I found a place near there maybe (I don't think so because it was a developed overlook) that is the place you found. The discouraging thing I found there was everything was riddled with bullet holes.
Well, last night Mat and I went to a new location out in Rush Valley. It
is located out on the Pony Express Road as you begin to drive up to Lookout Pass. There is a pull out right in front of the Juniper/Cedar trees up there and I can tell last winter someone had fun with a 4x4 because there are some serious ruts. There is a nice place to set up out there, and a grove of the trees act to block any ambient light from Vernon which is much, much less then the Weapons Depot. You can see the light dome from SLC suburbia/urban area but the Utah Co. light dome is really suppressed by the distance. The mountains to the west and north-west block any dome from Dugway and the foothills block the Weapons Depot lights. After getting set up the twilight came on and so did some high cirrus clouds. We would fight the clouds off and on all night.
Transparency was really bad at times and I was going after galaxies and even the big ones looked horrible. I did get a wonderful view of Veil, of a couple of planetary nebula and just an outstanding view of M15. By 11:00p.m. we packed it up and drove home. I had a digital thermometer with me and when we left at 10:47p.m. to be exact the temperature at this location was 41.6 degrees and the humidity was non-existence. We stopped at the Pit n Pole road and the temperature showed 36.0 degrees F and the humidity was much, much higher. Again, the only negative here was the road in as it has become very rutted. My SUV did fine, but I think a low level car would struggle. Great site though and one I'll use again. Oh, we also had until around 9:00p.m. or 9:30p.m. a steady stream of cars coming up the Pony Express Road and their lights were bothersome. I think that was because people were leaving for Simpson Springs to go camping though with UEA weekend. This is also a place like Pit n Pole that other people have and will use so you can run into people here. Next up, a drive on Sunday I hope out to Vernon Reservoir. It might have to wait for a week though.
Tonight is up in the air. Skippy Astronomy Forecast at http://www.skippysky.com.au/NorthAmerica/ is showing high level clouds coming back in tonight which is impacting transparency and seeing. Saturday and Sunday nights look to be the best so I am putting off going back out tonight and going out on Saturday and Sunday. Location is undetermined and will depend on where I can get the most people to respond who want to go out observing. I'm up for Lakeside or up for Pit n Pole or in that general area. If you would like to join up and go out and get some personal observing in please let me know by responding and listing which area you would prefer or are heading to.
By the way, NOAA released its Dec., Jan and Feb. forecasts and it calls for snow, clouds and about average temperatures for this period. La Nina is back, perhaps weaker so that means more clouds again this winter I fear. I would take advantage of any clear skies you get if you want to get some personal observing in over the next week or so.
Thanks!
Jay
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