Cyfarchion (Greetings) from Wales

Backyard Astrophotography Introductions
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Phil M avatar
Phil M avatar
Hi I'm Phil

I do my best to get images from my back garden in Swansea next to the beautiful Gower Peninsula. Light pollution isn't too bad but clear skies are not very common!

Dylan Thomas described Swansea as "an ugly lovely town".  I'd similarly describe astrophotography from Swansea as an amazing frustrating hobby!

Hurray for the new Astrobin!   smile
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Salvatore Iovene avatar
Salvatore Iovene avatar
Welcome Phil! I feel your pain about the lack of clear skies. Finland here and it's quite bad! smile
Michael Southam avatar
Michael Southam avatar
Having relocated to USA from UK about 10 years ago, we thoroughly miss our time in North and South Wales. Infact we have returned to the UK the last few years and the Gower was a center of our stay. Last year we were lucky enough to be camping at 3 Cliffs Bay during the Welsh Airshow and watched the show from near the Mumbles on Swansea Bay. I understand how the clouds can be frustrating though.
Phil M avatar
Phil M avatar
It's a lovely part of the world with world-class beaches and I'm not sure I could ever leave it but being at the junction of four air masses - pre-dominantly the one  from the atlantic - clear skies are infrequent to say the least!
Richard Francis avatar
Richard Francis avatar
Hi Phil,

I'm also a Welsh astronomer, but now retired in southern France, after more than 30 years in Holland. My interest in astronomy started during my youth in North Wales in the dark skies (at the time) of Abergele. But everywhere I lived afterwards was worse from the light pollution point of view, starting with various English cities and then the permanent light-dome of the Netherlands. And through all of this there was also the super-abundance of clouds.

So when it was time to retire I really had the opportunity to think carefully where to go and ended up with an overlay for Google Earth which maps light pollution. So I ended up in rural France at a latitude of a bit less than 44 degrees south, which gives me a full 8 degrees more southern sky than I ever had in Abergele. As well as dark skies and better weather!

cheers,
Richard
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Phil M avatar
Phil M avatar
Hi Richard, funnily enough we recently bought a place in Aquitaine (part-year).  Wow, amazing milky way and so many clear nights! Have only had a small scope with me there so far but may take a bigger one when we next go.

All the best

Phil
Richard Francis avatar
Richard Francis avatar
Ah, Aquitaine is the next region to us – I live in the department of Gers, in the Midi-Pyrenees region (now called Occitanie), but we're very close to Aquitaine – our closest big town is Agen, which is the prefecture of Lot-et-Garonne, in Aquitaine.

If you have the place half-year does that mean you can leave equipment there? The skies are really brilliant here and now I can do RGB imaging rather than the narrow band i was forced into to cope with the terrible light pollution in Holland. Not that I don't like NB, but it's good to have the option.

cheers,
Richard
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