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Finally picked a Bortle 3 site over my usual Bortle 5 backyard for last night's session
Been debating whether to drive 45 minutes to Cherry Springs or just stick with my light-polluted yard. Chose the darker site and wow, I actually saw the Milky Way core with my naked eyes for the first time. Used my 8 inch dob and even managed to spot the Veil Nebula with a filter, something I've never pulled off at home. Anyone else make the switch to a darker spot and notice way more detail in faint stuff?
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barbarac955mo ago
Did you use the OIII on the Veil from a Bortle 3 site too? I feel like the filter helps but the sky darkness is the real key, @keith264 mentioned how the Veil with a filter was a game changer for him and I totally get that now because my first try at home was a total bust. The light pollution just washes out all the faint detail no matter what filter you slap on there. I'm glad I made the drive even if it meant less sleep, the view of the Milky Way core alone was worth it.
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keith2645mo ago
Yeah the Veil with a filter from dark skies is a game changer, I bought a used OIII after my first trip out.
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the_elliot5mo ago
Oh man, I had almost the exact same experience. I drove four hours each way to a Bortle 2 zone last fall just to catch the Veil with my OIII filter. The difference was night and day. At home in my Bortle 5 backyard, the filter helped a little, but the sky still had that washed out glow that killed the fainter wisps. Out in the dark, the whole thing just snapped into focus like someone turned up the contrast. I could trace those wispy loops of gas all the way across the field of view, no strain at all. Filter plus dark sky is the real deal, I don't think I'd bother with the Veil from town again.
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