Dark Sky Trip

Hej Stargazers!

Get ready for an unforgettable night under the stars! We are planning a special dark sky trip away from the city lights of Gothenburg to a location with pristine night skies. This will be our chance to see the magnificent arc of the Milky Way, the faint glow of the distant Andromeda Galaxy ($M31$), the stellar nursery of the Orion Nebula ($M42$), the Pleiades Star Cluster, several planets, and other deep sky objects.

This is the perfect time of year for stargazing, and the Moon will be in a favorable phase, ensuring the sky is as dark as possible for the best views.

The Plan

• What: A road trip to a dark sky location (likely Yttre Bodane or Halmstad) for a night of deep sky stargazing. The final destination will be chosen closer to the date based on which location has the best weather forecast.
• When: Our target date is Saturday, October 18. However, please see the important note below about weather dependency.
• Meeting Point & Time: We will meet at Göteborg Centralstationen at 17:00 (5 PM). We aim to depart shortly after, so please be on time! We will be out most of the night and arrive back in Gothenburg at around 3:00 AM the following morning.
• Transportation: We will travel together in a mix of rental vans and members' private vehicles. We will coordinate carpooling from the meeting point.

Cost & Securing Your Spot

The estimated cost per person is approximately 520 kr, which covers van rentals and fuel.

To secure your spot, please RSVP on Meetup. I will then send payment information to you directly. Once your payment is received, I will send you a digital ticket. You will need to present this ticket (on your phone is fine) to board the van. An RSVP without payment will not hold your spot.

Cancellation & Refund Policy

• If the event is canceled or postponed by the organizers (due to weather, etc.), you will receive a 100% full refund.
• If you need to cancel, you must do so at least 48 hours before the event's start time (i.e., before 17:00 on Thursday, October 16) to be guaranteed a full refund. This gives us time to find a replacement.
• For cancellations made less than 48 hours before the event, a refund is not guaranteed. We will do our best to find a replacement from the waitlist. If we can fill your spot, you will receive a refund. If not, a refund cannot be issued.

Call for Drivers! 🚗

To make this trip possible, we need a few volunteer drivers. If you have a valid driver's license and are willing to drive one of the rental vans, or if you have your own car and can take passengers, please send me a direct message when you RSVP!

As a thank you, drivers will be given a priority spot for the event. If you end up driving for the group (either a rental or your own vehicle), you will not have to pay the transportation fee.

IMPORTANT: This event is highly weather-dependent.

A successful stargazing night requires clear skies. We will be monitoring the weather forecast closely in the days leading up to the event.

• A final "go" or "no-go" decision will be made by Thursday, October 16.
• If the weather looks poor for Saturday, but good for Friday (Oct 17), we may shift the event to that night. Please keep your weekend flexible if you wish to attend!
• If the weather is poor for the entire weekend, the event will be postponed, and anyone who has paid will be fully refunded.

What to Bring

• Very warm clothes! (layers, hat, gloves, scarf - it gets cold at night even if the day is warm)
• A blanket or a portable chair to sit on.
• Snacks and a warm drink in a thermos (e.g., coffee, tea, or hot chocolate).
• Binoculars or a telescope. While a telescope is not necessary (many objects will be visible to the naked eye!), your experience will be greatly enhanced with some optics. For the best view, I highly recommend bringing a good pair of binoculars. A model like the Celestron Nature DX 8x42 is perfect for stargazing.
• A red light flashlight (to preserve your night vision).

I hope to see all of you there for an amazing night under the stars!

Happy stargazing :)