CapPic
member
Reged: 09/05/12
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Re: Survey, how many miles will you drive for a Dark
[Re: Avid Astronomer]
#5414978 - 09/11/12 11:15 AM
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I just realized how good those of us living near I-35 in Texas have it. Most locations have a relatively short drive to a gray zone (or even a blue zone).
I will say that something puzzles me. The light pollution along the east coast makes sense because of the population density. But why is the Midwest so bad? I spent some years in Ohio and Kentucky and recall those states having very large rural expanses. Do all the farmers their point lights at the sky?
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Tony Flanders
Postmaster
Reged: 05/18/06
Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA
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Re: Survey, how many miles will you drive for a Dark
[Re: CapPic]
#5415158 - 09/11/12 12:46 PM
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Why is the Midwest so bad?
It's not. The map is misleading because the color chosen to represent the pretty-darned-dark zone happens to be the color that looks brightest (green). See my blog on the subject.
Having said that, although Ohio is largely farmland, it is also full of medium-sized cities. You can probably see several different light domes from any given spot.
And also yes, farmers are famous for over-lighting their property.
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dvb
different Syndrome.
Reged: 06/18/05
Loc: Vancouver, Canada
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Re: Survey, how many miles will you drive for a Dark
[Re: Tony Flanders]
#5415688 - 09/11/12 04:39 PM
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I'll drive a long, long way to get dark skies, as long as I don't have to drive back home the same night.
Tomorrow I'm driving 200 mi (300 km) in about 3 hours to get to the Merritt Star Quest, which has Black skies.
I could also drive have that time and distance to get to Black skies in Manning park.
The difference for me is being able to leave the gear set up and crawl into my tent after observing until the wee hours (at least until 2:00 a.m., sometimes until 4:00 a.m.). That late, and that sleep deprived, I really don't want to drive anywhere.
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SL63 AMG
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/21/09
Loc: Williamson, Arizona
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Re: Survey, how many miles will you drive for a Dark
[Re: mantrain]
#5434959 - 09/22/12 07:20 PM
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I'm done driving 1200 to 2000 miles for really dark skies.
I finally just decided to move!
Bortle Class 2 Dark Sky Location
Average SQM Reading 21.57
34° 40' 39" N 112° 32' 31" W
Clear Sky Chart - Space Igloo Observatory
It is truly amazing here. I can walk out side after sitting in front of my monitor for hours and the Milky way is visiable end to end. After about 20-30 minutes, it's unbelievable.
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Corky
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/22/08
Loc: Ohio, USA
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Re: Survey, how many miles will you drive for a Dark
[Re: mantrain]
#5473499 - 10/16/12 04:00 PM
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ZERO miles for me.
It's just too much hassle, too much time, and too inconvenient to do anything more than wheeling the scope out of the garage.
I guess I'm just not dedicated enough.
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JMW
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 02/11/07
Loc: Nevada
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Re: Survey, how many miles will you drive for a Dark
[Re: Corky]
#5473825 - 10/16/12 07:06 PM
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I need to drive about an hour to go from a red/white zone to a gray zone. I will drive 3-10 hours for a several night large star party. Once I make the drive to dark skies I prefer to stay out most of the night. Some day I would like to fly to the southern hemisphere with one of my refractors to enjoy the parts of the sky unseen by those who live in the USA.
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csrlice12
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/22/12
Loc: Denver, CO
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Re: Survey, how many miles will you drive for a Dark
[Re: JMW]
#5474646 - 10/17/12 08:43 AM
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You know Jeff, your comment just made another of those random thoughts I have come to mind. An Astronomy based Travel Agency working on a "time-share" trade basis. We could set up a database where Astronomers could list their location, available dark sites, available equipment, etc.; You go onto the site, punch in where you want to go, and it would come up with the places and equipment available; Also, you put in your location and equipment and see if anyone wants to trade places for a specified period of time. This could have benefits in that you wouldn't have to chance the airplane gorillas trashing your equipment; and as most take care of their equipment, chances are you'd end up with something better then what you could have carried with you. Eventually, you could have ratings (i.e. Great Equipment/Dark Skies, Place was in better shape then when I left)kind of like CN Classifieds has. I mean, there's an Aussie out there with a 10" Dob that would love to come to Colorado and have a 10" Dob at their disposal; and I'd LOVE (can't afford) to go to Australia and have a 10" Dob Available. There's always risk, but most people in the hobby I know, would take more care with someone else's equipment then they would their own. Uh, Oh, there's another new industry--Telescope Insurance!
