[Tfug] OT: Stargazers of Tucson.

[Andrew Ayre]

Go to:

http://www.cleardarksky.com/lp/TucsonAZlp.html?Mn=telescope

Click on the tiny link for the Google Earth image overlay.
Open in Google Earth.

You can now see which roads to travel down to minimize light pollution. 
The chart at the bottom of the page indicates how much you should be 
able to see at those locations.

Probably easiest if you get the lat/lon from Google Earth and put them 
into a GPS unit.

Andy

johngalt1 wrote:
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jim March" <1.jim.march>
> To: "Tucson Free Unix Group" <tfug at tfug.org>
> Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2008 12:25 AM
> Subject: Re: [Tfug] OT: Stargazers of Tucson.
> 
> 
>> On Fri, Aug 8, 2008 at 11:26 PM, Vincent Prime
>> <nohbudy> wrote:
>>> Hey,
>>> Where would be a good place to see the sky, with minimal
>>> dirt roads?
>>> I'm thinking redrock, but they have pretty bad dust
>>> problems. Any
>>> favorites around here? I know a few of you have to be
>>> interested in
>>> the stars.
>>> Going to go see the Meteor shower.
>>> http://www.sacbee.com/197/story/1138754.html
>> sudo apt-get install stellarium
> 
> Stellarium. Good tip. Thanks.
> 
> I don't know about Red Rock. Penile County screwed it up by
> authorizing a fuel wasting, sprawl community of crackerbox
> homes there, IMO. Also, there are lights west of the I10
> exit that are in the directon of the road to Sasco.
> 
> If you go there and it doesn't work out, you might go NW
> across I10 find a road called Park Link Drive. It will take
> you NE. It is miles and miles of dirt road, but my goal
> would be to get to AZ79 that goes between Oracle Junction
> and Florence. You might even go there first.
> 
> I have traveled AZ79 late at night and it is really dark,
> moon permitting. There a few public roads that you might
> pull off the main road to park along. Also there are places
> on 79 to pull off and park with a picnic bench or two, if
> you don't mind about the occasional car driving by.
> 
> While traveling that road, there have been bonuses of
> seasonal critter sightings. One day, it was snakes crossing
> the road. Other sightings include millipedes, tarantulas and
> coyotes.
> 
> Depending on your faith in humanity, you might consider the
> relative safety of being in the middle of nowhere at 03:00.
> YMMV


-- 
Andy
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