Re: [APML] OT: Southern California Sites

["Martin C Germano" <mcgermano@earthlink.net>]

<>snip
stayed 2 nights in a row last time to up my chances and got snowed on the
first night and clouded out the 2nd.  Any suggestions on good so. Calif.
sites during the winter months that are likely to have clearer skies?
<>snip

Ah, Steve, the age old question!

Back in the 70's I *wished* I had access to an image 'as good as' the still
photo in the Times weather section. How times have changed. Now I just
monitor all the web has to offer, and make my decision from that info
(nowadays I think we have too much information available!).

BTW, I have found the 'Clear Sky Clocks' from the Canadian Meteorological
Center are very useful: http://www.cmc.ec.gc.ca/cmc/htmls/mainpage.html
The California sites are at:
http://cleardarksky.com/csk/prov/California_clocks.shtml
It is very instructive to look at all the California clocks to see where
they expect 'good' weather.

My Map page has a few of the places I frequent
http://home.earthlink.net/~mcgermano/Map.html from my home in Ventura
county. I generally do not want to drive 200 miles plus for a one nighter
(any 'southern' desert site, for me), so I try for my more northerly sites.

After more than 30 years of LOOKING for 'clear' sites in SoCal (say from
Santa Maria to the north, to the Mexican border to the south, to the
Nevada/Arizona state line to the East), my take is that the 'southern
deserts' are going to be most often useable for astrophotography (airplanes
and site amenities notwithstanding). As always, it depends on how far you
are willing to drive for a night or two in hopes of getting clear skies.

Marty

Martin C Germano
Thousand Oaks CA 91360
email: mcgermano@earthlink.net
Home Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~mcgermano


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