I’m sure most of you have heard me complaining about the lack of
dark skies in and around the cities south of San Jose. It is so
difficult for anyone who is interested in taking ones telescope,
binoculars or just being able to get out in the back yard, to enjoy
the night skies with your unaided eyes without the view being
obliterated by the encroaching lights of the city.
I’m sure most of you have heard me complaining about the lack of dark skies in and around the cities south of San Jose. It is so difficult for anyone who is interested in taking ones telescope, binoculars or just being able to get out in the back yard, to enjoy the night skies with your unaided eyes without the view being obliterated by the encroaching lights of the city.
Well just two hours southeast of Tucson, Ariz., a couple of amateur astronomers took care of that problem. They developed 450 acres beside the Chiricahua Mountains into a community of parcels with rules that are accommodating to astronomers. Called the Arizona Sky village, there the clean crisp skies are some of the best in the country.
They graded access roads, with names like Skyview Drive, South Milky Way and Starlight Trail that link a low-density community of astronomy enthusiasts, each with their own four acre plot. The number of homes have sprung up among the community, most with one or two observatories equipped with powerful telescopes, while some other newcomers to the project are still marking out land and building.
For an astronomer, this must be heaven, surrounded by like-minded people with skies to die for. This community is located in a remote area far from flaring city lights that spoil the views of the night sky. Naturally, all the residents abide by rules forbidding bright lights anytime from dusk till dawn to preserve optimum viewing.
With its stable weather conditions, bone-dry air and isolated location, the Arizona Sky Village offers a near perfect setting for astronomers, allowing them to see even faint objects like the clouds of gas that make up nebulae and the spiral arms of far off galaxies, all in transparent detail.
The buyers include some astronomers from around the world, such as Britain, South Korea and Russia, as well as the farthest corners of the United States. Some of these observatories are equipped with computerized remote viewing setups that can be operated from anywhere in the world, just turn on your computer and there you are, wherever you are.
The development has proved to be very popular, but despite strong demand, the two are cautious about further development in the remote area, being very sensitive to over population.
Well, I guess I have to wake up from my astronomical dream now. I seriously doubt that I could convince my wife, JoAnne, to uproot and move down to this beautiful astronomer’s paradise with me. The only way she would make the move is to bring all the grandchildren with us. As much as I adore them all, I can’t see that happening to soon. Maybe my second Mother, Teresa, would go with me? How about it Teresa?
Now maybe, just maybe, a group of same-minded people could purchase a few acres down in south San Benito County, where the skies are still beautiful, and accomplish the same set-up? Now that would be a dream, or would it? It’s nice to dream.
The Pinnacles National Monument is gearing up to have their first ever annual star party soon, where hopefully hundreds of scopes will be set up to enjoy the pristine skies of the South San Benito County. You don’t have to have a scope to join them. I have never seen an astronomer that has a telescope set up that wasn’t more than excited to let a walker by take advantage of the look into his/her telescope.
One could take their family down to the Pinnacles and setup their scope for the night, and then during the day take advantage of the many adventures the Pinnacles has to offer.
I will keep you advised of dates and time when the star party will be held.
We have had some very nice skies of late; I hope you have had the chance to make good use of them. Clear skies.
