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Re: (meteorobs) Light Pollution
Joe Rao wrote:
>As one who has been watching the skies since the mid 1960s, I can say
>unequivocally that there are no dark skies available anywhere in the
>eastern United States.
> [...]
>when the Milky Way came up... you could cast shadows from its light!
>THAT'S a dark sky!
Joe has made clear what some of us younger members already believe: that skies
in the Industrialized world (and increasingly the Third World) are a part of our
natural heritage which is disappearing literally before our eyes... Thanks for
sharing these memories with us, Joe!
One caveat, though - and I know long-time readers of 'meteorobs' will probably
groan to see this brought up YET AGAIN, but... There is at least ONE tiny spot
on the US East Coast, where the skies do regularly get *THAT* dark, where in
fact I *have* seen shadows cast by the Milky Way, and even Zodiacal Light! I'm
talking about my favorite observing spot, in the Middle Florida Keys...
I've done meteor sessions from Long Key State Park (Mile Marker 67) in recent
years, and regularly log LMs of 7.5 *OR BETTER* there. Like Joe though, I've
never found such a dark site anywhere in the North*EAST* - which is naturally
what Northeasterners usually mean when they say "East Coast". <grin!>
Note Long Key is *considerably* darker now than a certain other Key many Star
Partiers are familiar with - West Summerland Key (Mile Marker 30 or so). That is
the site of the annual Winter Star Party, and was ONCE (in the 1970s) very dark
in its own right. However, being sandwiched between Key West and Islamorada, and
being so close to the ever-growing Big Pine Key, has sadly taken a toll on West
Summerland, Bahia Honda, and other nearby Keys. I can only hope that the same
fate doesn't befall Long Key itself before too long - but it may...
One last disclaimer: I've never yet been to West Texas, to see the deadly dark
skies where some have supposedly measured LMs in the 8.5-8.9 range. When I do
someday get there though, I sincerely hope to find it is truly THAT MUCH darker
than my beloved Long Key site. We'll see!
Clear DARK skies all,
Lew Gramer, long-lost Floridian
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