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Pages: 1 | 2 | (show all) Jon Isaacs Postmaster Reged: 06/16/04 Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA Re: Where is the best seeing in North America? [Re: ToxMan]       #5544988 - 11/29/12 05:34 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I hear tell that Southern Baja California has some of the best seeing around... From what I can figure, compared to most places, coastal San Diego has very good seeing. Jon Post Extras:       Tom Polakis Pooh-Bah Reged: 12/20/04 Loc: Tempe, Arizona Re: Where is the best seeing in North America? [Re: Mike Phillips]       #5545578 - 11/29/12 01:47 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Quote: I like this thread, it came out on Google Plus in a recent hangout we had. I don't know if it is possible to get hard facts, but it would be a great exercise in data analysis to get location and historical seeing accounts over time. This way you could see with facts the conditions over time and what the influences might be. Mike PS I recall Percival Lowell sent an expedition to AZ for his Mars Observations. Initially there was excitement about Arizona, but I think they grew disappointed after a few oppositions no? My answer was Florida as well, but what do I know living in rare-good-seeing NC The seeing in northern Arizona is comparable to that of Chilean observatories, as long as you know where to set up. It doesn't need to be a tall peak, either. The best site would be a small rise over the surrounding terrain, preferably overlooking a cliff that faces the prevailing southwest wind. That's how the Discovery Channel Telescope is sited. Rather than anecdotal statements, Lowell Observatory astronomers made measurements over a number of nights, and showed a median value of 0.84 arcsec FWHM, with a first quartile average of 0.62". Here is the site testing paper I have always wondered how the legendary Florida sites would stack up if they were measured in the same manner. Tom Post Extras:       siriusc professor emeritus Reged: 04/03/07 Loc: Racine, WI Re: Where is the best seeing in North America? [Re: Tom Polakis]       #5545675 - 11/29/12 03:00 PM Attachment (7 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hi Clark, I agree with Luis. The Florida Keys, they have my vote. I think a home located on the north end of Pig Pine Key (latitude +24) would be spectacular for planetary imaging, this dark sky site would place jupiter at an altitude of 87 degrees! You'll need to get out of the wind though which picks up at night and have two anti dew straps attached to the end of a SCT, or build yourself an observatory. Cheers, Dan Edited by siriusc (11/29/12 03:40 PM) Post Extras:       CMacD super member Reged: 01/23/12 Loc: Ontario, Canada Re: Where is the best seeing in North America? [Re: Tom Polakis]       #5546204 - 11/29/12 08:36 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Quote: The seeing in northern Arizona is comparable to that of Chilean observatories... Here is the site testing paper Tom Thanks Tom. This looks like a really good read. Post Extras:       DesertRat Post Laureate Reged: 06/18/06 Loc: Valley of the Sun Re: Where is the best seeing in North America? [Re: CMacD]       #5546275 - 11/29/12 09:19 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   When Lowell sent A.E. Douglass out west for a site survey he stopped down south at Tombstone and later Tucson before heading north. For 1894 that was in itself a step forward compared to where they used to place observatories. Douglass encountered bad weather in the south and was being rushed by PL. Later they regretted not taking more time. By the way he also stopped at Tempe later! One fellow who sometimes posts here (Mike Wirths) has a B&B down in Baja Mx: www.bajadarkskies.com If you want to spend some time there I think it would be a great location. Glenn Edited by DesertRat (11/29/12 09:28 PM) Post Extras:       mikey cee Postmaster Reged: 01/18/07 Loc: bellevue ne. Re: Where is the best seeing in North America? [Re: DesertRat]       #5546305 - 11/29/12 09:39 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   The best plasce is the place where you are. Make the best of it and be thankful. Grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Post Extras:       CMacD super member Reged: 01/23/12 Loc: Ontario, Canada Re: Where is the best seeing in North America? [Re: mikey cee]       #5546394 - 11/29/12 10:47 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Quote: The best place is the place where you are. Make the best of it and be thankful. Grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. LOL - Unless you live in southern Ontario like me. I have to chuckle when I read of places that get 300 clear nights a year. They must have stolen them from us because it seems we only get about 65 clear nights a year That's why my portable observatory needs to find a nice place to live. Post Extras:       Pages: 1 | 2 | (show all)

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