Sunday, April 30, 2017
Issue #539: Get Thee to the Dark Site Part I
Spring is here, and with it maybe some clear skies that will encourage
you to get out to your club or personal dark site (we’ve had very little rain here, but almost constant clouds). Yes, I constantly preach the worth of the good, old backyard as a spot for deep sky observing, but
this is spring, and spring cries out
for dark skies.
While some of the bright objects of winter are still on display, if
you’re like me you’re focused on the “new” stuff now, the spring wonders on the rise. And what is spring all about deep-sky-wise? Galaxies. The mind-blowing Realm of the Galaxies that stretches
from northernmost Coma through southernmost Virgo is back.
Alas, no variety of deep sky object is more harmed by the average suburban sky's light pollution than galaxies . Yes, diffuse nebulae can be tough from the
backyard too, but at least a light pollution filter can help some with them.
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a “galaxy filter,” though a few rascals have sold mild LPR filters labeled as such a time of two over the years. The only way to see the
marvels of spring as they should be seen is to get to a dark(er) site.
“Dark site? What
dark site?” How do you find one if you don’t have one? Lots of factors can influence that process. Are you a club member or a lone wolf astronomer? Are you out in
the semi-hinterlands where better skies are a short distance from your domicile, or
are you stuck in an urban megalopolis? I can give you at least one unvarying piece of advice to begin, however: if
you are indeed a lone wolf, join a club.
It’s much easier to secure a dark observing location as a group.
“But I’m not really a joiner, Uncle Rod.” That can be fine
if you’ve got a close friend with a piece of land out in the dark and that
friend is amenable to letting you use it for observing on a regular basis. If
you don’t know anybody like that, though, watcha gonna do?
Forget parks, state and national. Most will insist you buy a
camping permit and stay overnight if you intend to be onsite past dusk. Even if
you are amenable to that (not me; 3 a.m. is my absolute witching hour), few
parks have anything that will serve as an observing field. If there is a
suitable open space—and there won’t always be one—it will likely be festooned
with streetlights. That’s just the way it is—east of the Mississippi anyhow.
As a member of a club, the possibilities increase
exponentially. Even if the club you join doesn’t already have a dark observing
location—and it likely will—there will be enough people, even in a smaller club,
to guarantee a much larger circle possibilities, a larger group of friends and
friends of friends with property out in the dark.
If you get down to “friend of a friend of a friend,” in a
dark site quest, you’re much more likely
to receive permission to use the property if you approach the person as an
organized group rather than an individual (“What kind of a nut are you wanting
to come on my land at night?”). And a doubtful land owner can sometimes be
swayed with the promise of a modest yearly or monthly check from the club.
Let’s say your club doesn’t currently have a dark site, but
sure does want one. What sort of spot do you look for? If you’re bereft of
anything but the backyard, any dark location will seem like heaven, but,
nevertheless, some places are better than others…
Distance
If a site is farther than about 60-miles from the club’s
home base, it won’t get used much. As you may have heard tell, it’s often hard
to get club members out for observing anyway. My invariable experience is that you
can expect maybe 5% of the membership to show up on any given dark of the Moon
weekend.
Place your site farther from home than those 60-miles and a
maximum 1.5 – 2-hr drive and you probably won't even get the five percenters. You’ll find yourself alone most nights, and you’ll
probably stop going frequently yourself after some of the initial fun wears
off. 60-miles, however, can work, and is about the distance you need to get
from medium-sized and larger cities before sky conditions begin to improve
dramatically. See this light pollution map for
guidance on how far you need to drive from your particular town (and which direction
you need to drive in) for good observing.
If you live in a city that’s got a population of less than 250,000
or so, you can fudge on the 60-miles. My own site is about 30-miles to the west
of Mobile, Alabama. Yes, there’s a significant light dome to the east, but that
short drive ensures our site gets used frequently. There’s often no more than 2
– 3 observers on site on a clear night, but there is always at least that many folks on the field on any nice evening.
Specific Location
Yeah, I know you often can’t afford to be too choosy, but if
there are alternatives there are some things it is best to avoid, starting
with bad access roads. Yes, the site is nice and dark, but if getting to it requires traversing a rutted dirt track best suited for 4-wheel drive
vehicles, and which is a swamp for weeks after a rainstorm, pass the place by
if at all possible. Likewise eliminate a site where any part of the drive is
difficult, not just to include the final access road. Paved highways leading to
the site and gas-stations and/or convenience stores along the route are a practical
must.
Before settling on a dark site choice, a few final checks are
mandatory. First of all, get out there with a group from the club (whether your
dark site committee or just an interested group of observers) and give the
place a try. Try to hit the field on an average, not outstanding, night to get
an idea what you should expect most of the time. What to look for? What’s the
zenith limiting magnitude? Can you see all the stars of the little dipper (if
you can, this will likely be a profitable location). Are there any light domes
in addition to the one in the direction of the city? If so, is there still
enough good sky for productive observing?
How about the field itself? Is it cut regularly? Can it be?
This is very important. The site might be OK in the winter, but in the summer
with grass three feet high, what are you going to do? Forget leveling your
tripod; how are you going to avoid stepping on Mr. Snake? If the property’s
owner doesn’t cut it, you’ll either need to induce him to do so with
a financial donation or arrange to get it done yourselves if you are leasing
the site, either formally or informally.
Are there any/many ambient lights? You may be surprised at
how many land owners have multiple security lights. Frankly, due to the growth
of the meth trade, the country ain’t what the country used to be. How many lights
are there? Can you live with them? If not—especially if you are formally
leasing the land—look into providing the offending lights with full cut-off
fixtures (with the permission of the owner, of course).
