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

[Matt Schricker]

Duxbury beach facing away from the ocean over the marshes is incredible for
a sunset. I imagine it would be great for this as well now that I think
about it.

On Wed, Sep 13, 2023 at 1:21 PM Vernon Fritch <vernonfritch at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Two sites in Hull come to mind as far as a low western horizon.  Pemberton
> Point at the extreme western point of the peninsula has a low horizon from
> due west northward to about NNW, including the Boston skyline, so you can
> see behind which building(s) the Sun, Moon and planets set between the
> spring and fall equinoxes.  Another advantage is a large gravel parking
> area and spaces along the fence surrounding the sports field.  Drawbacks
> include stadium lights around the field that are usually on (but don't
> hamper west viewing too much), and a large island hill about 7 degrees high
> south of west.
>
>       The second site in Hull is nearly under the WBZ Radio transmission
> towers at the levee if you take Revere Street westward off Nantasket Ave
> (the main road running the length of Hull) and look for the stacks of red
> aircraft warning lights on the towers.  At the shoreline you will see a
> seawall too tall to look over from in a car.  Facing the wall is enough
> space for several cars lit by a single street light.  Looking south toward
> the WBZ towers, is a short path to the levee (a short vehicle-free road.
> Advantages here are a lower west horizon nearly south to north, farther
> from Boston, and darker skies.  Drawbacks are less parking space and
> mosquitos (long sleeves, pants and bug spray).  I have had good success
> spotting setting planets and the Moon here.
>
>      I hope these suggestions are helpful.
>
> Vernon.
>
> On Wed, Sep 13, 2023 at 11:53 AM Mike McCabe <cartech2000 at yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
>> 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.
>>
>> [image: Inline image]
>> *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.*
>>
>>
>> *[image: Inline image]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.*
>>
>>
>> *[image: Inline image]"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.*
>>
>>
>> *[image: Inline image]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.*
>>
>>
>> *[image: Inline image]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!  [image: Emoji]
>>
>> Keep Looking Low!
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Mike McCabe
>>
>
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