Darkest site near southern California

Started by oren, 03/07/2009 08:51PM
Posted 03/07/2009 08:51PM | Edited 03/07/2009 09:10PM Opening Post
I am looking for the darkest site possible up to 300 miles from Los Angeles to observe from later on this month. Was thinking about somewhere between Lake Isabella and Owens Lake by the 395 FWY, however any other area or direction is fine as long as it is noticeably darker then Mt. Pinos, and known to have good seeing most of the time. Any advise would be truly appreciated!

Thanks, oren.
Posted 03/07/2009 09:28PM #1
I would suggest that Joshua Tree National Monument would be your best choice. The lack of mountains makes the air a bit better than right next to the Sierras. There are quite a few nice campgrounds there and in the spring during the week it should be fairly empty with more people on the weekends of course.
The area above Lake Isabella is dark, but seeing is not that great. I have been there for a week at a time and never had a good night there. The air is always moving it seems from upper air over the mountains.

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Amateur Imager
Posted 03/08/2009 12:31AM #2
Try Fossil Falls just alongside the 395 between Little Lake and Coso Junction.

Dave
Posted 03/08/2009 01:07AM #3
Hi Oren,
Well, for the darkest Bortle 1 skies, it is probably going to be Hole in the Wall in the Mojave National Preserve. The skies are rated at this link at Bortle 1 as dark as it gets. Nice campground, good roads in from Essex. Water, toilets, picnic tables, trash cans and $12 a night.
http://www.cleardarksky.com/lp/HlWllCpCAlp.html?Mn=telescope
I will be going there myself this April for a week or at least several days. Temps are pretty nice at that time, 60-75f days and 40f nights.
A bit out of the way, but that is what you want for astronomy.
http://www.mojavenp.org/hole_in_wall.htm

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Amateur Imager
Posted 03/08/2009 04:59AM #4
There is a new Yahoo group for SOuthern California Astroimagers....They might have good info for you.

You are always welcome at Goat Mountain Astronomical Research Station. (Dark Sky site for Riverside Astronomical Society. ) We have some local lights, but they can be controlled by proper placement of your scope to avoid them. And our skies are not as dark as we would like, but better than either J Tree's main campgrounds or Cottonwood at the other end of J Tree. More details at the GMARS links on rivastro.org.

Alex
Posted 03/09/2009 03:57AM #5
I lived in and near Canebrake for 3 or 4 years. It is dark and clear, but the seeing is almost always bad, and the wind can howl for days (and nights) at a time. Also the southern horizon is constricted because of the encircling mountains. You might want to consider the White Mountains. They have some high-altitude campsites that are supposed to be nice, though cold and snowy now, I suppose.

Joe Bergeron

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