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General Astronomy >> General Observing and Astronomy

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BarbMoore
sage

Reged: 05/11/09

Loc: South central New Mexico

Re: Favorite Viewing Sites new

[Re: stevew]
#4509370 - 04/10/11 03:53 PM

The group shelter area at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, New Mexico.

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Prof M
sage

Reged: 07/26/09

Loc: Southwest Utah

Re: Favorite Viewing Sites new

[Re: BarbMoore]
#4509723 - 04/10/11 07:25 PM Attachment (69 downloads)

Kanab Point on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon

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Starman1
Vendor (EyepiecesEtc.com)

Reged: 06/24/03

Loc: Los Angeles

Re: Favorite Viewing Sites new

[Re: Prof M]
#4509775 - 04/10/11 08:02 PM Attachment (59 downloads)

Mt. Pinos in Southern California.
34d48m48s N
119d07m35s W
Altitude 8350' (2550m)
Black asphalt parking lot--about 2 acres.
Clear Sky Chart:
http://cleardarksky.com/c/MtPinoskey.html
Accommodations: a couple porta-potties, but no trash receptacles: "pack it in, pack it out". No tents allowed in the parking lot, but there is a camping area a couple hundred yards off the parking lot.
Descriptive reference:
http://www.observingsites.com/ds_ca.htm#pinos
Directions:
http://www.astro-tom.com/avac/observing_sites/mount_pinos.htm
Picture (looking south from northern-most point in lot):

Edited by Starman1 (04/10/11 08:04 PM)

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BlueGrass
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 07/25/09

Loc: Wasatch Front, UT

Re: Favorite Viewing Sites new

[Re: JayinUT]
#4510009 - 04/10/11 10:12 PM

Jay,

Excellent post. I haven't been to Wolf Creek yet, but I'll be sure to make the trip at least once this year. Great info.

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Prof M
sage

Reged: 07/26/09

Loc: Southwest Utah

Re: Favorite Viewing Sites new

[Re: jeff heck]
#4510228 - 04/11/11 12:50 AM

Quote:

My current favorite viewing site in the middle of Kansas. I had the chance to get there Monday for another fantastic night out with my ghostly friends.

Ah! It was in the middle of Kansas where I first realized there was a Milky Way! Specifically, in my childhood backyard at 333 Sunset Drive in Salina KS, circa 1949. Looking up with my Dad, and later with my bride (1966), changed my life....

Edited by Prof M (04/11/11 12:51 AM)

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Spaced
Post Laureate

Reged: 03/01/05

Loc: Tacoma, Washington, USA

Re: Favorite Viewing Sites new

[Re: Prof M]
#4510993 - 04/11/11 11:51 AM Attachment (66 downloads)

South Central Washington, in the vicinity of Goldendale. That's Mt. Adams in the background, with Mt. Rainier hiding under the cloud in the far distance.

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Dave Mitsky
Postmaster

Reged: 04/08/02

Loc: PA, USA, Planet Earth

Re: Favorite Viewing Sites new

[Re: Spaced]
#4511449 - 04/11/11 03:14 PM

I've been to some great dark sites in Arizona and New Mexico and have also observed from the Bolivian Altiplano. As far as the East Coast is concerned, Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania and Dolly Sods and Spruce Knob in West Virginia are the best dark sites that I've experienced. I've also enjoyed observing from the Stellafane grounds in Vermont and West Summerland Key (the Winter Star Party) and Chiefland in Florida. There are four "local" sites ranging from an hour to two hours away that have fairly dark skies and a number of others that aren't quite as good.

Dave Mitsky

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jeff heck
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 01/16/06

Loc: stl,mo.

Re: Favorite Viewing Sites new

[Re: Prof M]
#4511762 - 04/11/11 05:55 PM

Hey, Keith. My site is a few miles north of Sylvan Grove, Ks. There is a very small light dome to the east which is Salina and an even smaller one west which is Hays. I bet the skies in 1949 and 1966 were better than what I see now.

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jpcannavo
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 02/21/05

Loc: Long Island New York

Re: Favorite Viewing Sites new

[Re: edwincjones]
#4517134 - 04/14/11 06:14 AM

Quote:

My favorites viewing spot is going camping to any state or national park with dark skies
and viewing either naked eye, binoculars, or scopes;
dark skies above, beautiful nature below, family with me.

edj

Driving from Cody Wyoming, through Buffalo Bill State Pk, towards Yellowstone; there is a highway that winds along Buffalo Bill Reservoir. Lots of places to turn off the road, get away from the occasional car headlight and observe. There is a light domes to the east, from Cody, but to the south and west the skies are close bortle 2-3. I had one memorable night parked next to the water, alone, observing objects in Scorpio and Sagittarious with a 10" Dob.
Joe

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BoriSpider
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 08/10/04

Loc: S.W.FLA

Re: South West Florida(Naples) new

[Re: jpcannavo]
#4534006 - 04/21/11 11:08 AM

The EAS(my club) and the SWFAS use the Fakahatchee Strand
as their dark-sky site. What a great site CSC of the Fak.
No bathrooms or electric just bushes and lil' deep lakes bordering the roads we view on

My sister's backyard on the outskirts of Pinedale,Wyo.

And my friends backyard in GoldenGate,FL cause the condo people here at home put
up a string of white xmas lights around the pool area

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Husk3r
newbie

Reged: 03/30/11

Rhode Island new

[Re: BoriSpider]
#4534888 - 04/21/11 05:21 PM

I'm so jealous of all of you out west. I live in Rhode Island where it's all red, orange and (sigh) white. I make the best out of what I've got and head out to Point Judith (41.362166, -71.485704). Stargazing by the ocean is nice but I'd love a dark sky.

