[AZ-Observing] Re: Weather in AZ
- From: stanlep@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:17:14 -0700 (MST)
I too have been in Arizona a long time like Keith, since around 1958 or
1959. Yes, the skies are not what they used to be. Keith, with respect to
the forest controlled burns, pollution, etc., that is affecting your
seeing in Alpine, I am surprised that it is doing so - at Alpine. When I
return from my NM lot it is extremely clear all the way into the Arizona
border to Springerville. I can detect some increase in haziness once I get
close to the border or just cross it. I return by way of Show Lo, Payson,
up the Rim and down into Campe Verde. When I make the decline from the
rim into Camp Verde is where the pollution is really evident. It is really
thick and bad, every time I have made the trip. Some say it is because of
forest burns, but if it is then it is something that seems to be a
permanent feature of our seeing now. I am certain, though, that a lot of
it is also just plain old pollution from non-forest fire sources.
Since this change in atmospheric conditions portends to be a permanent
thing, it might be time to take on another hobby in addition to observing
when the skies aren't good. Might I suggest the study of Lepidoptera.
Seeing conditions make no difference to them and the rain we have been
having will make things even better. Steve C., might I suggest you join my
discussion group, DesertLeps, at
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/DesertLeps/
(-:
Stan
> Hi Steve- I have been in Arizona from 56-58 at Luke AFB. I moved back
> here
> in 1960 and yes there has been quite a weather change. We always had the
> moonsoons, but it was very rare to have any other measurable rain except
> late December and January. In any year you could count on one hand the
> days
> of total overcast sky. Now we seem to get a lot of stratiform clouds that
> last for days. Back then when it did rain you could usually see some blue
> sky someplace on the horizon. When the TV weather said a front was moving
> thru, if you went outside and looked you might see a thin layer of cirrus
> approaching. If there was cirrus, you could observe planets right thru
> it.
> In fact sometimes I think some of the best seeing occurred thru high
> cirrus.
> It was extremely unusual to have a rain storm in the other months.
> Nowdays,
> we have June rainstorms in the mountains. The sky was very clear and at
> Alpine you could extend your arm and cover the sun with the tip of your
> little finger and see blue sky right up the the diffraction around your
> finger. It is extremely unusual to have this happen now days. I think
> the
> volcanic eruptions, emissions, forest service controlled burns, jet
> contrails, etc all have changed this. When Evered and I used to do deep
> sky
> photography from Alpine we could go quite deep with 103aE. After some of
> those volcanic eruptions we figured that we lost about 1.5 mags on our
> photos. Some of those sunrises were really intense with a dense area of
> red
> about 3 degrees or so above the east horizon in an otherwise clear sky.
> Yes
> from my standpoint it has really changed.
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