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arpruss
sage
Reged: 05/23/08
Posts: 215
Loc: Waco, TX
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My previous observing spot, by the side of a dirt road, is kaput, because someone showed up claiming (quite possibly correctly) to own the road, and he was not sympathetic to astronomy.
Looking at Google Maps, and their street view, shows an area beside what is more clearly a public paved road. Within a bend of the road, there is a triangular grassy area (a 45 degree triangle with hypotenuse about 20 meters long) bounded on two sides by the road, and on the third by a fence. Beyond the fence is clearly marked private land. I assume that between the road and the fence is public land. This is a pretty rural area (technically, I think, within Waco city limits). Is this the sort of place where it would be legal to park the car on the grass and observe? What should I be worried about legally speaking?
I am not particularly worried about headlights. I expect the road is extremely little used at night, and it's on a side of the bend that wouldn't be swept by the headlights of the occasional car that.
It's orange, but it sure beats the red where I live, and the gas would cost rather less than to the yellow zone.
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Coulter Odyssey 8"
Skymaster 15x70
BPTs4 8x30
25(?)mm Rini, 27mm Kellner, Owl 10mm Plossl, 6mm TMB/BO Planetary, Owl 2X Barlow
Palm TX with AstroInfo and RescoViewer
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star drop
Guilty as Charged
Reged: 02/02/08
Posts: 3369
Loc: Cattaraugus Co., NY
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It may be worth it to meet with the person owning the private land and see if he or she minds if you pull off the road there to observe. That way you would not be a suspicious person lurking about at night warranting a visit by the local authorities. Those authorities do not use a dim red flashlight and would totally ruin your dark adaptation.
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Ted
Tectron 25" dobsonian 10x70 binoculars
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arpruss
sage
Reged: 05/23/08
Posts: 215
Loc: Waco, TX
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Good idea, if I can locate the owner--the fenced-off area is a wooded area with no buildings. I guess it might not be bad to talk to the farm owner on the other side of the street from the one I want to observe on.
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Coulter Odyssey 8"
Skymaster 15x70
BPTs4 8x30
25(?)mm Rini, 27mm Kellner, Owl 10mm Plossl, 6mm TMB/BO Planetary, Owl 2X Barlow
Palm TX with AstroInfo and RescoViewer
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DennisF
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 03/03/06
Posts: 861
Loc: Northern IL
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The local county will have an office that can provide you with ownership information. May be called the Recorder of Deeds, County Clerk's Office. I'm sure almost anyone in the building can point you in the right direction. As long as the land is not owned by a trust, it should be easy to track down.
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10" XTi
C6 SE
ETX 125 (no more)
SV 102ED
SV80ED
PortaMount (no more)
SV M1
Original AYO EzTouch mount
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edwincjones
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/10/04
Posts: 4430
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In a simular situation, I have contacted the local police department and ask them about legality, safety of area, and invited them to come by on their rounds and observe with me if they have the time.
I also have some land in a semi-rural area, and DO NOT like strangers just comming by for" whatever". Ask me first before I call the police or become otherwise unfriendly*.
edj
*I am a little sensitive now-in the last 6 months I have had people dump dead dogs and components of a meth lab on my property.
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n w arkansas
Binocular, Solar, General Amateur Astronomy
Edited by edwincjones (08/09/08 07:13 AM)
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panhard
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/20/08
Posts: 2578
Loc: Markham Ont.
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Gettin touch with local L. E. is a good idea. At least that way they might remember you. It helps if you get a name of who you talk to. Heck the farmer might even own that piece of land.
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Orion xt10i
8 & 17mm Hyperion eye pieces
koning 32mm 25mm skywatcher eyepieces
lumicon 0111 & antares variable polarizing filters
12x50 binos
A love for this hobby
"What goes around comes around."
"She who must be obeyed."
Herb c
cloudy nights my # 1 site
43.53°n 79.17°w
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Treehopper
sage
Reged: 07/29/08
Posts: 215
Loc: Upstate NY
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Reminds me of a time years ago when my friend Jim and I were observing off an old rural road near where he used to live. Traffic at any time of the day was extremely light, and at night was practically non-existent. Still, to be safe, we parked well off the road and set up about 30 yards from there.
Close to midnight, who should show up but the local village constabulary. First he flips on his flashing red and white domes. Then lights up the entire end of the county with his b'zillion candle-power spot-light. To our amusement, he steps out of the car and pulls out his mag-light and turns it on (I guess getting a sunburn under his glaring spot wasn't quite enough for him.) You could just about hear our pupils slamming shut in the next town over.
"Wha'chu boys doin'?", asks Officer Not-So-Friendly. Mind you, we're standing there with two telescopes, star-charts spread on a small table, both of us have binoculars slung over our necks, and the strongest thing we've had to drink all night is the high-octane coffee in the big gray Thermos that's holding the charts down. I would imagine a lobotomized chihuahua could put it all together with minimal effort.
Jim, ever the jokester, immediately quipped, "Shhh...lookin' fer aliens! We seen 'em!"
O great, I think to myself. The inmates are going to ask me what I'm in for, and I'm going to have to tell them that I got caught observing stars while in the company of Groucho Marx!
So "Roscoe" looks at us with that blank stare as he's trying to size up the situation. After a few strained moments, he lowers his mag-light, chuckles in that "I'm about to bust your kneecaps" sort of way, and then turns and says as he's walking back to his cruiser, "Heh! Aliens! Good one! You boys stay outta trouble, 'kay?"
