DARK SKY DATES for the diary
If you’re a deep-sky or nightscape astrophotographer planning imaging trips next year, make sure to note the date (for your intended shooting location) when astronomical darkness ends and returns in the summer. From central UK there’s no astronomical darkness from roughly mid-May to late July. The further north you go the longer this period lasts and the lighter the night-time skies will be. This shouldn’t preclude all astronomical observation, though, as despite the brighter twilight skies, sites further north in the UK are prime positions from which to spot noctilucent clouds (see page 35). The return of astronomical darkness for central and southern UK in 2019 will be a good time to photograph the bright band and rich star fields of the summer Milky Way. The central region of our Galaxy – home to the exquisitely contrasting dark dust lanes and bright regions in Sagittarius, Scutum and Ophiuchus – will be nicely positioned in the south-southwest in the last few days of July. And with the waning crescent Moon not rising until later in the night you should have ample time to photograph the Galaxy before it has sunk further toward to the southwestern horizon.