Finally, how are the bugs? Almost any open field anywhere is
going to have some bugs at sundown spring – fall. But are the skeeters, midges,
no-see-ums, and blackflies worse than normal and can they be dealt with with
Off and/or a Thermacell? Often, really bad
bug problems can be traced to a nearby farm pond. Before seriously considering
a site, check Google Earth to see if there is a stagnant body of water nearby.
Security
We’re conditioned to think “country safe, city scary.” In
recent times, however, thanks to the above-mentioned drug explosion in the
country, there has been a reversal. There are certainly some unsavory goings-on
out in the boondocks these days. How do you pick a safe dark site?
The worst scenario is a piece of land in full view of a
frequently traveled road with ungated access and no homeowner/farmhouse nearby.
Before passing up on a site like this, check to see what the crime scene is
like in the area (if there’s a newspaper covering the county, you can get crime
reports there). Talking to people familiar with the area can be highly
illuminating.
If you have no other choice than a dubious site and think it’s
worth the possible risk, go ahead, but I suggest making it a rule that “nobody
observes alone.” Actually, that’s a good maxim even at a secure site. If your
vehicle decides it doesn’t want to start a two in the morning, you’ll be glad
to have a buddy or two to lend a hand.
Which brings us to the eternal question, “Should you go armed?”
I carried a handgun with me to the dark site a few times a couple of decades ago when I was observing alone, but gave that
up. I found that if I were so worried that I thought I’d need firepower with
me, I’d be too nervous to observe anyway. I just couldn't concentrate on what I was seeing in the eyepiece. After a few minutes I'd begin thinking every snapping twig represented the approach of a psycho killer. When that train of thought began, I learned it was time to just throw in the towel. Far better than a weapon, I found? A couple of fellow observers. Even with just one other person with me, the place went from scary to friendly and familiar.
Always bring a cell phone on observing expeditions. Not necessarily because it will
be handy in case of trouble with bad guys, but in case somebody has car trouble
that can’t be resolved and needs a tow. Or, worse, someone has a medical
emergency. A cell is worth ten times its weight in Walther PPKs.
Maintenance of the
Site
Often, if you are formally leasing a piece of land you’ll
be expected to take care of its upkeep. Not just to include the above-mentioned
grass cutting, but care of the access road. Members’ cars put some deep
ruts in it during the damp spring season? It will be up to y’all to get them
filled in. It’s best to have a standing club “Dark Site Committee” as a vehicle
to get things like this taken care of and paid for.
You’re not leasing a piece of land, just using it thanks to the
kindness of the owner? Don’t wear out your welcome. Even if you’re not
obligated to get those ruts filled in, do it anyway (or get a check to the
owner). As for the site itself, make sure than when the group leaves it is as
much as possible in the same condition as when you arrived. No trash, no
cigarette butts, etc. If the owner’s home is nearby, keep the hee-hawing down
in the middle of the night. Yeah, know that meteor was pretty, but don’t holler
“GOOD ONE!” at the top of your lungs at two a.m.
Visitor Control
Yes, it’s OK to invite a prospective club member to the dark
site, but… Make it clear that that is a one-time
good deal and that regular access to the club dark site requires a paid membership
(and possibly an additional dark site fee to cover site maintenance). If you
don’t, the word will eventually get out, and you’ll have people you don’t know
and don’t know anything about showing up at your observing field.
Finally…
Enjoy observing from a safe, secure, and dark location! How
do you best do that? That’s a story
for next time.
Comments:
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I love my Thermacell. It is one of the few mosquito repellents that work...and work extremely well. I dislike any of the DEET based sprays, DEET is a solvent and will do a number of a lot of plastics, and some of the added oils to the spray will also do a number on equipment. The one critical thing for the Thermacell is that it *requires* time to build up the protection zone, a good 20-30minuets. In my backyard the first thing I do is light the Thermacell and place it by the pier or tripod then begin setting up. Initially I spend a lot of time swatting but by the time the gear is assembled and the laptop fired up it is nearly a bug free zone. I have tried alternatives to Thermacell such as refilling the butane cartridges and using permethrin soaked pads, but I found that the DIY options more of a hassle then they are worth.
# posted by 
: 10:41 AM
: 10:41 AM
Thanks for a nice Sunday afternoon read. As much as I'd love to hit the spring skies, alas, we're going through a very cloudy period up here in NW Pennsylvania.
John O'Hara
John O'Hara
# posted by : 2:25 PM
: 2:25 PM
We have a state park about 45 minutes from portland) that has a location designated as a view field. It's not just for the club, but every one who fills out a form. $5 for the night, but no car camping. We also have a week day use air strip that we can used (about 1.5 hours away from Portland)
Only danger at the state park is Cougars (quite a few have been seen), Nothing much to worry about at the second, but a lot of the trailer/RV have them.
The second site has a sky dom to the east (ok past about 35 degrees, and the second site is actually very good.
I've been a member of the club for a lot of years but only use the online forum to see who will be viewing, worth the $30 a year just for that.
Only danger at the state park is Cougars (quite a few have been seen), Nothing much to worry about at the second, but a lot of the trailer/RV have them.
The second site has a sky dom to the east (ok past about 35 degrees, and the second site is actually very good.
I've been a member of the club for a lot of years but only use the online forum to see who will be viewing, worth the $30 a year just for that.
I have found several old country cemeteries that make good locations. Usually isolated with no nearby lights and off the main roads.
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