Step 3: The field test! Just days after finishing my light shield, I took it to a star party at a nearby high school. On a previous visit there, I’d been completely frustrated with an obnoxiously bright outside light whose glare made it impossible to locate and view anything but the Moon and planets. Up went the light shield, and I was in business. I successfully picked up the Hercules Cluster (M13) even though it hovered above the part of the school building that housed the light.
If extraneous outdoor lights have spoiled your backyard astronomy adventures, fight back — with ingenuity and a little engineering! A few hours spent making a light shield will bring you and your telescope back into action. To obtain detailed information and photos outlining the construction of my light shield, download the PDF below
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Questions, comments, or suggestions? Email me at
gchaple@hotmail.com. Next month: We take a peek into the Struve double star catalog. Clear skies!