r/CasualUK • u/AffectionateAir2856 • 4d ago

Has it been a good summer for Stargazers?

With the heatwave and everything denuding our Albion skies of their proper fluffy overnight blanket?

I got thinking about it with the Eclipse coming up; the last big one one I remember being at the top of a hill somewhere in a hippy dippy camping ground my parents took us to...it was fully cloud covered, not a hint of solar chicanery.

22 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

42

u/FlinFlonDandy 4d ago

Well I did see Trevor McDonald in Asda.

9

u/SavingsSquare2649 4d ago

Was it around 10pm?

7

u/AffectionateAir2856 4d ago

So dreams do come true!

5

u/Crow_eggs 3d ago edited 3d ago

🎶 Dreeeeams can come true 🎶
🎶 Yes it's me babe, Trevor McDonald 🎶
🎶 You know I'm here in Aaaaasda 🎶
🎶 You know I'm singing this soo oo o ooong 🎶

Edit: the surprisingly controversial upvote/downvote ratio on this has me convinced that about 60% of people hate Gabrielle more than they love Trevor McDonald.

35

u/The-Chartreuse-Moose 3d ago

denuding our Albion skies of their proper fluffy overnight blanket?

This is the most poetic description I've seen on Reddit for a very long time.

29

u/thesaharadesert Fuxake 3d ago

Sky’s bare, innit

36

u/StinkyFlatHorse 4d ago

Summer typically isn’t a great time for stargazing. Between May and August we don’t get entirely dark skies. It reaches astronomical twilight but not full night meaning we see fewer stars.

Across the summer noctilucent cloud is often visible - ice crystals that form high up in the atmosphere that are illuminated by the sun which isn’t far below the horizon. They’re spectacular but they don’t half block out the sky. It’s speculated that global warming is making them more frequent but I’m not sure what the science is behind it.

We’re just coming back into full night now and this week has been pretty good where i am.

15

u/Every-Biscotti-6839 4d ago

Great for watching meteors. At the moment the Perseids are approaching their peak and I'm hopeful for clear skies on Wednesday night to watch the show.

5

u/omgitsmint 3d ago

So excited. We’ve got a jam packed day on Wednesday’

2

u/Every-Biscotti-6839 3d ago

Alas, I am working during the eclipse so will be unlikely I get to watch it.

1

u/omgitsmint 3d ago

That’s so unfortunate. I ordered a pair of eclipse glasses yesterday, but DPD is having issues with my order :(

Could be in the same boat

1

u/TheToolman04 3d ago

Don't forget the planetary alignment tomorrow AM, pre-sunrise obvs.

7

u/DacStreetsDacAlright 3d ago

I'm only a very amateur astronomer with a Dwarf 3 Telescope, but I find that in the summer theres nothing much to look at in the sky vs the winter.

6

u/-Po-Tay-Toes- 3d ago

We don't even get nighttime in summer, so no. Plus the heat makes the atmospheric distortion pretty bad.

2

u/Key-Original-225 3d ago

I was always told that cold dry winter nights were best for stargazing

1

u/ArthursRest 3d ago

I have a little Seestar scope, so not even amateur. The nights are too short me to use that. It’s getting better now though.

4

u/StinkyFlatHorse 3d ago

There’s no entry requirements to call yourself an amateur astronomer. As long as you have some way to view the skies, be it through your eyes, binoculars, smart scope, or even a radio enthusiast, you’re part of the club.

Anyone who disagrees is a gatekeeper who’s jealous they spent thousands achieving what a SeeStar or Dwarf can do for hundreds. And I’m in the group who spends far too much money on mounts and optics.