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chaoscosmos
sage

Reged: 01/26/13

Loc: Mission Viejo CA

Closest dark skies to Orange County CA
#5696076 - 02/23/13 05:20 AM

Hello all,

I'm wondering if anyone in southern California, particularly Orange County, or those knowledgeable of the area... can suggest a close spot to find reasonably dark skies. I'm in Mission Viejo and my first thought was driving out the Ortega Highway, maybe to the Ronald Caspers park area. If anyone has a general area or specific location that they go to or could suggest, it would be much appreciated. I'm not sure if there's anything with full access to the horizon that's reasonably nearby, but that would be another consideration.

Thanks...

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Octans
member

Reged: 08/13/09

Loc: Southern California, USA

Re: Closest dark skies to Orange County CA new

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[Re: chaoscosmos]
#5697598 - 02/23/13 11:53 PM

The best location in the county would probably be Modjeska Peak which can be accessed by taking the Main Divide Road from Ortega Highway north for a while -- not exactly easily accessible, but it does give a near 360-degree clear horizon with dark skies -- especially when there's a marine layer blocking out the light of the cities below.

Caspers is quite dark as well (except to the west) although I don't know if there's anywhere not covered with dry brush with a clear view of the sky.

Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park is also quite dark, based on what I could tell from along Santiago Canyon Road, but it's officially closed at sunset -- not that anyone's going to care if you walk in, but I think the park's parking spaces might be closed. Not quite as good would be a local park in the Foothill Ranch area -- those are always open. Borrego Canyon Overlook park might work, although the western half the sky is super bright.

Another option is O'Neill Regional Park in Rancho Santa Margarita. There's a (normally) dry creek bed that's wide enough (200 ft) for a sizable portion of the sky to be visible. Probably not a good idea to be there after rains (muddy) or during the summer if there are thunderstorms (flooding?).

You might also want to look at the local parks by the 73 toll road. I think there's one near the top of the hills which would be pretty dark when there's low-lying fog present as there almost always is June.

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chaoscosmos
sage

Reged: 01/26/13

Loc: Mission Viejo CA

Re: Closest dark skies to Orange County CA new

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[Re: Octans]
#5702598 - 02/26/13 10:27 PM

Very much appreciated, thanks..

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Crazyhorse1876
member

Reged: 01/26/13

Loc: SoCal

Re: Closest dark skies to Orange County CA new

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[Re: chaoscosmos]
#5703679 - 02/27/13 03:05 PM

You might ask these people...http://www.meetup.com/Greater-Orange-County-Astronomy-Starparty/events/calendar/

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Jay
member

Reged: 09/01/06

Loc: Southern California

Re: Closest dark skies to Orange County CA new

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[Re: Crazyhorse1876]
#5708128 - 03/02/13 02:41 AM Attachment (28 downloads)

Hi Ray,

I live just a few miles East of you near the end of Oso Parkway and we border Caspers Wilderness Park (just a short hike over a single 300' tall ridge). While the skies here are some of the darkest I have found in Orange County it's a stretch to categorize them as "dark". In the summer we can just make out the Milky Way -- something I never saw while growing up in Placentia (North OC).

Attached is a shot I took tonight looking West and toward Rancho Santa Margarita and Mission Viejo. It's an 8 second exposure with a 35mm lens at f/6.3 and ISO 640.

Octans gave you some good tips and I have tried both O'Neil (found it to be surrounded on all sides with light although darkest to the North) and the ridge that leads to Santiago/Modjeska Peaks. I've been trying to time a trip to Blue Jay campground in the Cleveland NF (very near Santiago Peak off of Ortega Hwy) when a heavy marine layer rolls in. If you check the satellite images during May, June and July sometimes you will see all of Orange County and Riverside covered in low clouds with Saddleback Mountain floating right in the middle. I would bet it would be nice and dark on those nights but so far I have yet to time this right.

Right at the entrance to our neighborhood at the end of Oso and just down the road from you is Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park. They do star parties on new moon weekends during the spring and summer.

Jay

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Jay
member

Reged: 09/01/06

Loc: Southern California

Re: Closest dark skies to Orange County CA new

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[Re: Jay]
#5708132 - 03/02/13 02:45 AM Attachment (37 downloads)

Here's a shot of Orion taken Feb. 9th from my driveway. It's a slight crop (to straighten) 15 second, 200 mm, f/8, ISO1250 snap. 30 second shots really started to fog from all the light pollution.

