International Dark Sky Week is less than 2 months away. Will you take a pledge to follow the 5 principles for responsible outdoor lighting: https://idsw.darksky.org/pledge2024?recruiter_id=90618
Above link offers no benefits other than tracking signups, Feel free to go to idsw.darksky.org directly.
Just finished watching the (#NewMexico state) Senate Conservation hearing where they were debating Senate Bill 34 - Outdoor Light Requirements & Exemptions.
They were in a hurry to get to the Senate floor session, so they cut debate short and voted to table the bill -- which means it's removed from consideration unless someone fights to bring it back.
Of the senators who spoke, it was clear most of them hadn't read the bill nor listened to the presenters. Argh.
I hope this brightens your Monday. Over 22 years in this hobby, this is my biggest astrophotography project to date. The data for this took 3 months to gather. The editing took me almost a month. Here's my Horsehead and Flame!
Details:
Explore Scientific ED127 refractor
Hotech SCA flattener
SBIG STF-8300C
L-eXtreme Ha/OIII filter
Losmandy G11 mount
BoldMFG Pier
116.7 hours of data (700x 600second sub-exposures, divided among 2 panels)
Imaged from my Bortle 5 back yard
Captured in NINA
Processed in Siril, GraXpert, SetiAstro Suite, Photoshop & NXT
I was lucky enough to grow up in remote places with few anthropogenic sounds. In other words, there weren't any sounds of cars, machines, electrical transformers, airplanes, etc. I grew up in dark sky zones where I could readily identify all sorts of constellations and see the glaucous spray of the Milky Way. I didn't realize what I had until I no longer had it.
The last time I had an incredible view of the Milky Way was when I was in the Amazon jungle about ten years ago. It was glorious.
Where I live now is in the most densely-populated region of Canada, and I'm lucky if I can make out the stars of the Big Dipper or the belt of Orion, and even then, I can't see them from my yard. I have to walk out into the woods, and the light pollution still makes it a challenge.
There aren't many places in the region where I can be free of anthropogenic sound. I found a couple of hiking trails where, if I'm lucky, I might not hear it for a few minutes at best.
I feel sorry for the birds who get lost because of light pollution while migrating. I feel the stress of the constant racket of humans. In a few mythologies, the reason there was a great flood was because god couldn't stand all the racket people were making. I kinda get it.
#AnthropogenicSound #NoisePollution #LightPollution #Habitat #stars #MilkyWay #DarkSky
Here's my latest astrophotography project, NGC6888 - the Crescent Nebula. The Crescent Nebula is an emission nebula in the Cygnus constellation. It sits about 4,700 light years away and is about 25 light years across.
I captured this over 7 nights in October and November.
Details:
Explore Scientific ED127 refractor
Hotech SCA flattener
STF-8300C camera w/ an L-eXtreme filter
G11 mount on a custom BoldMFG pier
138x 600sec sub-exposures (23.0 hours) from my Bortle ~5 backyard
Captured in NINA
Processed with Siril, GraXpert, Photoshop, NXT & Cosmic Clarity
#astronomy #astrophotography #nebula #darksky #night #photography #telescope
Exciting news! The 
Scottish #DarkSky Observatory will live again! We were all so upset when it burnt to a cinder back in 2021, but yesterday we bought the land for its new home, deep within the Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park! 
1/3 
#astrophotography
#Australia #Astronomy #Australasia #darksky #Astrophotography #AustralasianDarkSkyAlliance
#PerthWesternAustralia
So, I live in Perth, Western Australia, and recently I won the inaugural "Dark Sky Friendly Lighting" Astrophotography award sponsored by the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance in Western Australia.
Dark Skies are important - I primarily am concerned about excess light's effect on wildlife, human sleep and the ongoing insect apocalypse - but we are also being robbed of the stars!
Now, ASDA haven't asked me to do anything at all, because they're good, fine people, but I'm sure they would love anyone in the Australasian area to fill in the survey (It doesn't take long) under the map on their website to help them campaign your local council.
https://www.australasiandarkskyalliance.org/campaign
There are other Dark Sky Advocacy groups around the world, so if you're not in Australasia have a hunt around.
We visited a NPS site after dark. I overheard someone explain how to change the auto exposure on an iPhone. This photo was a 10 second exposure. 
C/2020 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS captured yesterday over Modlin fortress. A marvelous sighr, even though I am not satisfied with my own editing skills. Antitail visible!
