Astro Dark Sky Camps
Living in Bortle 8, I go regularly to camps sites with other Astronomers to enjoy the benefits of darker skies.
Photos of some of the campsites I have been to:
Our current campsite in East Sussex
We have been going here since 2014
Our Group camping at our East Sussex Campsite
Mine and Julian's Van
Same View at Night
The Glamping POD, always in demand
Relaxing during the daytime
Sunrise, fantastic views of the Eastern Horizon (in fact good horizons all round)
Photo by Fay Saunders
Tuesnoad (Near Pluckey in Kent)
2007
Tuesnoad (Near Pluckey in Kent)
2007
Tuesnoad (Near Pluckey in Kent)
2007
Real camping - no electricity
Various Trips to Kelling Heath Star Party
I have been attending this for over 10 years, about 300 Astronomers in 3 fields. On Saturday they organise events and Astro Traders come and sell their equipment.
The OAS Group 2010
View from my pitch
Woodland Walking
Weybourne and the Sea seen from Kelling Halt Platform
My kit by the Caravan
Julian and his home made Dobsonian & seat
Lunch with my friend Ian
Sitting by the kit as it gets dark
Toadstool on the way to the washrooms
By the end of the week it had turned into this
Tweaking kit waiting for dark
Giving a talk at Kelling Heath on Astroimaging, with the signer signing for the deaf group
April 2016 Kelling Heath
Mark Shelley one the the OAS members took this amazing night video with his modified Sony A7S, wandering around the field at 4am.He says he forgot to put an IR/UV filter on it and so it was picking up IR as well as visible light and also incandescent light, so the video in this link makes everything look lighter and brighter than it really was. It was in fact so dark you couldn't see you way around without a red torch and Mark said he almost bumped into some-one because he could not see them coming in the darkness. It is a very sensitive camera and even on video it shows the milky way and deep sky objects, but I hope this will give you some idea of the atmosphere at Kelling. The voice on the recording is that of Mark who kindly allowed me to post his video on my website:https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3Ky5pyZvsINeXFiY2dsS21TSVE/view?usp=sharing
Kelling 2016
Some members of UKAI (Uk Astroimaging) posted this drone video on their forum:https://youtu.be/Syc7P2-3IJkPosted with permission from UKAIScreen shot from it. (My van is in the foreground, by the Red car and green tent). UKAI Gravity Star Party - Salisbury
April 2011
Relaxing round the Campervan
The UKAI Group
The Whole Group
Isle of Wight Imaging Party - September 2012
It was luxury having a chalet
Mine and Anna's Kit
IOW Imaging party
High Halden, Kent
October 2011
Setting up for the evening
Rother Valley - near Northiam Sussex
July 2010
Star Party in the Brecon Beacons Wales
2013
We were joined by the Sky at Night Team who also camped
Talk on Planetary Imaging
Lucie Green talking to a young girl at the camp
Questions and answers
Les Granges In the Alps in Provence France - August 2013
The kit I used:Takahashi FSQ106N @ F5Mount - Takahashi EM200Guidescope - ST80 and an Atik guide cameraTwo computers and lots of moths and the occasional spider
Nearest actual village is Orpierre famous for rock climbing.
I decided to fly to Marseilles and hire a car and drive up to Les Granges and hire Olly's kit, but Anna wanted to drive (from Suffolk) and take her own kit.
Anna Lugging her kit up the hill
Location
The Gite
Inside the Gite
Etoile St Cyrice highlighted in Green
Orpierre, famous for Rock Climbing
Notgrove - Camping in the Cotswolds 2021
In 2020 a group of us from the Astro Forums formed a Whatsapp Group and since we came from different parts of the country, most of us hadn't met in person. So we decided to create our own mini Astro camp to meet each other, and obviously if there were clear skies could do some Astrophotography too. We found the most central location with dark skies and found a place in the Cotswolds with 8 Cabins in a row, and other accommodation if needed.
We had a great week with 2 really clear nights, and on the cloudy nights we gathered in the "games room" which was reserved specifically for the Glamping PODS and chatted and did some Astro presentations.
We had such a great time that we decided we would do it again in 2022
On the field behind the cabins
We pitched our Astro kit on the field. The first 2 days were really hot, so we sat under the trees for shade.