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GpB311
sage
Reged: 05/29/12
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
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Re: Survey, how many miles will you drive for a Dark
[Re: csrlice12]
#5475447 - 10/17/12 04:52 PM
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If I travel out past Bakersfield on 178, id say I could be to a true gray or black zone in under 3 hours. At least according to the cleardarksky.com light pollution map.
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Illinois
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/18/06
Loc: near Chicago, Illinois USA
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Re: Survey, how many miles will you drive for a Dark
[Re: GpB311]
#5476525 - 10/18/12 08:37 AM
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Why is the midwest so bad? So many towns! Lot of large towns and many small town so theres no room for open space in Illinois to get dark sky! Few open get green zone and tiny blue zone!
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SKYGZR
sage
Reged: 08/14/09
Loc: Planet Earth, Milky Way Galaxy...
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Re: Survey, how many miles will you drive for a Dark
[Re: Illinois]
#5477243 - 10/18/12 03:30 PM
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I travel about 250 miles, for about 5.5 hrs, yet when I do it, I stay for 7-10 days/nights. (Motor Home)
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omahaastro
sage
Reged: 08/30/06
Loc: Omaha, NE
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Re: Survey, how many miles will you drive for a Dark
[Re: SKYGZR]
#5478142 - 10/19/12 01:30 AM
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If it weren't for clouds and wind (and cold, although man is slowly changing that it would seem), eastern Nebraska isn't too bad... right on the edge of 'middle of nowhere'. I've got blue within about an hour, grey about an hour and a half, and black is 4 hours towards the Sand Hills where NSP is held. Solid greens all around within a half hour.
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krp
super member
Reged: 11/10/10
Loc: Central Illinois
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Re: Survey, how many miles will you drive for a Dark
[Re: omahaastro]
#5479266 - 10/19/12 06:29 PM
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The place I usually observe from is in a "good" orange zone and it's 20 miles (30 minutes) away. A green zone is about 130 miles away (3 hours), but I've only gone there once. Next spring I plan to seek out even darker skies. If you like dark skies Illinois is not the place to be.
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DocLiv
member
Reged: 01/28/12
Loc: West Columbia, SC
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Re: Survey, how many miles will you drive for a Dark
[Re: krp]
#5479904 - 10/20/12 04:28 AM
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For dark skies I go to the Deerlick astronomy village. It's about a 2 hour drive for me. It's well worth the trip.
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habitforming
member
Reged: 09/04/12
Loc: KY
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Re: Survey, how many miles will you drive for a Dark
[Re: DocLiv]
#5505489 - 11/05/12 02:02 PM
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So far I'm just getting started and don't have much interest in making a long drive for darker skies. I'm under orange, borderline yellow and know that I'm missing out on a lot. Unfortunately, I don't find many opportunities to make a long trip for observing, especially when considering weather & life cooperating.
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Ron Walker
member
Reged: 01/07/06
Loc: Arizona
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Re: Survey, how many miles will you drive for a Dark
[Re: habitforming]
#5530426 - 11/20/12 03:30 PM
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At home I have a dark sky meter reading of 20.4 on average. We have some property in the middle of nowhere that is five hours away (about 250 miles) that gets a meter reading of 21.8. We have a trailer there and will spend up to a week at a time. Beautiful dark sky views as we always time for a new moon.
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SubaruB4
member
Reged: 11/14/12
Loc: Greenwich, CT
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Re: Survey, how many miles will you drive for a Dark
[Re: Ron Walker]
#5530671 - 11/20/12 05:31 PM
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At the most I would do 90 miles depending on what's going on.. if it's something special then I could do 120.
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