Best Viewing location

[Jeffkop]

Hello

Hope this is the right place to post this.
IM just about to turn the first sod for my observatory and want to throw this out there one more time just to make sure.
In everyones opinions which is/are the most important directions to have the most clear sky.

My views are thus

E - Full view)
W - to about 45 degrees from horizon)
S - full
N - to about 30 degrees from horizon)
SE -full
SW - to about 50 degrees from horizon (trees)
NW - to about 35 degrees from horizon
NE - to about 20 degrees

I can trade a little South for a bit more South West to West
Whats the best option do you think

Thanks for looking

[tilbrook@rbe.ne]

Hi, Jeff

Depends what sort of observing you want to do?

I'd sneek a little more south west and west, might give you an opportunity to observe newly discovered comets since it's a prime part of the sky for that.
Of course this may not worry you.
The other thing, is there in young trees that are likely to grow madly and spoil your view?

Cheers,

Justin.

[Jeffkop]

Hi Justin

I am a keen imager.

The only direction I can really change the most is from about SSW to WSW where trees limit the view to about 50 deg. These trees are well established.

My land slopes from east up hill to the west.
I can shift my location down hill and bring the tops of these trees down maybe 15 deg but that will compromise my views to the NE (big 100 year old fig)
OR I can move North a little and lose some of my view to the south.
This has the effect of bringing those trees in the SW across into my veiw south but reducing their height in the SW.

Most other directions are reasonably free or objects that may be in sight are a long way away so position changes have minimal effect.

Thanks for your input

[ZeroID]

North to South Polar are your critical directions. If you have best views that way then everything else will eventually pass overhead. You just have to be patient and wait for the time of year that it does.
I'm in a similar position, I could improve some aspects but would lose SCP view where lots of nice things revolve about.

[mswhin63]

I can agree whole heartedly, I have 30 deg view South and 30 degree North. I want to move but can't convince my wife :(

[Jeffkop]

Thanks Brent & Malcolm

Would be out there digging the hole for the mount footing right now ... EXCEPT its bloody raining again ... dont know why Im SO excited about an observatory.

I have decided to go with reducing my view of the SCP (South really) a little to gain more sky in the SSW - WSW area. I also gain a little more sky in the West. I do have a great view of the SCP still just not as much now.

This change means I have to fell 4 trees instead of 3 ... Big job cleaning up felled trees but I wont be thinking about it much once I am in the observatory.

Watch this space ... pictures coming

Thanks again

JEff:thumbsup:

[mithrandir]

SWMBO has learnt that any new house she considers for us has to have minimal trees. The three we checked out this morning were all eliminated in minutes. Why would we trade a place with only a couple of 20m trees for one with for or five 30m trees?

As for clearing a few trees, the local council might let you cut them up, but not until after they have fallen on the house. Even getting permission to remove a liquid ambar causing structural damage required us planting another tree to replace it. That seemed a bit excessive since we have 10 trees over 5m on our suburban block.

Here north, east and south are OK, above about 15 deg. To the west, where the big trees are, it's about 60 deg.

[mswhin63]

The photo of my set-up in the backyard, not much has changed but South is in the direction of the Limestone wall. Add that to the height of the house in front of it you can easily see how limited it is. North South obstruction are just plain annoying.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/109920401953767744541/albums/5702648525944670481/5702648851648340146