This makes my point. I agree, Hales and Shade did the right thing in order
to avoid having their fun ruined. They were smart to go off to the boons
away from everyone else. When we get together at a gathering like Dino,
sure, we'll get people how leave at midnight and there'll be some white
light. As long as they learn to be cautious about it, I can tolerate the
occasional novice mistake. When we go to Lassen, or LSA, people should
know to warn they are leaving, and announce their backup lights, or
headlights are coming on in X minutes so those who are looking for DSOs can
prepare to close their eyes and maintain dark adaptation, or the
images/astrophotographers can prepare. If someone makes a mistake, for
heaven sake, don't crucify them! Its a mistake, not a murder. The
important thing is simply to nicely ask someone who is preparing to leave
to let you and others know when they are going to do so, so we are ready.
If you really can't have occasional inadvertent white light, then don't
come out with a group.
At 03:38 PM 2/28/2002 -0800, you wrote:
>This is a type of person who needs to be alone while observing.
>
>peter
>
>"Mike J. Shade" wrote:
>>This is exactly why Hales and I used to make such a big deal out of the
>>sacred Mendocino spot...we didn't want to invite morons up who would turn
>>on lights, scream at the
>>kids at 7 in the morning, or drive home at 11:30. I would suggest
>>Richard that you take some time to find a nice dark spot for your own use
>>and don't tell anyone about it. I might be able to find the directions
>>for the "sacred spot" and could send them to you. It was dark up there,
>>with very good seeing and being in national forest you could leave
>>equipment setup for quite some time. And I could shoot photos all night
>>long without having to worry about some selfish puke screwing it up for me.
>>
>>If I were still in CA and spent the time and effort to make a trek to a
>>dark sky location only to have some inconsiderate idiot ruin my 90 minute
>>astrophoto, I would be more than a little
>>pissed about it. At the "big" star parties they have very strict rules
>>(that are enforced) about lights. Why should one idiot be allowed to
>>ruin it for everyone else? People spend a considerable amount of time,
>>effort, and money to get out of the city lights...people should not be
>>allowed to ruin it for them.
>>
>>Mike J. Shade: mshade@No-Spam
>>Sonoita Hills Observatory, Sonoita Arizona
>>
>>See work done at the observatory: http://c3po.cochise.cc.az.us/astro
>>under the "photographs and images" panel on the left of the screen.
>>
>>"I like the dark, it's cheap." E. B. Scrooge www.darksky.org "I'm a
>>member, are you?"
>>