Star count 2012 - Friday 20 - Friday 27 January

[mickw]

The Campaign to Protect Rural England is doing another sky survey to assess light pollution - Assuming you can actually see the sky  

What it's about

Cut to the survey

[Rick]

It's this week, so if you get a chance, go out, count, and get some data in, please!

[mickw]

Grand total of 9 
SQM 17.9
Dulwich

[MarkS]

9:15pm
22 stars (excluding the 3 belt stars)
SQM 20.62
High Halden
The sky is continually improving, so I'll try again later

Mick, you've got all this to look forward to!!

[Later edit:  The SQM later improved to 20.65 but I couldn't see any more stars.  Filled out the CPRE survey.]

[Rick]

Trinity School, Croydon, 21:50. Grand total of... five. Including the belt stars.

My garden, Orpington, 22:10. Grand total of... eleven, likewise.

[mickw]

Mick, you've got all this to look forward to!!

[JohnP]

Mark - did you get a chance to take any sky quality readings last night? Just curious as I was walking back from Indian around 10'ish & although blustery the sky looked very good (at least for Bromley) - I counted at least 7 stars in Orion....

John.

[Rick]

Bother.  Clean forgot to count the stars after the meeting last night. 

[Rocket Pooch]

Well when I got home at 11pm it was fantastically clear and there were tons of stars all over the place, probably the best night I've seen for ages.

[MarkS]

I did so in the lower car park at High Elms (the one away from the lights).
15 stars (excluding the belt)
SQM reading 19.45
Time 10:20pm

The SQM reading translates into a naked eye limiting magnitude of around 5.1

[MarkS]

I also stopped at a car park in Ashford town centre last night.  I was surprised at how dark the sky was and how many stars were visible from a town centre.  However, it was 12:45am and too late to count Orion.  I also couldn't get an SQM reading because it was impossible to shield the meter from nearby street lights and car park lights.

[MarkS]

Remember, the count should not include the 4 "corner" stars nor the 3 belt stars:

"We are asking people to count stars within the constellation of Orion, which will be visible in the southern sky (the same direction that household satellite dishes face). The main area of the constellation is bounded by four bright stars. The star count should not include these four corner stars – only those within this rectangular boundary – but do include the stars in the middle known as Orion's three-star belt."

[Rick]

"We are asking people to count stars within the constellation of Orion, which will be visible in the southern sky (the same direction that household satellite dishes face). The main area of the constellation is bounded by four bright stars. The star count should not include these four corner stars – only those within this rectangular boundary – but do include the stars in the middle known as Orion's three-star belt."

Poorly worded, that, particularly as the main graphic does not mention excluding the belt stars.    I expect their results will contain a large proportion of counts which have included the belt stars.  

[MarkS]

I expect their results will contain a large proportion of counts which have included the belt stars.

Yep - I'm afraid you're probably right. 

Mark

[mickw]

I don't think it will affect the results from the M25 area a great deal