FreeLists / az-observing / [AZ-Observing] Re: Check Out These "Backyard" Images...

[Russell Chmela~ <rchmela@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Brian Skiff:-----------------------------------------------------
  But in the material for the image itself at the photographer's site,
it says the iamges were taken at a place near Yosemite (i.e. fairly dark)
and at Fremont Peak State Park, which seems to be the Silicon Valley
equivalent of Vekol Road, medium-dark, specially if there's fog covering
the urban areas.
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 Yes, thats about right. I spent (wasted) three years in that area recently
and those are good descrips for both sites. The Fremont Peak SP site is a
semi dark only if lower areas are fogged, a few nights per year. Also, the
park is a regular spot for campers with camfires, and the unending need to
make road trips back and forth to San Juan Bautista for forgotables and 
lighting up the whole place. I'll also give the imager credit for working
from a difficult location. The other spot which I think is Sutter Buttes or
some other named Buttes near Yosemite is about as dark as Vekol also, and
about a 6-7 hour ride from the bay area. Thats the state of observing there.
Real darkness is available in the Sierras in places like Lassen Volcanoes
SP and especially the BumpassHell campground which is very high up (think
it was 9000'). 
  The bay area has a "virtual" or online club called TAC or The Astronomy
Connection (observers.org) where you can read up on what its like to 
observe from the midst of a sea of humanity.
 
 RC
 
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