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Speaking of heat, you probably realize that setting up in the grass is MUCH better than setting up on hot concrete or asphalt.

Heat radiates, so you want to avoid looking through columns of it that rise into the night sky. As far as trees and buildings, of course you want to position yourself in such a way that you have good line-of-sight to objects lower in the sky.and while you think that buildings might be a good shelter from wind, you need to realize how much looking over roof-tops can affect the quality of your views. If your mount is steady enough, or you aren't bothered by it when looking through an eyepiece, then wind can help equalize the local seeing, not to mention help to temperature acclimatize your optics. If you think that sounds impossible, then you would be correct!īut here's the thing. So you found your location, but what now? When deciding to place your scope either "there" or "right there," you will want to pick an area that is out of the wind, but also away from trees and buildings. Of course, it's difficult to find coast line that doesn't have light pollution, so unless you can sail to a tropical island some place or go to the big island of Hawaii, then you'll certainly be limited to brighter objects. This "laminar flow" provides great atmospheric stability, good for terrifically detailed views of the cosmos. Air moving over the ocean moves in layers parallel to it, without the rising and falling of air associated with rockier terrain. Though if you could go1000 feet higher in the Davis Mountains, the seeing improves dramatically because you would have climbed above the "inversion layer," where warm air tends to settle above the cooler air trapped below it.įor planetary observers and imagers, the very best results are always found along the coast where the prevailing winds hit. As an example, my 3 hour drive to dark skies has better atmospheric seeing than a 10 hour drive to the almost mile-high Texas Star Party. Elevation isn't a key player, unless you can be WAY up there. Once you've picked a direction to head, there are other factors that will come into play. To find out how much, take a gander at my article, "Do Dark Skies Really Matter." But for a quick synopsis, let me just summarize it this way: more than likely if you drive 3 hours away with your 3" scope, you'd get better views than if you had stayed at home with your 20" scope.

While the convenience of being able to view from our backyards is a major player in the decision for getting involved in the hobby in the first place, even a partially light polluted location can really handicap your results. We need photons from the objects we view, and dark skies give us the best access to those photons. Good location is as important in astronomy as it is in the real estate market.įor the serious astronomer, it's ALL about dark skies. Whether you setup in your light polluted backyard or drive three hours to your chosen site, nothing will impact overall image quality more than this choice. Everything else pales in comparison when you are serious about getting the most from your telescope. The first step to "where" has to consider darker skies. My favorite dark sky site, the Comanche Springs Astronomy Campus near Crowell, Texas, is less than 4 hours from my DFW home. Everything that I believe you should factor into an observing site decision is itemized as follows, starting, of course, with the geographical location itself. In this article, we will discuss some of the factors that go through my mind. I'm getting old and the equipment is getting heavier!īut when my ambitions turn to quality views of the sky, then a whole new set of parameters is defined, from packing all my gear, to travelling to the right site, to setting everything up the best way in just the right spot. People are worth it.Īt that point, I just want to keep from carrying stuff too far. Dark skies would be nice, but they aren't required if you hope to make a difference in the lives of people. Even in my DFW skies, there is plenty to see up there. Otherwise, I'll just bring a scope that I can push around. If they have accessible power, then I might show some ambition and bring an imaging setup. ​When I do public observing events, whether in front of my school or for another cause, I've learned that my needs are small.