HomeFairfax General ForumArrest/Ticket SearchWiki newPictures/VideosChatArticlesLinksAbout
Fairfax County General :  Fairfax Underground fairfax underground logo
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
where's the best place to stargaze in NOVA
Posted by: Lauren ()
Date: September 26, 2009 03:09PM

I want to go stargazing this weekend, where is the best place to go near Fairfax?

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: where's the best place to stargaze in NOVA
Posted by: in the know ()
Date: September 26, 2009 03:12PM

try a field near dulles airport, the closer the better.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: where's the best place to stargaze in NOVA
Posted by: TheMeeper ()
Date: September 26, 2009 03:37PM

You're not going to find any "great" places around FFX. Too much light pollution, so most parks in the area will be about the same for viewing. I'd suggest trying to find a place out toward the Shenandoahs. I have friends out there, and their property gets super dark to the point where you can start to see the Milky Way's haze with your bare eyes.

Here's a light pollution map of VA. You'll notice FFX is entirely white or red (the highest amount of light pollution). Where my friends live, it's in a green or yellow area. So ff you can find a location that lies within a green/yellow area of the map, it should be a great place for amateur astronomy.
Attachments:
virg.jpg

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: where's the best place to stargaze in NOVA
Date: September 26, 2009 03:39PM

I remember when I was a kid I could look up at the night sky and make out the Milky Way. It's been decades since I have seen it. Quite a shame.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/13-11.htm

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: where's the best place to stargaze in NOVA
Posted by: TheMeeper ()
Date: September 26, 2009 03:43PM

It gets so dark out near where my friends live, that if you lie on your back for awhile and stare into the sky, occasionally you will see satellites zipping across the sky. There's no way you'd ever be able to see something like that around here.

WashingTone-Locian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I remember when I was a kid I could look up at the
> night sky and make out the Milky Way. It's been
> decades since I have seen it. Quite a shame.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: where's the best place to stargaze in NOVA
Posted by: observer ()
Date: September 26, 2009 04:39PM

If you are near Great Falls, drop in at Turner Farm Park at the corner of Springvale Road and Rt 193. There is an astronomy group that meets there every Friday night, I believe. They are very knowledgable and can probably help you out. They bring all sorts of large and powerful telescopes and setups with them and I am sure they will let you look through their scopes if you ask them.

Here is their website;

http://www.analemma.org/

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: where's the best place to stargaze in NOVA
Posted by: Yahweh ()
Date: September 26, 2009 04:41PM

I've been able to see Jupiter and 4 of it's moons in the southern half of the sky. I have a 114mm telescope. On a clear night I could use it from my balcony in Centreville. However it's been too cloudy the last two or three weeks, and you can't see shit.
Great light pollution map! I'll save that. And I agree, head west. It starts to improve when you pass Gainsville.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: where's the best place to stargaze in NOVA
Posted by: stargazer ()
Date: September 26, 2009 07:42PM

Check out NOVAC - the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club. They have observing agreements with lots of dark-sky locations, the members are very helpful, and they have loaner scopes for members to borrow. They have a monthly public session usually at Crockett Park in Fauquier County, and many member also volunteer with teh Analemma Society in Great Falls and the Smithsonian's stargazing program at Sky Meadows State Park in Paris.

http://www.novac.com

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: where's the best place to stargaze in NOVA
Posted by: TefD187 ()
Date: September 26, 2009 09:20PM

mixing bowl

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: where's the best place to stargaze in NOVA
Posted by: Regis-turd Voter ()
Date: September 26, 2009 10:17PM

my ass

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: where's the best place to stargaze in NOVA
Posted by: tomahawk ()
Date: September 27, 2009 12:06AM

Sky Meadows is the usual place where NOVAC meets, going out I-66 about halfway to Front Royal.

The problem with FFx Co, besides the light pollution, is that most, if not all, of the public parks around here are closed at dark, and they are the only places you can get away from streetlamps and headlights.

But if you have a group you may be able to arrange a session by getting permission. A friend of mine took an astronomy course that did this a few years back at Grist Mill Park near Mt. Vernon.

