FreeLists / az-observing / [AZ-Observing] Lights off in downtown for Earth Hour ?? Reports from Fountain Hills and GRCO in Gilbert

[gene lucas <geneluca@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Greetings, fellow Earth Watchers...

No effect was noted up here in Fountain Hills from Fish Point Overlook 
on Shea Blvd during Earth Hour tonite.  (I can see the Tovrea Castle 
lights from Fish Point, but nothing farther to the west -- a hill is in 
the way.)  No changes were noted (visually) over the 
Tempe-Mesa-Scottsdale panorama.  (As expected) no effect was noted 
visually during the interval ca. 8:00 pm to 9:15 pm.  (If I had an SQM, 
I would have used it...)

I chatted with two couples in the parking area at Fish Point who came 
out specifically for the Earth Hour.

Not a hope of any change in my neighborhood, of course.  All of FH was 
blazing away as usual for a Saturday evening.
The sky was pretty hazy, with light wind from the W-NW up here in the 
eastern McDowell foothills.  I could see Polaris and the end two stars, 
but not any of the fainter stars in the Little Dipper (typical in this 
neighborhood for early evening).

I hope you folks had fun downtown, courtesy of Mayor Gordon.  Will 
expect a full report later....

Martin Thompson reported they had over 100 visitors by 7:45 pm, and a 
total of 215 through the dome at GRCO in Gilbert tonight.  He reports he 
thought he saw a slight improvement in sky darkness to the West during 
the Earth Hour; visibility improved on the Pleiades.  (Over 628 visitors 
came out earlier during the DAY at the Riparian for the "Feathered 
Friends" activities.)

There is now a telephone line with 56K modem hooked up to the GRCO dome 
(courtesy of the Riparian), so we can connect to the internet.  Also a 
weather station that logs data every 15 minutes to the PC in the dome, 
as well as a GPS.

Cheers,
Gene
(17250)

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