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"Summer" place near Halcottsville, NY (in Catskills, elevation = 2050 ft)

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Thanks for your report. Judging by your description of clouds, it sounds as though your major light pollution is to the south and southeast -- comprised, no doubt, of Kingston, New Paltz, Poughkeepsie, and the New York metro area just beyond.

The location on the green/blue border and your SQM readings match one of my own favorite sites -- Kancamagus Pass in New Hampshire -- which I may describe in more detail some day.

One problem with the Bortle Scale that your report highlights is the description of light domes. To some extent, light domes become more obvious, not less so, as the sky gets darker. At many urban locations, there is no sensation of light domes -- the whole sky is one big light dome. Conversely, at dark sites in Arizona, the light dome of Phoenix is always obvious, even from distances well beyond 100 miles.

Having low horizons also makes a huge difference to the perception of light domes and of the zodiacal light.

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Tony Flanders

eyeglasses
6x15 and 8x32 monoculars
8x25, 7x35, 10x30 IS, 10x50, and 15x70 binoculars
70mm and 100mm achromatic refractors
4.5", 7", and 12.5" Dobs

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