For you guys who've never seen a really clear sky, you need to get out somewhere where you can sometime. I've been to places like central VA and the PA mountains and out on the Atlantic Ocean where the skies were so clear and so full of stars you almost couldn't pick out the recognizable ones. Not only satellites, but if you watch long enough you will see a meteor or two.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: where's the best place to stargaze in NOVA
Posted by: stargazer ()
Date: September 28, 2009 07:39AM

BTW - NOVAC is holding its annual Fall Star Gaze Oct. 17th at Crockett Park. There's usually around 100 scopes on the field, and this year's guest speaker is a former astronaut.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: where's the best place to stargaze in NOVA
Posted by: nakedshoplifter ()
Date: September 28, 2009 10:26AM


Options: ReplyQuote
Re: where's the best place to stargaze in NOVA
Posted by: dono ()
Date: September 28, 2009 11:17AM

cool map and link thanks

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: where's the best place to stargaze in NOVA
Posted by: Mr Captcha ()
Date: September 28, 2009 11:50AM

Several years ago a few friends and I headed out to the intersection of 211 and Shenandoah Drive to watch a meteor shower. That was pretty good.

The mountains west of Harrisonburg are pretty good too.

Options: ReplyQuote
ANyone know a good place near Harrisonburg to see tonight's meteor shower?
Posted by: Kerrhouse ()
Date: November 16, 2009 10:48AM

hey all... wondering if anyone knows a good place CLOSE to Harrisonburg to see the Leonid Meteor Shower tonight? TNX

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: where's the best place to stargaze in NOVA
Posted by: lake anna ()
Date: November 16, 2009 11:21AM

I DONT KNOW WHO THE IDIOT Is with the map, but we were at lake anna and it was fucking amazing! you could see so many stars it was breathtaking!

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: where's the best place to stargaze in NOVA
Posted by: TheMeeper ()
Date: November 16, 2009 11:53AM

lake anna Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> I DONT KNOW WHO THE IDIOT Is with the map,


That map is from those complete idiots over at the International Dark Sky Association. Those damn fools don't know squat. They should be embarrassed of that stupid map.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: where's the best place to stargaze in NOVA
Posted by: Warhawk ()
Date: November 16, 2009 12:09PM

WashingTone-Locian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I remember when I was a kid I could look up at the
> night sky and make out the Milky Way. It's been
> decades since I have seen it. Quite a shame.


+1. Now all you see is the yellow/orange glow of suburbia. It really is a shame.

__________________________________
That's not a ladybug, that's a cannapiller.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: where's the best place to stargaze in NOVA
Posted by: WingNut ()
Date: November 16, 2009 01:15PM

46166571-superbowl-rings-1987-washington



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/2015 02:07PM by WingNut.

Options: ReplyQuote
membership in local star gazing group???
Posted by: julie miles ()
Date: June 27, 2017 08:52AM

WE WOULD LOVE TO FIND THE STARGAZING PROGRAM IN THE BLUE RIDGE.....FAUQUIER, ETC

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: where's the best place to stargaze in NOVA
Posted by: 77KPW ()
Date: June 27, 2017 10:11AM

Me too

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: where's the best place to stargaze in NOVA
Posted by: nedch ()
Date: June 28, 2017 11:41PM

you've come to the right place ms lauren! ffu has a strong star gazing club!

the best place is the observatory on the 13th floor of the government center. just ask the guards there if you can have access.

Options: ReplyQuote


Your Name: 
Your Email (Optional): 
Subject: 
Attach a file
  • No file can be larger than 75 MB
  • All files together cannot be larger than 300 MB
  • 30 more file(s) can be attached to this message
Spam prevention:
Please, enter the code that you see below in the input field. This is for blocking bots that try to post this form automatically.
 **          ******    **     **  ********  ******** 
 **    **   **    **   **     **  **        **    ** 
 **    **   **         **     **  **            **   
 **    **   **   ****  *********  ******       **    
 *********  **    **   **     **  **          **     
       **   **    **   **     **  **          **     
       **    ******    **     **  ********    **     
This forum powered by Phorum.