Night in America

[JVJ (RIP)]

An amazing portrait of the U.S.

http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-VO761_1205ea_J_20121205144459.jpg

Are we right-centric, or what?

Peace, Jim (|:{>

[Yoc]

Pretty picture Jim.

[Cynicalman]

Are we right-centric, or what?

Nah.

We're left-phobic 

[John C]

There's obviously something at the center of that circle that doesn't want to be disturbed...

It does show that, as much as we pretend that the world is "flat" and people can live wherever they like, at the end of the day, it's still really hard to have a significant population without the capacity for a major seaport.

[narfstar]

Rivers make the difference also

[John C]

At the risk of sounding like a complete moron, that's what I meant, but couldn't think of a specific word that encompasses ports on sea- and riverfronts.  Port?

But yeah, what came to my mind looking at the picture was that there was no access to the ocean in the dark zone.  Or more practically, there's a big monster sitting under Cheyenne Mountain.

[Yoc]

Charlotte's Web anyone?

[BountyHunter]

Neat!   

[chaard]

Yes, good image! I won't draw the obvious political conclusions, not here. Wouldn't be prudent. #8-) But notice that bright patch in North Dakota. That's extensive lighting of the oilfields there. The shot reminds me of a screensaver I used long ago that combined satellite imagery to produce realtime images of Earth, any location, any angle. Maybe I should grab a new version.

[paw broon]

Here's the beautiful North American Nebula.  Unfortunately for astronomers, that beautiful pic of USA by night is an example of serious light pollution.
I would draw your attention to this:-
http://www.space.com/10723-british-island-dark-skies-skywatching.html
But I think N.American deserts are very good dark sites.  Where I live, there is the Grangemouth Refinery complex just north of us, beautiful industrial architecture but absolutely useless if you want to view the night sky.

[chaard]

Light pollution is unavoidable around most 'civilized' places. I know of a very few accessible good dark locales out West. One is near the Mt Davis observatory in west Texas, a couple hundred miles SE of El Paso -- but I haven't been there. I also haven't been to the Zona del Silencio around the juncture of the Chihuahua-Durango-Coahuila borders, a couple hundred miles SE of Chuhuahua city. This Zone of Silence is also dark to radio-TV signals. Leave your cellphone off.

I *have* been to lovely Portal, Arizona, a bit over 100 miles east of Tucson, just beyond Chiricahua NatMon. Many homes there (rentals too) include small observatories. I hear that the Ft Davis area is similar. And if you don't mind driving 30 miles of bad road (each way!) haul your telescope to Chaco Canyon NatPark in northwest New Mexico, about 100 miles NW of Albuquerque. Be there at New Moon time for telescope parties! (Not recommended in mid-winter.)

Without traveling, I guess the best option for urban stargazing is during a major power outage. Right. #8-)