I looked at Jim, he looked at me. We both shrugged at each other, poured another cup o' Joe and waited for our eyes to re-adapt. Another chapter in the life of an astronomer.
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Tim
Third oak on the right, and straight on 'til morning.
Meade ETX-125PE (NGC7000 Edition)
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
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stevek
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/16/06
Posts: 1229
Loc: west michigan
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Quote:
Reminds me of a time years ago when my friend Jim and I were observing off an old rural road near where he used to live. Traffic at any time of the day was extremely light, and at night was practically non-existent. Still, to be safe, we parked well off the road and set up about 30 yards from there.
Close to midnight, who should show up but the local village constabulary. First he flips on his flashing red and white domes. Then lights up the entire end of the county with his b'zillion candle-power spot-light. To our amusement, he steps out of the car and pulls out his mag-light and turns it on (I guess getting a sunburn under his glaring spot wasn't quite enough for him.) You could just about hear our pupils slamming shut in the next town over.
"Wha'chu boys doin'?", asks Officer Not-So-Friendly. Mind you, we're standing there with two telescopes, star-charts spread on a small table, both of us have binoculars slung over our necks, and the strongest thing we've had to drink all night is the high-octane coffee in the big gray Thermos that's holding the charts down. I would imagine a lobotomized chihuahua could put it all together with minimal effort.
Jim, ever the jokester, immediately quipped, "Shhh...lookin' fer aliens! We seen 'em!"
O great, I think to myself. The inmates are going to ask me what I'm in for, and I'm going to have to tell them that I got caught observing stars while in the company of Groucho Marx!
So "Roscoe" looks at us with that blank stare as he's trying to size up the situation. After a few strained moments, he lowers his mag-light, chuckles in that "I'm about to bust your kneecaps" sort of way, and then turns and says as he's walking back to his cruiser, "Heh! Aliens! Good one! You boys stay outta trouble, 'kay?"
I looked at Jim, he looked at me. We both shrugged at each other, poured another cup o' Joe and waited for our eyes to re-adapt. Another chapter in the life of an astronomer.
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DSO 8" f6 DOB w/ 8x50 RACI & 2"Crayford
1958 Sears Discoverer 76mm Refractor
GSO SV 30mm 2",21mm Hyp,13mm Strat,BO/TMB ver2-6mm & 4mm
1.25"Filters: DGM-NPB, 25%ND
1.25" plossls: 25mm,20mm,15mm,9mm
Orion 2X Shorty Barlow
Garrett Gemini LW 11x56mm binocs
BTG-10 4.0mW green laser pointer
"What is that burning in the sky? Tell me y'all..." Jeff Beck/Jan Hammer
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arpruss
sage
Reged: 05/23/08
Posts: 215
Loc: Waco, TX
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Thanks, everybody. This has (as usual on CN) been very informative and helpful. I've decided I am too shy to deal with all that asking for permission in person, or talking with local law enforcement, so I think I'll just pass on that, and generally stick to my two unproblematic sites: my driveway (red), and a local nature area (yellow) that I've secured permission to use (I asked the person in charge of that by email--I am not shy by email) but which I haven't used yet because it's 18 miles away (I know it's not much, but gas isn't free, and I am not only a beginner at astronomy, but also a beginner at driving, so longer driving at night on narrow unlit country roads is a bit intimidating).
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Coulter Odyssey 8"
Skymaster 15x70
BPTs4 8x30
25(?)mm Rini, 27mm Kellner, Owl 10mm Plossl, 6mm TMB/BO Planetary, Owl 2X Barlow
Palm TX with AstroInfo and RescoViewer
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Davey
sage
Reged: 05/31/07
Posts: 255
Loc: Arkansas
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Heehee Treehopper, thanks for the afternoon entertainment.
Yep, the trouble astronomers often encounter is from the local variety of alien. (o:
Happy observing,
Davey
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Snow dog
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/17/05
Posts: 1716
Loc: Alberta Canada
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I was going to say that you should maybe see if the farmer has a spot you could set up on. I know the farm lands around where I am have lots of fields that could be used. Most areas are far from the farmers house and don't have livestock on them. Might be worth getting up some courage and asking him.
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Marc
Someone get these crazy dogs off me
12" LX200 Classic
ETX-90PE
Meade DSI
Canon AE-1, EOS Rebel 350
My Home Page
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RussL
Music Maker
Reged: 03/18/08
Posts: 1610
Loc: Cayce, SC
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Ever see the movie, "Deliverance?" Shew, I worry about that kind of stuff. 
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--Russell
"Akita mani yo." Observe everything as you walk. (--Lakota)
Celestron Celestar 8 Standard SCT, f10
Celestron 80mm Wide View ref., f5
Criterion RV-6 Dynascope, Newt., f8, (c. 1962)
Sears Discoverer 60mm ref., f7, (c. 1973)
Celestron Ultima DX 10x50, 6.5 TFOV
Tasco 7x35 wide
Several mediocre eyepieces
Edited by RussL (08/10/08 12:44 AM)
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bemusabord
super member
Reged: 06/03/08
Posts: 100
Loc: western NY
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I used to lease an unused spot in the corner of a farmer's field for $100/year. He even let me put a small equipment storage locker there. It was like getting free money for him, the little piece of land was unproductive, so he was happy to have it produce some income ..... especially cash.
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Thom B. - Stargaze Cherry Springs
Happily Infected With Anti-Aperture Fever!
Orion Eon 80ED w/ AstroTech Voyager
PICHELOUP Couch Potato Telescope
Celestron Ultima 8x42
Canon IS 15x45
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