THEPLOUGH
Nailed Again
Reged: 01/11/08
Posts: 3957
Loc: Carlisle, Cumbria, ENGLAND
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That is one nice site you have found there. Do you live near by, or is it a long drive. How far away are you from the nearest City/large town. Thanks for getting this thread back on line... 
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Geoff...
Nexstar 8SE -- 9X50 RACI Finder scope... 6.3 F/R.-- 13 & 17mm Hyperion EPs.. 25mm Celestron E- Lux EP.. 2X Celestron X-Cel Barlow----- Celestron solar filter + A few bits and pieces..
Never give up on any one..... MIRACLES happen every day....
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dgs©
Postmaster
Reged: 03/29/04
Posts: 13903
Loc: West Monroe, Louisiana
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Perfectly acceptable scenery there. 
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- david
8"Ø Newtonian on SVP, Moonlite CR2, Telrad
PST Oberwerk Ultra 15x70 Orion Ultraview 10×50
Hand-me-down Sears Refractor (Discoverer) 60mm×900mm
"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world, remains and is immortal." --Albert Pike
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rocco13
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/29/06
Posts: 1549
Loc: Phoenix, Arizona
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Quote:
From what little I know of deserts at night, I believe they can get rather chilly. Easy enough to prepare for that, but it seems like a little breeze could stir up a significant amount of dust. Is that a problem frequently or do things tend to die down at night. 
The breezes are usually limited to afternoons, with evenings to mornings relatively calm. Occasionally we'll have windy conditions for a day or two, and the dust will hang in the air for a few days after that.
At these desert sites, there is some dust kicked up by vehicles coming and going, and even just by walking around, but a little dust is a small price to pay for the views!
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Rocco
Super C8 (1984 vintage)
Celestron 102 f/5
and a cheap pair of binoculars
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alienux
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/17/08
Posts: 673
Loc: Dayton, Ohio
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Wow, that is a really beautiful lake. Very nice looking site.
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Brian
Orion SkyView Pro 127mm EQ Mak
Meade 60mm Push-To TeleStar
Phillips SPC900NC
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mwg47x
member
Reged: 06/13/08
Posts: 28
Loc: Dacono, Colorado
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Quote:
That is one nice site you have found there. Do you live near by, or is it a long drive. How far away are you from the nearest City/large town. Thanks for getting this thread back on line...
It's a fairly long drive to either of those spots from my house. 4 to 4.5 hours.
Nearest town is Leadville about 20 miles as the crow flys due east of Ivanhoe lake. But you have the the Continental Divide between you and the town, so light shouldn't be a problem.
It's been a while since I have been to either spot, and I hadn't started down this observing path yet.
So I wasn't really paying that much attention to how dark it is. I hope to be up there towards the end of August.
Here's another pic. This is looking west towards Seller Park (my first picture) from the west end of Hell's Gate. The Colorado Midland blasted this shelf out of the face of the cliff so they could get their trains through here. Thi shelf is about a mile and a half long. The road up to Seller isn't bad, but past that all the way to Ivanhoe Lake, it isn't a great road. The piece of road you can see in this stretch isn't bad, but other parts are. Notice all the coal cinders in the foreground.
I'll make a point of getting some better pictures when I am up there again and I'll be sure to post them in this thread. 
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David Knisely
Postmaster
Reged: 04/19/04
Posts: 6782
Loc: Beatrice, Nebraska
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Here is a shot of the entrance to one of my favorite sites, Merritt Rervoir, home of the Nebraska Star Party. Unfortunately, I only get to visit this place about one time per year during the star party, as it is about 360 miles from my home, but considering the dark skies it provides, the trip is well worth it.
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David W. Knisely
Hyde Memorial Observatory
http://www.hydeobservatory.info
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kfred
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/11/03
Posts: 2005
Loc: Dayton, Ohio
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Some of you folks have very nice observing sites.
Fred
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River Cam - Cambridge England
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THEPLOUGH
Nailed Again
Reged: 01/11/08
Posts: 3957
Loc: Carlisle, Cumbria, ENGLAND
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mwg47x. I am looking forward to more pictures of that site, it certainly looks like a winner... 