Jay

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chaoscosmos
sage

Reged: 01/26/13

Loc: Mission Viejo CA

Re: Closest dark skies to Orange County CA new

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[Re: Jay]
#5708148 - 03/02/13 03:13 AM

Thanks Jay...

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Jeff Phinney
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Reged: 02/20/13

Loc: CA

Re: Closest dark skies to Orange County CA new

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[Re: chaoscosmos]
#5805900 - 04/17/13 11:46 PM

While not as close as the locations mentioned so far, I've always wondered if anyone has looked for an accessible dark sky site between the I-5 and I-15 corridors, North East of Camp Pendleton. I've never explored that area, but every time I drive south at night on the I-5, I'm always struck by how dark it is south of San Onofre.

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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: Closest dark skies to Orange County CA new

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[Re: Jeff Phinney]
#5819353 - 04/24/13 09:29 AM

Quote:

While not as close as the locations mentioned so far, I've always wondered if anyone has looked for an accessible dark sky site between the I-5 and I-15 corridors, North East of Camp Pendleton. I've never explored that area, but every time I drive south at night on the I-5, I'm always struck by how dark it is south of San Onofre.

That area is quite remote but it according to the light pollution map, it's not that great. Finding a Blue Zone from Orange county is a long drive however you look at it.

This is the light pollution map for the region around Fallbrook CA.

Jon

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Jay
member

Reged: 09/01/06

Loc: Southern California

Re: Closest dark skies to Orange County CA new

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[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5823376 - 04/25/13 11:34 PM

May grey and June gloom are already here in Southern California. Attached is a GOES visible light shot from last June:

http://www.cloudynights.com/photopost/data/500/184452012-06-19_TuesSMALL.jpg

I drove up Ortega Hwy twice in 2012 to catch Saddleback Mountain floating above a sea of low clouds, like the satellite image shows, but gave up after both efforts failed. After that I headed to the Mojave National Preserve where dark skies are more predictable.

I would bet these same low clouds can give Mt. Laguna in San Diego County nice dark skies too.

Jay

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Jeff Phinney
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Reged: 02/20/13

Loc: CA

Re: Closest dark skies to Orange County CA new

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[Re: Jay]
#5828798 - 04/28/13 05:33 PM

Jay, those clouds resulting from the marine layer do a pretty job of blocking most of the light from urban San Diego, but that "urban" is beginning to creep eastward out from underneath those clouds. Plus there is still the glow emanating from out of the Imperial Valley that's getting worse with time.

The night skies are not the ones I experienced there in my youth 35-40 yrs. ago, but all in all, for the time being, Mt. Laguna is still a very good dark sky sight with a number of easily accessible locations and spots for setting up. Plus it's not that far of a drive for me(1 hr from SD).

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Jeff Phinney
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Reged: 02/20/13

Loc: CA

Re: Closest dark skies to Orange County CA new

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[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5828849 - 04/28/13 06:07 PM

Jon, I've always wondered about it and oddly enough in all these years, I've never taken time to explore this part of So. California.

Yeah, there are better dark sky sites closer to us that the both of us have easy access to, but I've often wondered where someone living in Orange County could go to close by if they lived in that neck of the woods. The only spots that seemed reasonable would be those areas I mentioned earlier. Not knowing what accessibility is like in that area or if there are any convenient spots to to set up, it seemed like a decent compromise between distance driven and the resulting quality of the skies. At least better than those sites mentioned by others earlier in this thread.

While I'm at it, has anyone taken the opportunity to view the night skies from Catalina Island(at the high point on the road just South f the airport) or the Channel Islands. It's the views to the South that I think would be worth while with no sky glow or domes in that direction. Such a shame that San Clemente island sits on the edge of a grey zone with nothing to the South but is off limits for obvious reasons.

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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: Closest dark skies to Orange County CA new

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[Re: Jeff Phinney]
#5828988 - 04/28/13 07:53 PM

Quote:

Yeah, there are better dark sky sites closer to us that the both of us have easy access to, but I've often wondered where someone living in Orange County could go to close by if they lived in that neck of the woods.

I think that region you mentioned, generally north-east of Camp Pendleton, is quite remote, difficult to get to. It's one of those things, a lot of driving and you are still right in the middle of the Socal light dome. I may be wrong but I think driving due east gets you more for your time and money.

Jon

Jon

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terraclarke
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 05/29/12

Loc: Over the river and thru the wo...