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Thomas Karpf
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 02/09/09

Loc: Newington, CT

Connecticut, Northeast, Colebrook new

[Re: Husk3r]
#4545106 - 04/26/11 10:20 AM

Colebrook River Burying Ground
I found that site while clicking in the yellow on http://www.cleardarksky.com/lp/ClbkCTlp.html?Mn=telescope to try and find some place at least a little out of the way from Hartford that was in sort of darkish skies. It's quiet, and there the only lights visible were single bulbs quite a distance (perhaps a mile?) in a couple of directions.

The burying ground does not have any chains, and is not posted as closing at dusk. A couple of local gentlemen drove in while I was setting up and waiting for dusk and they told me that nobody would bother me there.

They also told me that they had seen people with LARGE telescopes up by the Colebrook Reservoir, but that they are sometimes chased out of there. I'd guess that would be somewhere around here: Colebrook Reservoir

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jpcannavo
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 02/21/05

Loc: Long Island New York

In Georgia? new

[Re: Thomas Karpf]
#4550418 - 04/28/11 08:17 PM

Contemplating a trip to Atlanta Ga. Are there some dark observing sites (bortle 1-3) within 100 miles? Also, in general, how is seeing in Georgia, anything like florida, which is known for its steady skies.
Joe

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JimMo
I'd Rather Do It Myself

Reged: 01/08/07

Loc: Under the SE Michigan lightdom...

Re: In Georgia? new

[Re: jpcannavo]
#4552062 - 04/29/11 05:19 PM

Hi Joe,

Deerlick Astronomy Village has a members observing field, membership is really reasonable, and IIRC $5 bucks a night to observe. I've been there three times and have a friend who has a cabin there. It's also the home of the Peach State Star Party in the Fall.

Deerlick Astronomy Village

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Classic8
professor emeritus

Reged: 04/12/06

Loc: Naperville, IL, USA

Re: In Georgia? new

[Re: JimMo]
#4571772 - 05/09/11 04:13 PM

I used to go to a little forest preserve near Kaneville, IL which wasn't all that dark but much darker than my driveway and only 25 minutes away. It was a little-used place for a while, and I saw 2 or 3 of Auriga's open clusters naked-eye. A stream ran through it and the wildlife made a lot more noise than I did. Then they put a streetlight in the middle of it.

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Greyhaven
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 05/11/04

Loc: Greater downtown Maine

Re: Favorite Viewing Sites new

[Re: csa/montana]
#4571922 - 05/09/11 05:44 PM Attachment (59 downloads)

I can't compete with Csa/montana's great skies out side my door.But 45 min away these skies are available.
be well
grey

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rocco13
Got Milk?

Reged: 07/29/06

Loc: Phoenix, Arizona

Re: Favorite Viewing Sites new

[Re: Greyhaven]
#4572036 - 05/09/11 06:57 PM Attachment (57 downloads)

There are multiple spots around Arizona that are fantastic, but of the handful that I've been to, I'd pick Five Mile Meadow. It's located about 30 miles north of Payson, and just up on the Mogollon Rim, at an elevation around 6900'. Just a slight bubble of light on the southern horizon from Payson, but not enough to interfere.

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JayinUT
I'm not Sleepy

Reged: 09/19/08

Re: Favorite Viewing Sites new

[Re: rocco13]
#4572927 - 05/10/11 09:12 AM

I have to add another site if your in Utah. About an hour west of Delta, Utah is Notch Peak Wilderness Study Area. We observe up East Sawtooth Canyon and there are places to pull over and set up or at the end before the dirt road forks, is a parking area that works nice. The parking area has wonderful views but the views to the south are blocked up to around five to seven degrees above the horizon. This is a Bortle 2 site with the only white light coming from the distance highway or if a car comes up the canyon, which isn't common. The roads are rough and it is recommended that you go with someone else, have plenty of water and fluids, and that your spare is fill of air. I have pictures on my blog. It is in a gray zone on the pre-winter/snow sky charts and is about an hour east of Great Basin Natl Park, another great site.

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csa/montana
Den Mama

Reged: 05/14/05

Loc: montana

Re: Favorite Viewing Sites new

[Re: genedalton]
#4579685 - 05/13/11 02:44 PM Attachment (48 downloads)

Quote:

Hello Carol, I bet your favorite is your backyard, I've found that is my favorite now. Camera assisted viewing has helped me fight these urban lights and of course the backyard is sooo convenient. GeneD

Yes indeed; I have no need to travel with the exception of walking down to my observatory. My skies average 21.5 SQM.

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Badcat1022
member

Reged: 05/15/11

Re: Favorite Viewing Sites new

[Re: csa/montana]
#4588099 - 05/18/11 06:01 AM

When I lived in Las Vegas we would go camping at Cathedral Gorge campsite. It has telescope pads setup. Also near Rachel NV close to Area 51 along the Extraterrestrial Highway. The Tikaboo Valley has a awesome view and dark skies, some of the darkeist skies in the nation. Now I live in Springfield MO and finding a dark site is tough but I have found a couple one is a campsite near Kisseme Mills and the only black is near the Ozark riverways.
Here is Cathedral Gorge campsite

and powerlines in the Tikaboo Valley

Edited by Badcat1022 (05/18/11 06:05 AM)

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