Watch out for stray light at star parties - almost ruined 3 hours of exposures

I was out at Cherry Springs last weekend, had my rig dialed in perfect for a widefield shot of the Veil Nebula. Then some guy pulled up 50 feet away with his car lights on to grab something from his trunk, and that white LED blast ruined my last 40 minutes of data. Check your neighbors' setups before you settle in and make sure nobody's gonna be popping lights. Anyone else have a session trashed by someone else's carelessness?

2 comments

2 Comments

ivanb4128d ago

That line about "check your neighbors' setups" really hits home but I think there's another angle nobody talks about. A lot of folks will string up those red LED rope lights around their camp chairs and tables which seems harmless but it still scatters into the sky if you're doing widefield stuff. I've had more issues with the red glow from someone's reading light bouncing off the inside of a car than actual headlights honestly. Maybe we should start politely asking what kind of lights people plan on using before we unpack everything ourselves.

nathan_moore1228d ago

I mean, isn't part of the fun of star parties just hanging out with people and seeing their setups, not hiding from every little light? Idk, if someone needs a red light to find their car keys or adjust a mount, that seems like a normal thing that should be okay without everyone freaking out. Maybe it's just me but getting mad about a 40 minute window of light bleed feels like overthinking what's supposed to be a chill group activity.