Quote:
Originally Posted by Stonius
Of course, the biggest flat plain with no boundary layer would be at the beach with light on-shore winds, but we all know what salty sea-air does to sensitive equipment.
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Damian Peach (who I place in the category of astro demi-god) conducts many of his planetary campaigns on Barbados - he says it's because of the laminar air flow and proportion of clear nights. He has also cited stable jet stream as a factor for good astro. Given the highest peak on Barbados is 336m, DP's altitude was clearly less than that (and if I'm guessing his locations accurately, they were <200m elevation and only ~5km (or less) from the shore (Barbados is only about 10km across).
Don't forget that good laminar flow also depends to an extent on what's down-flow, as the turbulence boundary can extend quite some distance up-flow of the obstruction - the single peak in the middle of nowhere is ideal because there's no down-flow obstruction either.
So, IMHO, (at least) moderate distance from the shore, just enough elevation to avoid boundary effects and laminar air flow are the key factors. After that, being higher and drier gives additional benefits.
Of course, for mere mortals, the most important factor is an absence of neighbours with bright exterior lights pointed at your observing position.
