[Friends_of_SSASTROS] Your Help is Needed to Give This Thread Life

[Mike McCabe]

Greetings Members and Friends of the SSAStros,
This particular email has a purpose, and that purpose is to help build a database of sorts of favorable local locations that offer low western horizon sky viewing opportunities.
In case you haven't noticed, there are frequently events in the sky that to be seen by us need to be viewed very close to a low horizon. Most of us don't have access to very low horizons from the places that we live, so we often get in our cars and travel to locations that will meet our needs. While I can easily tell you where to go in my area, if I happen to be outside of the area I'm probably at a loss, at least in an immediate sense as to where to go. If we all give up our "secret spots", we might help each other catch more of the spectacular things that go on the sky all the time.
At this point you might be questioning my sanity for only focusing on the views to the west, and while questioning my sanity is fair I would add that for most of us if we really need a low eastern horizon we can just head for the shoreline. It's usually not that simple for western views. I mean we do have the Rocky Mountains out there and everything, so how do we look low to the west? That's what I want to answer in this thread.

Here's a prime example of what I'm talking about. This coming Saturday, the 16th, if that foolish Edward will take his leave we may get the opportunity to view a slender 3% waxing crescent Moon pairing up with the planet Mars and the apparition that never stops giving. But only if you can see WAY down low, like down to less than 3° or lower. I cannot do that from my yard, and probably neither can you.

One of my favorite low western horizon haunts is Lake Nippenicket in Bridgewater. It's insanely picturesque, offers views down to about 1°, is a favorite of local sunset seekers nearly every day of the year, and is easy to get to. I'm here many times a year for various things that happen in the sky.

"The Nip", as the locals call it, is conveniently located immediately off of Rte. 24 south, just a couple of hundred yards from the highway off ramp. Easy for you maybe, but I live as far away across town as one can get and still be in the town. It takes me 20 minutes + to get there, but it's usually worth the drive.

Much closer to me but a bit more bland as scenery goes are the Pine St. Bogs in Halifax. Super convenient at just 5 minutes from my house, this location offers an even lower horizon than the Nip when the skies are clear. It doesn't have nearly the parking capacity of the Nip, but nor does it attract as many visitors. Just mainly fisherman who are fond of the irrigation pond but couldn't care less about the horizons.

You can find Pine St. in Halifax off of either Rte. 106 or Rte. 105, but at the moment they're replacing a bridge on the street so only 106 works for accessing the bog road.
There, see how this works? I just shared with you two very good sites for seeing things that might be happening very low in the western sky. Now it's your turn to help out fellow club members and share with everyone your sites for doing the same. I know you have 'em, and if you don't give them up voluntarily we have our ways. Don't make us use them!  
Keep Looking Low!
Sincerely,
Mike McCabe
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