[AZ-Observing] Re: Because I have nothing better to do at 3 in the morning

Downtown Phoenix is also ~2.0

There is a tangled mess of lighting laws on the books--there are county,
municipal, state, Federal, ADOT, etc.--with prisons especially exempt from
any kind of adherence.   Supposedly the strictess law should prevail
depending on your location but unfortunately there is no penalty for
breaking these laws enabling them to be easily ignored.

I think another attempt at an IDA chapter or other anti-light pollution
regular meeting in Greater Phoenix is our best and probably only realistic
possibility at coming to a solution.  We need a pragmatic approach--research
current laws, maybe looking into initiative and referendum.  We need to
write many letters to our government and involve them with our concerns.  We
need people who are keen on the effects of light pollution to actually come
to meetings and forums instead of only whining of the loss of dark on the
emails.  We could also really utilize the help of a lawyer.

I hope when the invitation comes around to attend a new local IDA
meeting--that we get at least as many attendees as the starparties we drive
a 100 miles to.

Dark Skies,
Jennifer Keller
  


-----Original Message-----
From: AJ Crayon [mailto:acrayon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Monday, September 22, 2003 6:41 PM
To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [AZ-Observing] Re: Because I have nothing better to do at 3 in
the morning


Matt, I haven't done a survey but do have some observations from my backyard
in northwest Phoenix.  From a long time ago it was possible to see the Milky
Way in Cygnus if you sat down for several minutes to avoid the street light
two blocks away and get better dark adapted.  I haven't tried the dark
adaption technique lately but the sky does seem brighter.

A long time ago the only stars visible in the Little Dipper were Polaris and
Kochab and is still true today.  That put's the limit for this area of sky
at
about 2.0 - and this is the darkest part of the sky.

All of these observations were done between evening twilight and midnight.

As far as doing a survey for Phoenix . . . the results can vary from hardly
nothing to considerable depending on locations.

Clear skies,
aj

Matt Luttinen wrote:

> Hello everybody,
>
>
> Night adaptation is impossible at my place, so it didn't figure in my
> observation. I just stepped out to take a peak.=20
>
> I always thought that Phoenix skies were mag 3 at best. Has anyone =
> actually
> done a survey on the limiting mag here in town? Is anyone crazy enough =
> to do
> this? Does anyone care? My experience tonight, and thinking how the =
> light
> dome at Flatiron seems to recede as it gets late, leads me to believe =
> that
> Phoenix skies can get better late at night. It's just another reason to =
> stay
> up late, I guess. What say you all?
>
> Enquiring minds want to know . . .
>
> Matt

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