[sac-forum] Re: Flatiron and vicinity

The light dome should be anywhere but south.  North is the most preferable, 
since even the southernmost circumpolar objects that are interesting reach an 
altitude of 60 degrees if you wait for the right season.  Many people observe 
with their vehicles to the north of the scope for that reason.  Unfortunately, 
traveling south means driving through all of Phoenix.  Ditto for east, and 
we've dismissed going north.

A site further south of Buckeye Hills on 85 is probably not realistic.  If you 
get 5 miles south of the highly illuminated prison, you are now only 10 miles 
north of Gila Bend, whose light dome is not insignificant.

That leaves us with I-10 west of Rte. 85.  Steve probably knows this area as 
well as anybody.  I was looking on Google Earth, and wondered about a spot a 
couple miles south of I-10.  It's near Indian School Rd. about midway between 
431st and 475th Avenue.  Indian School does a small northern jog around the 
northern end of some low hills where a dirt road goes south.  It looks like the 
hills might shield Phoenix and direct lights from Palo Verde, 12 miles to the 
ESE.  

The one problem might be that power substation (I think that's what it is), 
which is extremely bright, and only 5 miles to the west (33 28 32N, 113 06 
48W).  The potential observing site is at 33 29 11N, 113 01 53W.  As for the 
Phoenix dome, it is 55 miles away from it, which is slightly better than Flat 
Iron's 45 miles.

I think you could reach this site from the I-10/I-17 stack in about one hour.  
It is about 50 miles west of there to the exit, and 5 more miles on Indian 
School, followed by less than a mile south on the dirt road.  Just need to 
drive out there to it to check it out!

Tom

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