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Geoff...
Nexstar 8SE -- 9X50 RACI Finder scope... 6.3 F/R.-- 13 & 17mm Hyperion EPs.. 25mm Celestron E- Lux EP.. 2X Celestron X-Cel Barlow----- Celestron solar filter + A few bits and pieces..
Never give up on any one..... MIRACLES happen every day....
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THEPLOUGH
Nailed Again
Reged: 01/11/08
Posts: 3957
Loc: Carlisle, Cumbria, ENGLAND
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David, looking at that site I would think the drive would be well worth it, you can see forever.....  
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Geoff...
Nexstar 8SE -- 9X50 RACI Finder scope... 6.3 F/R.-- 13 & 17mm Hyperion EPs.. 25mm Celestron E- Lux EP.. 2X Celestron X-Cel Barlow----- Celestron solar filter + A few bits and pieces..
Never give up on any one..... MIRACLES happen every day....
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David Knisely
Postmaster
Reged: 04/19/04
Posts: 6782
Loc: Beatrice, Nebraska
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Here is an aerial shot of my "usual" observing site: Rockford Lake State Recreation Area (8.8 miles southeast of Beatrice, Nebr.), where the ZLM is frequently in the 6.4 to 6.8 range. I can generally get to it via a 15 minute drive, so it isn't too bad. I generally set up just past the split in the roads to the various camping outlets seen near the center of the image.
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David W. Knisely
Hyde Memorial Observatory
http://www.hydeobservatory.info
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David Knisely
Postmaster
Reged: 04/19/04
Posts: 6782
Loc: Beatrice, Nebraska
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Here is a shot taken from another parking area across the lake looking east towards my usual observing site. I chose this spot because Comet Hale-Bopp was nicely placed (obviously).
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David W. Knisely
Hyde Memorial Observatory
http://www.hydeobservatory.info
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turndalightsoff
super member
Reged: 06/24/08
Posts: 172
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Dude that is awsome, lol. 
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The names M, Mr. M
Proud Owner of a 6 Inch Hardin Deep Space Hunter Dobsonian Telescope
32mm, 25mm, 9mm, 7.5mm, 4mm plossls
Meade 4000 series 2X Barlow
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THEPLOUGH
Nailed Again
Reged: 01/11/08
Posts: 3957
Loc: Carlisle, Cumbria, ENGLAND
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Quote:
Here is an aerial shot of my "usual" observing site: Rockford Lake State Recreation Area (8.8 miles southeast of Beatrice, Nebr.), where the ZLM is frequently in the 6.4 to 6.8 range. I can generally get to it via a 15 minute drive, so it isn't too bad. I generally set up just past the split in the roads to the various camping outlets seen near the center of the image.
That place looks better than the first site you posted. All that space and what looks like clear sky too, what more could any one ask for......
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Geoff...
Nexstar 8SE -- 9X50 RACI Finder scope... 6.3 F/R.-- 13 & 17mm Hyperion EPs.. 25mm Celestron E- Lux EP.. 2X Celestron X-Cel Barlow----- Celestron solar filter + A few bits and pieces..
Never give up on any one..... MIRACLES happen every day....
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David Knisely
Postmaster
Reged: 04/19/04
Posts: 6782
Loc: Beatrice, Nebraska
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Quote:
Quote:
Here is an aerial shot of my "usual" observing site: Rockford Lake State Recreation Area (8.8 miles southeast of Beatrice, Nebr.), where the ZLM is frequently in the 6.4 to 6.8 range. I can generally get to it via a 15 minute drive, so it isn't too bad. I generally set up just past the split in the roads to the various camping outlets seen near the center of the image.
That place looks better than the first site you posted. All that space and what looks like clear sky too, what more could any one ask for......
