Anyone seen the Milky Way lately?

[rmorey]

We have no artificial light (unless we make it). The Milky Way is a common sight where we live. I spend a fair bit of time just watching the stars (and planets) when its a clear night.

 

[The kid]

Good Afternoon Moss, On a clear moonless night the milky way really stands out here in East Wells, Rutland is 25 mins to our North East with a few mountains in between and Glens Falls in Ny state is a good 45 mins to our west, so no real city light impairing the Milky Way view... Yep definitely a treat to see under the right conditions !

On a clear moonless night it's bright here across the sky. I have a Mead ETX 120 i get out on occasion to show the Mrs Saturn, Jupiter and a few galaxies. I love to lay in a. Reclining lounge chair in the back yard and watch meteor shower when predicted. As once said in the movie "Contact" "If we're the only one in the universe, it sure is a terrible waste of space" -kid

 

[cointoss]

I am in the Eastern U. P. of Michigan and as we came home tonight we could see the Northern Lights out over Lake Superior and looking over head the Milky way was awesome!

 

[ArmyPair2]

3 Months ago my mother and aunt came to visit us in Alabama from California and seeing they always lived in the city they never got to see the milky way as we get to see it. Seeing we live so far from our town 16 miles away we get no light pollution and they was in awe looking at the stars. One night they both got to see the space station fly over head while sitting in the swing I made for my wife.

When is was in the ARMY we always said the stars are your best friends when you had to use NVG's (Night Vision Goggles) I'm just glad my mom and aunt got a chance to see the stars all those nights and I am sure they will always talk to others about those nights during the visit back in the city. Last month my mother called and made a request to spread her ashes in parts of my open forest when the time comes.

 

[orezok]

One of the joys of living in the desert is the night sky. Milky Way every night along with satellites, shooting stars and the most magnificent moon rises.

On a clear moonless night with the humidity in single digit, you can actually see detail like you were wearing night vision!

 

[flusher]

Saw it last Monday night. It's OK, but not spectacular viewing here in the North Sacramento Valley-only about 300 ft above sealevel.

Best view I ever had was at about 4000 ft altitude South of Albuquerque (near where Walt and Jesse used to cook).

 

[Midniteoyl]

As a kid, I remember many nights playing outdoors with my friends well into darkness. That time of night after sunset when the sky goes from orange to deep blue to black as the stars come out is one of my most favorite memories. Before you knew it, all the stars were out and the Milky Way was just incredible. Due to where we live, the growing population, the light pollution from the cities, etc... I haven't seen the Milky Way for close to 20 years. I realized that my kids had never seen it either. Every family vacation we have ever taken over the years that took us through dark areas where we could have seen it have always been overcast on those nights. And that has been bugging me for many years. Last Friday, however, we went to get my oldest from college for the weekend. On the way home traveling through northern Indiana, while far between towns, the sun had set, the orange had faded, the deep blue was turning to black and I pulled off the highway onto some small country road and drove a couple miles into the corn. I stopped the car, turned off the lights, had the wife and kids get out, look up and there it was, just as I remembered it. The kids were quite impressed. Words can't describe it. If you have kids that have never seen it, or if you have never seen it, please, take the time and make a point of getting out there. Its one of those things that everyone should see. It kind of puts you in your place.

Come on down, Moss.. see it plenty fine here.

Now, you think in a corn field is good place to view it, try in the middle of the Atlantic. Can see most of the moons of Jupiter with just a pair of binoculars. :thumbsup:

 

[Midniteoyl]

Yeah, it was 1970 on a 311. After the Ocean Station and our return to San Francisco, we went through the Canal and did one off Norfolk. Roughest water I've ever seen! No time to gaze at the sky during that as we were trying to keep the ship, and ourselves, alive. 55 degree rolls, front third of the ship out of the water and slamming, propeller cavitating as the ship shuddered from the impacts. And us with a torn down main engine and one prop off line. Crankshaft out and lashed to timbers. Bracing ourselves and working on oily diamond plate decks. Captain yelling, "get that screw on line!" It was literally too rough to steer with only one propeller and we were flailing. What a ride!

Sounds like fun. I was on a 180' buoy tender stationed at Portsmouth, just across the river from where the 311's Absecon and Chincoteague were berthed in Norfolk. I never saw 55 degree rolls, but I did experience some sphincter-tightening moments off of Cape Hatteras.

Steve

Did 50+ degree rolls and played submarine with the screw chopping air in this bad boy once. In the Med no less.. Talk about fun! Lost several choppers. I remember going aloft to strap down the radar antennas and able to lean into the wind at 45 degrees and looking down to see 2 Marines crawling on the flight deck to try and re-secure a chopper. Crawling eye pad to eye pad with safety harnesses on and getting pummeled with every wave as we 'dived' through them.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Mate, thanks for bringing back the memories of a North Atlantic storm! A roller coaster has nothing on one of those... the near weightless climb up an internal ladder then hanging on for dear life, the ship shuddering after it slammed back down.

WHEW! What a ride.

But, getting back to the OP, there were those beautiful crystal clear nights at sea where, looking up into the riot of stars, you'd swear that you were going to fall into the sky. I am fortunate to have those same nights here on my property.

'Keel Buster' is what we called the 'bang and shudders' after falling in the trough between to waves.. Hurt like heck sometimes.

Ever ride the trash cans in a storm? :thumbsup:

 

[nwltruck]

I always believed the night sky was amazing. Growing up in a very small town ( population of less than 100) the stars never seemed to be blocked out by the small amount of street lights that the town had, but about 15 years ago my dad bought a piece of ground in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The property is about 11 miles off of the state road, and you have to travel forest service roads to reach it. Tucked deep in a valley where no light can reach the sky becomes more astounding than you could ever imagine. We have sat for hours watching satellites pass by, or just marvel at the milky way as if you could almost grab it. Everyone at some point in there lives should experience that. It brings a little perspective to how small we are compared to the universe.