LAS Skycamp Q&A

Welcome to the LAS Sky Camp Q&A/Etiquette page.

Day-time Livery

Night-time Livery

Sky Camp Etiquette

CARS - No car movements after dark. LIGHTS - No car interior or boot lights on after sunset (remove fuse or cover with opaque tape). Only RED torches are to be used at night with light facing down. Shield computer screens and naked flames. No bright laser pointers. STRICTLY NO GREEN LASERS (these can be potentially dangerous). Call "Lights in 3 seconds" if a bright light is unavoidable. Toilet block lights will be shielded during the main weekend. NOISE AND MUSIC - Please avoid loud talking, noise, music and computer audio throughout the night until 10.00 a.m. the next morning. Please be considerate. Astronomers are often glad of a lie-in the following morning. CHILDREN AND DOGS - Children and dogs are very welcome to the event, but please keep them under control. Remember, the field is dark, there is valuable equipment and astronomers will have carefully aligned their telescopes. RUBBISH - The site is rich in wildlife and a very pleasant place to stay, so please keep it that way. Use suitable containers and dispose of rubbish, litter and dog mess appropriately. SAFETY - This is a dark skies event so you are advised to take care at all times. Thank you. We hope you enjoy your time at Equinox Sky Camp.

Sky Camp Q&A

Who Organises the Autumn Sky Camp?

The Autumn Sky Camp is coordinated by the Loughton Astronomical Society together with the Kelling Heath management for bringing like-minded astronomers together. Kelling Heath run the camp site, make bookings and provide all the normal camp site facilities.

Where do my camp site booking fees go?

You book your place on the camp site with Kelling Heath and pay your fees to Kelling Heath. They use the money to run their business providing camping facilities. Note: They do provide a special rate to astronomers attending Sky Camp, so be sure to tell Kelling Heath that you are booking for Sky Camp.

I read that there is a restriction on all male or female groups?

The normal restrictions on all male or female groups are relaxed for those attending Sky Camp.

Who is responsible for running the observing fields?

The observing fields are all part of the Kelling Heath camp site. Kelling Heath retain control of these fields during Sky Camp and are responsible for the running of those fields.

Where should I book my pitch?

The red field is the farthest from the main site and tends to book up first. The pitches towards the northern end are considered the best. A few of the pitches at the southern end are below trees and not good for observing. The yellow and blue fields are also used for observing and are also covered by the no-lights rules but are closer to some of the other facilities. Who is responsible for safety? It is the responsibility of everyone to act in a safe manner. Kelling Heath retain overall control of the whole site at all times.