No, Rockford Lake, while good, doesn't hold a candle to Merritt Reservoir. At Rockford (elevation 1400 ft), I have a low light dome in the northwest from Beatrice as well as the very low glow on the horizon to the north from Lincoln. At Merritt high in the Nebraska Sandhills (elevation of about 3,000 ft), there are *no* light domes visible anywhere along the horizon (nearest major city is 90 miles to the south and only has a population of 24,386). The sky is very dark, with a zenith limiting magnitude of between 7.4 and 8.0 depending on your eye's sensitivity and the weather conditions. The bulge of the summer Milky Way is visible way out into Ophiuchus, and the brightness of the Milky Way is enough to allow objects held close to you to cast faint shadows. It is by far one of the better observing sites in the nation, and I look forward to arriving there next week for the Nebraska Star Party:
http://www.nebraskastarparty.org
Clear skies to you.
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David W. Knisely
Hyde Memorial Observatory
http://www.hydeobservatory.info
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THEPLOUGH
Nailed Again
Reged: 01/11/08
Posts: 3957
Loc: Carlisle, Cumbria, ENGLAND
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And may I wish clear skies to you, and good viewing for next week....
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Geoff...
Nexstar 8SE -- 9X50 RACI Finder scope... 6.3 F/R.-- 13 & 17mm Hyperion EPs.. 25mm Celestron E- Lux EP.. 2X Celestron X-Cel Barlow----- Celestron solar filter + A few bits and pieces..
Never give up on any one..... MIRACLES happen every day....
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stefsaber
Post Laureate
Reged: 06/24/06
Posts: 4459
Loc: Rainy Florida
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Anybody for labeling this the most depressing thread of all time? 
Some of you have truly amazing places, my sincere congrats and hope that it remains nice and dark for you all!
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-Stefan
"It’s not the fall that kills you; it’s the sudden stop at the end." -Douglas Adams
Current Scopes: "Gator" William Optics 66SD---Black Swan William Optics Megrez 80 II ED Triplet---Zhumell 10" Dob
-Sirius Mount---Canon Rebel XT-
Past Scopes: ETX 90---Vixen ED80Sf
Fort Myers, FL
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THEPLOUGH
Nailed Again
Reged: 01/11/08
Posts: 3957
Loc: Carlisle, Cumbria, ENGLAND
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Quote:
Anybody for labeling this the most depressing thread of all time?
Some of you have truly amazing places, my sincere congrats and hope that it remains nice and dark for you all!
Dark I don't have a problem with, but could some one do some thing about the clouds and rain.......  
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Geoff...
Nexstar 8SE -- 9X50 RACI Finder scope... 6.3 F/R.-- 13 & 17mm Hyperion EPs.. 25mm Celestron E- Lux EP.. 2X Celestron X-Cel Barlow----- Celestron solar filter + A few bits and pieces..
Never give up on any one..... MIRACLES happen every day....
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stefsaber
Post Laureate
Reged: 06/24/06
Posts: 4459
Loc: Rainy Florida
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Quote:
Quote:
Anybody for labeling this the most depressing thread of all time?
Some of you have truly amazing places, my sincere congrats and hope that it remains nice and dark for you all!
Dark I don't have a problem with, but could some one do some thing about the clouds and rain.......
Ay, its starting to look like England over here too...rain rain rain and clouds clouds clouds... 
Least my skies are light polluted so its not a total loss 
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-Stefan
"It’s not the fall that kills you; it’s the sudden stop at the end." -Douglas Adams
Current Scopes: "Gator" William Optics 66SD---Black Swan William Optics Megrez 80 II ED Triplet---Zhumell 10" Dob
-Sirius Mount---Canon Rebel XT-
Past Scopes: ETX 90---Vixen ED80Sf
Fort Myers, FL
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InkDark
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/29/07
Posts: 1502
Loc: Montreal, Canada
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These are my dark skies… see here - July 18 2008
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Jimmy
"Rarely Have So Many Understood So Little About So Much" - Palle Yourgrau
"...since that time, I have not complained about the weather one single time. I’m glad there is weather." – Alan Bean, Apollo 12
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InkDark
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/29/07
Posts: 1502
Loc: Montreal, Canada
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Ok, I admit it, I lied.
Would be awesome though! 
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Jimmy
"Rarely Have So Many Understood So Little About So Much" - Palle Yourgrau
"...since that time, I have not complained about the weather one single time. I’m glad there is weather." – Alan Bean, Apollo 12
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