Oberving sites, Summer and Winter.

Hi there, I am wondering what you folks do for observing sites?
I sometimes go to a spot near the sugarloaf, it's not bad. The run from Dundrum to this spot is ok as well with the new road. It does get freekin cold up there. It's pretty exposed, and it seems to make it's own clouds sometimes, kinda strange.

The best spot I tried for summer was in Allihies, West Cork.
It was spectacular, I mean the milky way just jumped out. And that little trip south seemed to get just a little more of scorpio, mmmm clusters!
I grew up in deepest darkest Mullingar, many moons ago! Even there I don't think I saw a comparable sky.
have any of you guys had similar experiences? - In Ireland?

You can still find very dark skies almost anywhere along the west coast.
Mind you all the churches are being floodlit.
All the old monuments are also being floodlit.

(Have they floodlit the Skelligs yet? The last time they were lit up it was done by Viking Marauders.No doubt the modern day barbarians willl light up the Skelligs again soon enough).

Peter.

I usually head to a spot called Dougmore in West Clare by virtue of the
fact that my soon to be sister-in-law has a holiday home there.

On Saturday during the eclipse I was stunned to see such faint stars easily mag 5.5 to 6.
At one stage I thought clouds were rolling in as I was looking at Casseopia,
then it dawned on me it was the Milky Way! I am so used to just seeing that
bright W shape.

I think this link will open a Google earth KMZ file to show you where Dougmore is, If it works let me know!

mail.google.com/mail/?realattid=Dougmore...;th=11126e5a4efcfea6

I grew up in deepest darkest Mullingar, many moons ago! Even there I don't think I saw a comparable sky.
have any of you guys had similar experiences? - In Ireland?

I travel around the Midlands a lot at night, working in the big towns, travelling in between them. It is not so dark around here now. Around here, the darkest spot I can find is around Croghan Hill. Even from the N6 travelling between Kilbeggan and Rochfotbridge (you're on elevated road at Tyrrellspass on the old N6), I could see the shadow of Croghan Hill, and literally no light pollution from the villages around there. I used to have a spot near there (Cornaher), but I can't go anymore since it was sold almost a year ago. Mullingar is now so built up, you can see it's light pollution from an elevated site in Tullamore.

Seanie.