Best Yet Of Andromeda...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udAL48P5NJU
If you've wondered what a star filled sky looks like from a truly dark sky location, it pretty much resembles the multitude of stars seen in the initial clips of this presentation. Look at that, transpose it over your location and try picking out a familiar constellation in that sort of mix.
Get the idea?...

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udAL48P5NJU
If you've wondered what a star filled sky looks like from a truly dark sky location, it pretty much resembles the multitude of stars seen in the initial clips of this presentation. Look at that, transpose it over your location and try picking out a familiar constellation in that sort of mix.
Get the idea?...

Very nice video Rod. I'm wondering, how visible do you think M33 would be from such a sky? What about M81?

Originally Posted by Darian Rachal

Very nice video Rod. I'm wondering, how visible do you think M33 would be from such a sky? What about M81?

Darian,
M33 would be a standout while M81 would be detectable but much more challenging and you'd have to pick it out from the background after you picked your jaw up from the ground. It's that awesome!

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

Darian,
M33 would be a standout while M81 would be detectable but much more challenging and you'd have to pick it out from the background after you picked your jaw up from the ground. It's that awesome!

Maybe one day I'll be fortunate enough to experience a sky like that.  It's always fascinated me to wonder about what went through the minds of prehistoric men who experienced those skies on a nightly basis.

Originally Posted by Darian Rachal

Maybe one day I'll be fortunate enough to experience a sky like that.  It's always fascinated me to wonder about what went through the minds of prehistoric men who experienced those skies on a nightly basis.

I hope to see another one that good at some point in the future, too. While a dark sky is, of course, requisite, excellent seeing and transparency without winds to stir up aerosols and dust are mandatory as well. Even a bright planet like Venus or Jupiter can ruin it. Venus under such conditions looks like a spot light from a police copter and you'll spend your time hoping the earth's rotation might somehow speed up a bit so it sets sooner. 
It doesn't have to be prehistoric but it has to be pristine...

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

I hope to see another one that good at some point in the future, too. While a dark sky is, of course, requisite, excellent seeing and transparency without winds to stir up aerosols and dust are mandatory as well. Even a bright planet like Venus or Jupiter can ruin it. Venus under such conditions looks like a spot light from a police copter and you'll spend your time hoping the earth's rotation might somehow speed up a bit so it sets sooner. 
It doesn't have to be prehistoric but it has to be pristine...

Rod, under those conditions, what magnitude of stars are you capable of seeing?

Originally Posted by Richard Davis

  If you want to get a headache thinking of the mind boggling possibilities...... 

I agree Richard!!  Makes anything we think about seem very small!!

Originally Posted by Darian Rachal

Rod, under those conditions, what magnitude of stars are you capable of seeing?

With excellent vision you'd be pushing it close to mag 8.

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

With excellent vision you'd be pushing it close to mag 8.

That would be quite a large numbers of stars!