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Post by Dragon Man on Oct 17, 2016 16:13:01 GMT
One of the great things about Video Astronomy is the ability to use the equipment in heavily light polluted areas, and see objects quickly and easily when an Eyepiece won't show anything. Here's a great example
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robrj
Member
Posts: 248
home town/country: Escondido, CA
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Post by robrj on Nov 2, 2016 16:18:02 GMT
I agree. Since I've started with Video Astronomy, my eyepieces pretty much just collect dust. I remember looking at the swan in my 12" dob. I could tease out a little more of the shape with an OIII filter. Now, I can see it with my 130SLT in color from the same location.
As for those spotlights from the soccer game, I recently started seeing something like that near my house from a local middle school. The lights were over 2 miles away but they still cast enough light to cause shadows in my yard and illuminate my bedroom. They were coming on every night from 8PM through 11PM. I was concerned that it was some cheap crime fighting strategy but then it stopped about 3 weeks later.
The one benefit about where I live is we're fairly close to Palomar Mountain and Laguna Mountain (which has some college observatories). The astronomers worked out with the cities to reduce light pollution through ordinance.
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Post by Rick in NWArk on Nov 2, 2016 17:38:48 GMT
I dont have to have an observatory out in the boonies with Video. Granted, darker skies are better, but I can put an observatory in my backyard and get way better results than a large scope and eyepieces in the middle of nowhere.
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Post by davy on Nov 2, 2016 19:39:52 GMT
I know the feeling about light pollution,, I can sit in my living room of my flat with the lights out and it's still bright enough to walk about. The amount of wasted light at the builders yard is mental,, the wasted money as well,worse news for me,,the bus garage in the same industrial area is up and running again with another bus company,,24hrs a day,, flat for scope use totally kicked into touch now.
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Post by ChrisV on Nov 4, 2016 2:51:50 GMT
That was some smart astro/real estate investment Rob.
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robrj
Member
Posts: 248
home town/country: Escondido, CA
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Post by robrj on Nov 4, 2016 16:58:49 GMT
That was some smart astro/real estate investment Rob. More like lucky. I bought the house in 2012. I didn't get into astronomy until Christmas of 2014 (my wife bought me a telescope). My primary reason for buying it was I wanted a more rural property on a larger lot, a little farther from the city (gets cheaper as you go out). My wife wanted avocado and fruit trees. I'm on an acre and a half, which is pretty large for California unless you get way outside the city. Plus, we bought during the downturn in property values so we were able to get a good deal. She owned a condo when we got married and wanted a house. So I suggested Escondido which was about 5 miles further than where she lived. We both had good jobs so we went for it. I'm still close to Escondido, but it is not nearly as bad for light pollution. We're about 30 miles north of San Diego. Our population is about 140K people as opposed to San Diego which sits at about 1.3 million. It makes for a long commute for me but it's worth it (about 40 miles one way).
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Post by ChrisV on Nov 4, 2016 21:41:46 GMT
I'll have to visit you one day ! I go to San Diego every couple of years.
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robrj
Member
Posts: 248
home town/country: Escondido, CA
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Post by robrj on Nov 5, 2016 13:39:46 GMT
Absolutely. Let me know.
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