienced folks could offer some
  >> > advice. I went out to the Weston
  >> > > reservoir last night, hoping to see a
  >> > few binocular objects (10 x 50 on a
  >> > > tripod). I could see most, but not
  >> > all, of the stars in the Little Dipper.
  >> > > I
  >> > > could identify most of the
  >> > constellations in my planisphere and,
  >> of
  >> > > course,
  >> > > Venus and Saturn. I was disappointed,
  >> > however, that I could not see any of
  >> > > the binocular objects such as M3 and
  >> > others listed in
  >> > >
  >> >
  >> http://www.skymaps.com/skymaps/tesmn0705.pdf
  >> > >
  >> > > So here's my question: was the
  >> problem
  >> > suburban light pollution, poor
  >> > > seeing, or both? Or was it my
  >> > technique? Do I need to travel the 55
  >> > > minutes
  >> > > to the clubhouse to get darker skies,
  >> > or was last night just poor seeing
  >> > > (despite the lack of clouds and moon)
  >> > and on another night I'll be able to
  >> > > see plenty from Weston?
  >> > >
  >> > > Suggestions? Thanks!
  >> > >
  >> > > --
  >> > > Bruce Wilson
  >> > > 617 823 8041 (c)
  >> > >
  >> >
  >> _______________________________________________
  >> > > ATMoB-discuss mailing list
  >> > > ATMoB-discuss at atmob.org
  >> > >
  >> >
  >>
  http://lists.atmob.org/mailman/listinfo/atmob-discuss
  >> >
  >> >
  >> >
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  >
  >
  >
  >--
  >Bruce Wilson
  >617 823 8041 (c)
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