<![CDATA[I had a fantastic time camping!]]>I had a fantastic time camping! Don't get me wrong, I slept HORRIBLY. Especially the second night. But because it was Bortle 1 skies and gorgeously clear, it was something like this:
"ohhhh my neck ohhh my hips owwww..." *opens eyes, looks up at perfect dome of stars*
"ooohhhh wow. Everything is fine. I am a tiny insignificant speck on a mote of dust, my pain doesn't matter."

Repeat every ~30 minutes all night.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/topic/e3e78a05-d318-4ecd-87df-f65ef31ab519/i-had-a-fantastic-time-campingRSS for NodeMon, 24 Aug 2026 23:37:00 GMTMon, 17 Aug 2026 01:56:50 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to I had a fantastic time camping! on Mon, 17 Aug 2026 04:06:18 GMT]]>@sundogplanets

Just look at these skies! 😲💕✨✨✨✨

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/grb090423/statuses/117108872213975521https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/grb090423/statuses/117108872213975521Mon, 17 Aug 2026 04:06:18 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I had a fantastic time camping! on Mon, 17 Aug 2026 03:37:54 GMT]]>@sundogplanets

I'm glad you got cloudless skies while you were there. Thanks for the pictures, am enjoying them.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://fosstodon.org/users/bjb/statuses/117108760562672925https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://fosstodon.org/users/bjb/statuses/117108760562672925Mon, 17 Aug 2026 03:37:54 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I had a fantastic time camping! on Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:57:31 GMT]]>@sundogplanets Very pretty, yet very desolate-looking. And I don't know why, but the very first thing that popped into my head when I saw them was, “Oh, there should be an episode of Dr. Who shot there.” Yes, yes, I know.

I need help.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/QuarkMaker/statuses/117108601778048993https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/QuarkMaker/statuses/117108601778048993Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:57:31 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I had a fantastic time camping! on Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:50:58 GMT]]>@sundogplanets
Agreed. The smaller city i live in & the major city south of me have both made efforts to swap in & install only dark-sky-friendly street lighting & its making a big difference! I can almost see Orion's sword from my house again, & if i go outside the cities into the rural area, i can see constellations again. Still can't see fainter ones like Orion's shield, but it helps.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://kind.social/users/Katzedecimal/statuses/117108576026527887https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://kind.social/users/Katzedecimal/statuses/117108576026527887Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:50:58 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I had a fantastic time camping! on Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:46:00 GMT]]>@sundogplanets
Hoo!!!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://kind.social/users/Katzedecimal/statuses/117108556452302557https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://kind.social/users/Katzedecimal/statuses/117108556452302557Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:46:00 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I had a fantastic time camping! on Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:40:57 GMT]]>@sundogplanets what kind of bortle number do you have at home? Was this a significant difference?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.clitheroe.ca/users/scott/statuses/117108536621087365https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.clitheroe.ca/users/scott/statuses/117108536621087365Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:40:57 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I had a fantastic time camping! on Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:28:15 GMT]]>@sundogplanets
Wow. Beautiful.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://universeodon.com/users/ldmay65/statuses/117108486700274722https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://universeodon.com/users/ldmay65/statuses/117108486700274722Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:28:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I had a fantastic time camping! on Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:17:15 GMT]]>@sundogplanets My favorite summers for skywatching were the two I worked in Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone Lake surface is at 8000 ft with no surrounding lights!

In 1977 and 1978. No Starlinks to streak the sky!

😀

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/dancingtreefrog/statuses/117108443401157798https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/dancingtreefrog/statuses/117108443401157798Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:17:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I had a fantastic time camping! on Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:13:15 GMT]]>BEAUTIFUL.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/sundogplanets/statuses/117108427655514121https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/sundogplanets/statuses/117108427655514121Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:13:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I had a fantastic time camping! on Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:11:01 GMT]]>RE: https://mastodon.social/@sundogplanets/117067756308147920

I took these photos from the East Block of Grasslands National Park, a few km hike in from the only drive-in campground. I am so grateful to have access to this!

First, the landscape makes you feel tiny all day. Then, as in that lovely Yann Martel quote I posted here https://mastodon.social/@sundogplanets/117067760073867737, the "reassuring curtain of blue is pulled away and you realize where you really are: at infinity's doorstep"

And then you feel insignificant. But in a good way!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/sundogplanets/statuses/117108418892585153https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/sundogplanets/statuses/117108418892585153Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:11:01 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I had a fantastic time camping! on Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:09:17 GMT]]>@sundogplanets That looks like it must have been really awe-inspiring.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://federate.social/users/mattblaze/statuses/117108412111975930https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://federate.social/users/mattblaze/statuses/117108412111975930Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:09:17 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I had a fantastic time camping! on Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:08:52 GMT]]>@sundogplanets it is amazing to see such a sky. I haven't seen it like that in decades, last time was in 1999 when I was in a dessert in Egypt

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://techhub.social/users/jrsikken/statuses/117108410449274719https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://techhub.social/users/jrsikken/statuses/117108410449274719Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:08:52 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I had a fantastic time camping! on Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:05:46 GMT]]>And way fewer satellites were visible at like 1am! (Thanks to geometry)

Enjoy Bortle 1!

We could have this everywhere (or at least, much much more extensively than a few national parks and dark sky preserves)with better lighting regulations! It's possible.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/sundogplanets/statuses/117108398264452130https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/sundogplanets/statuses/117108398264452130Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:05:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I had a fantastic time camping! on Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:02:23 GMT]]>@sundogplanets

having a sense of perspective 🤔

(remembering something or other from Douglas Adams about extrapolating the universe from a piece of fairie cake)

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.world/users/petabites/statuses/117108384952518918https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.world/users/petabites/statuses/117108384952518918Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:02:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I had a fantastic time camping! on Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:01:09 GMT]]>@sundogplanets Was this around where you live? It's really beautiful.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://universeodon.com/users/flyhigh/statuses/117108380137880635https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://universeodon.com/users/flyhigh/statuses/117108380137880635Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:01:09 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I had a fantastic time camping! on Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:00:53 GMT]]>And the satellites were BAD. Not that much worse than at home, actually, which surprised me a bit.

What also surprised me was how many random bright flashes I saw: these are from tumbling pieces of space junk. There seemed to be a lot more than I've ever seen before.

Relatedly, my collaborator emailed me over the weekend to let his co-authors know that the CRASH Clock is now down to 2.2 days. WEEEEE.

(Note website isn't yet updated, but explanation here: https://outerspaceinstitute.ca/crashclock/)

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/sundogplanets/statuses/117108379040294985https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/sundogplanets/statuses/117108379040294985Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:00:53 GMT