Re: Closest dark skies to Orange County CA new

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[Re: Jeff Phinney]
#5832063 - 04/30/13 11:36 AM

Quote:

While I'm at it, has anyone taken the opportunity to view the night skies from Catalina Island(at the high point on the road just South f the airport) or the Channel Islands. It's the views to the South that I think would be worth while with no sky glow or domes in that direction. Such a shame that San Clemente island sits on the edge of a grey zone with nothing to the South but is off limits for obvious reasons.

I don't know if the Navy still conducts exercises actively shelling San Clemente Island but I've heard that its littered with much unexploded ordinance. If that be the case an observer may have more worries than just light pollution.

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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: Closest dark skies to Orange County CA new

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[Re: terraclarke]
#5832136 - 04/30/13 12:15 PM

Quote:

Quote:

While I'm at it, has anyone taken the opportunity to view the night skies from Catalina Island(at the high point on the road just South f the airport) or the Channel Islands. It's the views to the South that I think would be worth while with no sky glow or domes in that direction. Such a shame that San Clemente island sits on the edge of a grey zone with nothing to the South but is off limits for obvious reasons.

I don't know if the Navy still conducts exercises actively shelling San Clemente Island but I've heard that its littered with much unexploded ordinance. If that be the case an observer may have more worries than just light pollution.

In the mid 1970s I was a commercial fisherman and spent a fair amount of time working out of the south end of San Clemente Island. At that time they were doing quite a bit of gunnery practice.

One year, right before Christmas, the Navy rounded up the unexploded ordinance around Pyramid Cove where we were anchored. We had gotten the word that they were going to begin setting it off at 8am the next morning so we were prepared to pick up anchor and move the "mother boat", we were working Lobsters out of skiffs. I think we were about a half mile off the beach.

Well the first blast went off at 7:00 am and I can still remmeber the sound of the shrapnel as it came winging past, with several splashes in the water between our boat and the next guy over.. We were out there quick.

A few years later, a boat working nets on the west side exploded, the family believed it was the result of unexploded ordinance but there was no one left and not enough evidence to prove one way or the other.

Jon

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Jeff Phinney
member

Reged: 02/20/13

Loc: CA

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[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5832396 - 04/30/13 01:52 PM

Quote:

A few years later, a boat working nets on the west side exploded, the family believed it was the result of unexploded ordinance but there was no one left and not enough evidence to prove one way or the other.

Jon

Yeah, I remember when that happened and it wasn't the first time, either.

Pretty brave of you, I guess everyone has to make a living somehow.
Personally, I wouldn't go dragging nets of any kind or anything else through the waters anywhere near that place.

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chaoscosmos
sage

Reged: 01/26/13

Loc: Mission Viejo CA

Re: Closest dark skies to Orange County CA new

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[Re: Jeff Phinney]
#5843283 - 05/06/13 11:11 AM

Yesterday I found a spot that appeared to be ideal on a good stretch of public road leading to hiking/biking trails. Black Star Canyon Road is off Silverado Canyon Road within a 100 yards or so of the juncture to Santiago Canyon Road/ El Toro Rd. There is just one minor detail that could be an issue...

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chaoscosmos
sage

Reged: 01/26/13

Loc: Mission Viejo CA

Re: Closest dark skies to Orange County CA new

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[Re: chaoscosmos]
#5843298 - 05/06/13 11:15 AM Attachment (10 downloads)

ooops, here's the issue:

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Tony Flanders
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Reged: 05/18/06

Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA

Re: Closest dark skies to Orange County CA new

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[Re: chaoscosmos]
#5843314 - 05/06/13 11:22 AM

"Your safety cannot be guaranteed" is a great warning -- applicable to every time and place on Earth or off it.

In practice, I bet that rattlesnakes are a bigger risk than cougars. And as always, road accidents are a much bigger risk than either of those.

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mountain monk
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 11/06/09

Loc: Grand Teton National Park

Re: Closest dark skies to Orange County CA new

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[Re: Tony Flanders]
#5843868 - 05/06/13 03:55 PM

Chaoscosmos,

Yes, there have been attacks, but they are rare. At present we have 18 cougars in Jackson Hole, some of them in suburban areas. No one has been injured or killed, though they do kill dogs. But then we have more grizzlies and wolves here than cougars, and I just learned we have three two-year-old grizzly cubs near us... so. No rattlesnakes.

Not to worry too much, Carry pepper spray and enjoy the stars.

Dark skies,

Jack

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