ok. We'll have a scope set up too. Either a 6" refractor or a 14" Celestron.
We'll write up some directions this weekend. I gotta tell you, though, that getting there after dark is going to be challenging. The street signs are 4 x 4 poles in the ground with the street names written vertically down the length of the pole. There are no street lights. That's why we bought the property. It's dark. I don't think anyone will even see the poles in the dark, let alone being able to read the names.
The address is 17751 Gotthard Drive.
What's the earliest you'd be available to meet on Friday? Looks like we're going to get into town earlier than we thought.
--- On Wed, 9/3/08, Brandon Wood <bwood44@...> wrote:
From: Brandon Wood <bwood44@...> Subject: Re: [GTAstronomyClub] Star Party Anyone?? To: GTAstronomyClub@yahoogroups.com Date: Wednesday, September 3, 2008, 9:45 PM
8 miles from town--sounds very doable.
Lets plan for Sep 20th. 7pm (sunset is 6:54) at your lot in Alpine Forest. I'll take care of some balloons/signs, but we'll need fairly detailed directions as some will likely arrive after dark. Please send the address and I'll come up with some directions. I will plan to meet you on Friday evening as you drive up. On Saturday night, I'll plan to drive my RV up there and will bring my 8" and a few sets of binoculars. Hopefully we can convince a few others to bring their scopes (big or small) up as well!! Lauren will likely advertise the event in her physics classes so there's a good chance that a few students and parents will attend as well.
There are some steep hills on the road up. Only the last mile or so is unpaved, but that's the steepest part.
It's about 8 miles out of town.
We'd probably be getting into town on Friday about 6 p.m. Perhaps we could meet you in town somewhere and take you up. Then on the way back down, maybe you could post some signs??? Once we climb that hill in a Class A 30' motorhome, we don't like to go back down and come up again.
We could stay in contact by cell phones. They work there.
It sounds like your lot would be an interesting place to host a star party. If you don't mind driving up for that weekend, I think it'd be excellent to try out! We'll need to get the word out soon to maximize participation. The hardest part might be getting people to the right location. It may required balloons on signposts and the like. The 20th seems like a good date to aim for. The moon won't be a concern.
How far is it from town? Are the roads a concern--steep or bumpy?
There's a hill between our lot and the penitentiary which blocks the direct light. We still get a little sky glow, however.
With your motorhome and ours, we probably have room for 6 cars, still leaving room to set up telescopes.
Turns out we might be committed elsewhere for the next moon weekend, Sept. 26 and 27, but will be available the weekend before, Sept. 19 and 20, around last quarter moon. Still dark skies until well after midnight.
Sounds like you had a good week in Tonopah and Grandview! I'm very much looking forward to getting to Grandview next summer. Did you drive your 30' RV up there? I have 30' Class C RV that I would like to use.
You said you regularly spend time on your Alpine Forest lot. How are the lights from the penitentiary? We've been searching for an easily accessible, yet dark, site to host local star parties. I'm intrigued by the possibility of doing a star party up there. How many people (parked cars) could the area accommodate? How far is it from town? We're planning to do something in September but are unsure of where. (I was going to scout out Bright Lake tomorrow after work.) Maybe we could do something September 27th up that way? I could also drive my RV up there to provide a little extra hospitality.
I received your Trifid image; it looks
wonderful! Your Veil shot didn't make it through. If you'd like, you could send it to me (bwood44 at gmail dot com) and I could post it on the GTAC site.
Hello GT Astronomy Club Members. Tom Cohen here. We sent a message to you folks a couple of months ago, but never heard back from anyone. Anyway, now that I see some activity I thought I'd try to contact you again.
My wife and I have a lot in Alpine Forest and usually spend the weekend there once a month or so, as long as we can get up the road before the snow starts in winter and after things dry out some in the spring.
We just got back from 10 days of astronomy in Tonopah, Nevada and Grandview Campground in the White Mountains, elevation about 8,600 feet. Wow, talk about DARK!!! Grandview is really nice. The north side of the campground loop road has lots of places to pull in and set up with wide open views of the sky. Behind the open areas are places in the trees to set up tents and here and there are some picnic tables. No water and pit toilets only. And you have to haul your own trash out.
It was in the mid to high 80s during the day and high 40s overnight. We learned from others who go there a lot that the weather is chancey during the summer through about the middle to end of August--thunderstor ms and cloudy skies are common. Indeed, we had one night of clouds until about midnight, when it cleared up, and one day of cloudy skies and a bit of rain. After the rain, however, the skies were clear and seeing was better than the previous 4 nights!!
I'm attaching some astrophotos which I took at Grandview--the Trifid Nebula (M-20) and part of the Veil Nebula. For the Veil, you'll need to move your computer screen back and forth until you seen the best view. It's very subtle.
We do most of our observing on new moon weekends at Mt. Pinos, but would love to participate in one of your star parties. Perhaps if we can get organized enough, we would offer to invite you to our lot in Alpine Forest for a night of observing. Bear in mind, however, we just have the lot--no house, no bathroom, no water. We go in our 30' RV and I could offer use of the bathroom but only to a limited number of people. The holding tank is only so big!!
We could write up some directions on how to get there, but people would have to arrive before dark or they'd never find us.
Anyway, let us know how that sounds. Our schedule is pretty clear except for October new moon weekend (10/31 and 11/1) when we'll be at Nightfall in Borrego Springs, an astronomy conference put on by the Riverside Astronomical Society and the Riverside Telescope Makers Group.
Hello GT Astronomy Club Members. Tom Cohen here. We sent a message to you folks a couple of months ago, but never heard back from anyone. Anyway, now...
Tom & Edie, Sounds like you had a good week in Tonopah and Grandview! I'm very much looking forward to getting to Grandview next summer. Did you drive your...
There's a hill between our lot and the penitentiary which blocks the direct light. We still get a little sky glow, however.  With your motorhome and ours,...
It sounds like your lot would be an interesting place to host a star party. If you don't mind driving up for that weekend, I think it'd be excellent to try...
There are some steep hills on the road up. Only the last mile or so is unpaved, but that's the steepest part.  It's about 8 miles out of town.   ...
8 miles from town--sounds very doable. Lets plan for Sep 20th. 7pm (sunset is 6:54) at your lot in Alpine Forest. I'll take care of some balloons/signs, but...
ok. We'll have a scope set up too. Either a 6" refractor or a 14" Celestron.  We'll write up some directions this weekend. I gotta tell you, though,...
Here are the directions to our lot in Alpine Forest. Unfortunately, I can't give distances between the turns. I'd be guessing at best.  If you'd like I...
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