Night sky/light pollution in Katy

[Johnhw2]

Fulshear, SW of Katy has a development called Fulbrook. The developer put regs in place to minimize resident generated light polution. It also is not near a good sized town yet so its sky views now are excellent.

Its a jewel of a development in many ways but a higher end community too.

[Sunderpig2]

There's way too much 'light pollution' in and around Houston to see the Milky Way, and that includes places like the George Observatory and Katy. Not only that, but even relatively bright stars are hard to see in this urban area.

Going out 80 miles or so from the city center though should get a person far enough away, assuming they are not near a city. A person wouldn't have to go as far as the Davis Mountains, but it's true that remote places in west Texas would have the darkest skies in the state.

Most people in the Houston area have no idea what the night sky can look like, and how many stars can be seen when far away from the city lights...

[SpiralGalaxy]

Thanks guys for all your responses, much appreciated. Gotta say I'm relieved about the spiders and excited about the other wildlife!

I'm actually from England and I should be moving over soon for a few years because of a new job.

Thanks again!

[Johnhw2]

Originally Posted by SpiralGalaxy

Thanks guys for all your responses, much appreciated. Gotta say I'm relieved about the spiders and excited about the other wildlife!

I'm actually from England and I should be moving over soon for a few years because of a new job.

Thanks again!

The Texas gulf coast is a bird watchers haven. The areas tend to be well out of Houston but within a couple of hours drive for a weekend trip to see birds if that is of interest. I know small dog owners in Fulbrook near Fulshear, which is South West of the city Katy, have to be careful with large birds. One friend has a small dog with claw marks on him where clearly a bird had tried to make away with him.

Bird watchers from all over the US come to this area during certain times of the year.

[deckhanddavy]

Originally Posted by Johnhw2

The Texas gulf coast is a bird watchers haven. The areas tend to be well out of Houston but within a couple of hours drive for a weekend trip to see birds if that is of interest. I know small dog owners in Fulbrook near Fulshear, which is South West of the city Katy, have to be careful with large birds. One friend has a small dog with claw marks on him where clearly a bird had tried to make away with him.

Bird watchers from all over the US come to this area during certain times of the year.

I'm just recently taking some interest in birding. Do you recommend any groups/websites for Texas gulf coast bird watching?

[dleuva]

Hey,

Were you able to find some good spots around Houston dark enough to see milky-way? I am interested in night sky photography and looking for a good spot near by.

Thanks...

[pnc66]

Originally Posted by dleuva

Hey,

Were you able to find some good spots around Houston dark enough to see milky-way? I am interested in night sky photography and looking for a good spot near by.

Thanks...

I've never seen the Milky Way in the 17 years I've lived in the Houston area. I've lived as far out as Plantersville and even though it was pretty dark out there, I still couldn't see the Milky Way. My experience has been that even if you get can far enough away from the light pollution, neighbors's security lights and stuff and really impede your stargazing. Even Magnolia had a glow in the sky above it.

[creekstone]

I live just west of Fulshear (and Fulbrook) in Weston Lakes. Previously, I've lived in four different homes in Katy in the last 30 years.

I was amazed at the stars when I moved out here. On a clear moonless night, particularly in cold weather, the Milky Way can be seen in all its glory. Yes, the Houston glow can be seen to the east. But it's the best view of the sky I've seen in years. I'm sure it only gets better going further west.

We have plenty of spiders (and other insects and critters) out this way. But a 2" spider is rare (and scary).

The hummingbirds out here have been a pleasant surprise. I kid you not, during the 2011 drought (our first year out here), we had 20+ hummers at our feeders constantly in August and September. And I love this... we have hummers daily through the winter. (That's quite a treat for holiday visitors.) Even with a few cold nights in the high 20's, they stuck around the past two winters. I was just about to take the last feeder down this weekend (plenty of hummingbird and butterfly-friendly flowers in the yard now). But the weak cold front must have stalled some migrating stragglers. I'll keep the feeder up until they thin out again... only to start up in earnest again in two months.

[d2mini]

We are in Fulshear. Lots of stars on a clear night but i have not noticed the milky way. Maybe i need to actually look for it.

[War Beagle]

Originally Posted by Jezer

This isn't too far away from Katy;

George Observatory

By the way, at the park they'll tell you all about spiders as well.

Gators too. But the spider webs that you'll see in the trees if you go off the beaten track ARE quite impressive.

I don't recall ever seeing the Milky Way, but you will see all of the major stars and constellations, especially on clear nights in the winter when there is less water vapor in the air. The rest of the year you'll see stars but not as many. Still, you can look forward to frequent viewings of the Aurora Houstonalis.