[Chaos-l] Observing tonight

[Jon Stewart-Taylor]

We was here:

http://www.jshine.net/astronomy/dark_sky/index.php?lat=36.19409654347756&lng=-78.78666043281555&zoom=17&pollution=true&selected_id=1154

if you click on that link, you'll just see a yellow haze, because  
there are no "official" roads in that area: switch to hybrid or  
satellite view to see details.

The 4 of us entertained about 40-50 kids plus a half dozen or so  
adults.  Given the moon, we didn't try for fuzzy stuff much.  I  
believe Robert was pretty much stuck on Jupiter all night, Michael did  
the moon and Mizar/Alcor, Jayme did M57 and M13, while i did Alberio  
and M11.

The site itself has potential.  It's a huge clearing, with two  
helipads big enough to hold 6-8 scopes each.  All the horizons are low  
(but not negative!).  Although the dark-sky algorithm used at the web  
site above has it firmly in the yellow band, it may be in the green.   
Even with a just-past-full moon, the LM at zenith was at least 4.5,  
maybe a little better. The only visible light dome was about 10-15  
degrees off the south horizon.  It definitely interfered with M6/7 in  
Scorpius, but M11 was not affected at all.

Jayme was making ambitious noises about using it as a dark-sky site,  
or perhaps even holding a star party there.  We'd have to coordinate  
closely with the National Guard people in charge of the site, but  
there's certainly plenty of room, and potentially facilities such as  
kitchens, showers, camping, and so on available.  I dunno if the skies  
are dark enough to really qualify as a dark site, though.  Hopefully  
we'll be able to visit again on a moonless night and get a true LM.

J.
-- 
Jon Stewart-Taylor:  joncst at earthlink.net
Chapel Hill Astronomy: http://www.rtpnet.org/chaos