The End of Astronomy in Orlando

"Universal Studios is about to open a brand new Harry Potter ride in one week," reports amateur astronomer Brent from Orlando, Florida. "The new spotlight they have for it is ... Riddikulus!!" He took this picture of the night sky on June 12th with the spotlight in action:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/6764e579e4ea.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/ea60fd00f55b.jpg[/atsimg]

The beam splits and dances over the entire sky," he laments. "I'm going to have to take up a new hobby."

I think its bad enough where i live, with street light pollution! I can only see a handful of stars.

Link to full story www.spaceweather.com...



Removed 'All Caps' from title





[edit on 14/6/10 by masqua]

Turn 180 degrees. poof it's gone!

reply to post by MR BOB


err sadly - no - its backscatter from clouds and water vapor / dust in the atmosphere affects the entire area

by turning your back on it - you eliminate a massive amount of the light polution - but for a ameteaur astroomer - the light reflected will still make high magnitude stars undetectable

an anology for non astronmomers - then the sun is shining at the front of your house - shut all the internal doors and stand in the rooms at the rear with the lights out - you can still see by the light that comes in through the back windows - yes ?

that is why turning around is not a solution

Originally posted by ignorant_ape
reply to post by MR BOB

 

err sadly - no - its backscatter from clouds and water vapor / dust in the atmosphere affects the entire area

by turning your back on it - you eliminate a massive amount of the light polution - but for a ameteaur astroomer - the light reflected will still make high magnitude stars undetectable

an anology for non astronmomers - then the sun is shining at the front of your house - shut all the internal doors and stand in the rooms at the rear with the lights out - you can still see by the light that comes in through the back windows - yes ?

that is why turning around is not a solution

To right I have a street light right at the side of my back garden!! Grrrr, even if i turn my back on it i would still not be able to see as much as i'd like to! Its so anoying, all i can see are things like the big dipper, orions belt, venus and mars, oh and the moon

It will pass. As does everything else in this town. Worse comes to worse I'll take a 20 minute ride to the beach at night.

Foo beams might always be available with night vision goggles.
Not that Astronomy would be interested but parking lot star
gazers could always opt to the Foo hunt by taking goggles along.

Sympathies buddy!

I have one or two technical problems at my home location too, some of which I can alleviate in one way or another.

Surprised that the lighting dept from the city council havent noticed why that one particular sodium lamp keeps blowing? And where did that lil round hole come from anyway? Im pleading the 5th!

I will be getting a sodium filter soon though...

yes its sad just one more thing disney and universal studios r doing in their little dictatorship. i suggest if you want to do astronomy you go to most remote and underpopulated area you can find within fifty miles of your location. big cities amusment parks military bases all throw off light pollution like this.