July 2002 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

OT: Springville fire
by Chuck Hards 01 Jul '02

01 Jul '02

Are any UVAA members' homes threatened by the Springville fire? C. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com

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RE: [Utah-astronomy] Permanent Dark-Sky site thoughts
by David Dunn 01 Jul '02

01 Jul '02

I think that I need to have additional activities available. My family enjoys camping and will come with me but they also need something to do during the day. They usually satisfy their curiosity for astronomy in about an hour. I have found that my wife will only allow me a couple of weekends per year where I can go out without the family. At this point in my hobby I am just a tourist. I am learning a lot but I think that I mostly am enjoying looking at all the pretty things that I can see. I do enjoy public star parties and enjoy talking about the science. I guess that I wouldn't be able to spend much time at a real dark site. My best chance will be in about 15 years when the kids are gone. I like the retirement idea. I nice home down in a dark corner of southern Utah would be nice. Dave

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Permanent Dark-Sky site thoughts
by Chuck Hards 01 Jul '02

01 Jul '02

Reading Siegfried Jachmann's letter in the latest on-line NOVA, I was a bit surprised to learn that interest in a permanent dark-sky site is currently insufficient to pursue such a venture. There has been talk of such a facility for as long as I can recall. I'd be interested to hear what the list members think of this. It seems to me that a person interested in a permanent observatory at a dark sky site would probably: 1. See astronomy as their #1 recreational activity, regardless of season. 2. Be involved in a serious, ongoing observational program for research or imaging. 3. Have little interest in daytime activities while at the site. A permanent site has several advantages: 1. Equipment need not be transported to and from the site for each session. 2. Power availability 3. The site will not be occupied by non-astronomers who happened to get there first. Can we conclude, then, that most area amateur astronomers: 1. Have other interests that they like to combine with observing, such as daytime hikes, fishing, etc.? Is astronomy by itself insufficient to justify a camping trip? 2. Are mostly of the "nature-lover", visual tourist, rather than doing any science with their instruments & time? 3. Don't mind taking all of their equipment with them to their favorite dark-sky sites? Anyone else have any observations about this? Care to attempt to draw further conclusions? Personally, I'd love a dark-sky site. My own long-term plans, however, involve a retirement home, with the observatory in my own back yard....could it be that most of us want something similar? Complete control of our own facility? Privacy? Thanks Chuck __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com

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