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

[Matt Schricker]

Sorry I meant to include this subset shot I took on the night of the full
moon as a way of demonstrating the west facing view from Duxbury beach.





On Wed, Sep 13, 2023 at 10:09 PM Matt Schricker <thatmattschricker at gmail.com>
wrote:

> 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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