Deep Sky Object (DSO) - Amboy Crater

Let’s shoot DSO at the Amboy Crater (Bortle 2).

The date is subject to change based on weather. We will check weather conditions during the week and up to the morning of the day and post here if we move the date or cancel.

PLEASE NOTE: By submitting a YES RSVP and participating in any SoCal Astro & Landscape Photo Group event, you agree to the Meetup Terms of Service and release SoCal Astro & Landscape Photo Group, the Organizer, Co-Organizers, Assistant Organizers, and Event Hosts from any liability related to incidents, accidents, injuries, or damages to your person, guests, property, or belongings at Meetup events. You agree that you have fully read the description/instructions on this event page when signing up and that you and your guests assume all risks for participating in any event.

Meet Up Location:
December 7, 2024 @ 5:00 PM – Amboy Crater Parking Lot and Trailhead

• We will gather at the Amboy Crater Parking Lot and Trailhead and stay there all night. You can set up your equipment anywhere in the parking lot.
• Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/asyXUk829FaCDfCp6
• GPS: 34°33'25.1"N 115°46'52.0"W
• NOTE: There are 2 vault toilets.

Equipment Preparation:
You will shoot in Manual Mode and operate Live View for manual focusing for DSO. If your camera does not have an internal intervalometer, it is suggested that you purchase an external intervalometer as you will be taking many photos through the night for later stacking in post-processing. A star tracker or equatorial mount is preferred for DSO. This DSO photography process is much more technical than wide-field astrophotography. If you would like to try something more technical and challenging yet rewarding, join us.

Travel Preparation:
Please ensure you have enough warm clothes, water, and fuel for your car. Bring food, snacks, and drinks. There may be no cell signal in certain areas. I highly recommend using Google Maps and its Offline Maps feature. You can set an area to download the map to your phone before entering any area with no cell signal.

YouTube video of Google Maps Offline Feature: https://youtu.be/olOBiwyLefw

Another option is Organic Maps, which uses crowd-sourced OpenStreetMap data and allows you to download offline maps: https://organicmaps.app/

Times:
Night Time: 6:02 PM
Moonset: 11:05 PM
Astronomical Twilight (Sunday): 5:08 AM

Weather:
The weather around Amboy in December is typically 55-50F during the day and 45-40F at night. I will provide a forecast 1-2 days before the event.

Recommended Items to Bring:

• Headlamp with red light (white light could disrupt other’s night vision)
• DSLR/mirrorless/astro camera
• 50mm or longer lens/telescope
• Tripod (required)
• Star tracker/equatorial mount
• Extra camera batteries/portable battery
• Extra memory cards
• Blower (remove dust)
• Intervalometer
• Water/snacks/food
• Extra clothing
• Trail shoes/hiking boots
• Camping chair