Dark Sky Communities

[abellhunter]

G,day Astro Heads,

Has there been any talk of late 'bout having a place OZ can call
home for the photon thirsty?

Links to three Dark Sky Communities:

Deerlick Astronomy Village: http://www.deerlickgroup.com/
Arizona Sky Village: http://www.arizonaskyvillage.com/
Chiefland Astronomy Village: http://www.chiefland.org/

These places have private home/observatory lots plus member areas such
as "The Club Observatory", "Picnic Area" & "Visitors Field".....

They also have extremely strict lighting codes for dark sky protection.

Now this is my old astro-club link back in Southern California....
Orange County Astronomers: http://www.ocastronomers.org/

It's a large (very active 700 members) club with a dark site next to
where my home/observatory was located: http://www.anzaobservatory.com

The OCA has no permanent residents, but dose have over a dozen
quality observatories and another 4 dozen pads/work-stations.

These types of "Dark Sky Communities" can help to make a great home/observatory, or just a home away from home for the Sirius
Astronomer.

Also another twist the Astro-Lodge:

de Atacama: http://www.spaceobs.com/
Zane's Magellan: http://home.goulburn.net.au/~magellan/
New Mexico Skies: http://www.nmskies.com/webpage/index.html
Star Hill: http://www.starhillinn.com/StarHillInn.html
Vega-Bray: http://www.astronomersinn.com/

Lance aka "abellhunter"

Image #1. OCA's 22 inch Kuhn Telescope
Image #2. Jack Newton's Home/Observatory at Arizona Sky Village
Image #3. Polaris Society (Southern California's 1st Dark Sky Community)
Image #4. Astro Lodge in the Andes Mountains, Chile
Image #5. New Mexico Skies; 24 inch Telescope for hire
Image #6. my old Anza Observatory/Retreat, looking for a new home down under

[gary]

Hi Lance,

Thanks for the post.

I have never heard of any Dark Sky communities here in Australia along the
lines of those set up in the States.

The closest we would come would be the de-facto community in the Coonabarabran
area, heavily influenced by the fact that the Anglo Australian Observatory
was built nearby and several of the people who are active enthusiasts in the
area work there or are retired after having worked there. In some ways it is a
similar set-up to that around the Limpia Crossing area in Texas, close to the
Prude Ranch where TSP is held. It is only a stones-throw to the McDonald
Observatory so there is some pressure to keep the light pollution in check.
However, just as the McDonald Observatory is serviced by nearby Ft Davis,
so is the AAO by the country town of Coonabarabran. Therefore, there are
sites that are marginally darker away from those service centers, but the reality
of the people and families who live there is some sort of balancing act between
the quality of the sky and the amenity of being to go into town for groceries,
schools, gasoline, etc.

I notice that this Texan real estate agent even promotes a parcel of land at Limpia
Crossing as ideal for a telescope -
http://www.texasmountainrealty.com/a...roperty_ID=100

The idea of an entire community built just for the purpose of observing has
obvious merit and you may well find fellow enthusiasts interested in forming one
here in Australia.

Jack Newton's house certainly looks nice!

Best Regards

Gary

[abellhunter]

Hi Gary,

Yes, Coona's gang sounds like the Anza gang (OCA etc..) in that we all set up near Palomar Observatory. i'm looking for a 20 year window for the next site to build a southern hemisphere observatory/retreat. After 17 yrs in the "bush" i've learned a thing or 2 about getting a quality observing site.

i think your right in finding that balance of Dark Sky & Food & Water!

Annnnnnnnnnnnyway, i hit your link and if i were staying in the North, that Texas lot looks nice, but i'd want the TOP of that hill!

Oh, speaking of Texas, heres an All-Stations bulletin:

see ya soon, Lance aka "abellhunter"

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http://www.sierralarana.com

From: Gil Bartee
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:55 PM
To: Astronomical League
Subject: Astronomy Community

We own the Sierra la Rana development just south of Alpine, TX and
have adopted the McDonald Observatory Lighting requirements. McDonald
Observatory is located about 20 miles from our property and is visible
from our property. Sierra la Rana is a 12,000 acre residential
development located in the mile high Davis Mountains. We are in the
process of building an Astronomy Community similar to Arizona Sky
Village and Deerlick Community. Our plan is to have 5+ acre tracts
with underground utilities, DSL, a community center and a shared
telescope. We would appreciate any suggestions or recommendations you
can provide. More information can be found on our website
www.sierralarana.com

Thank you,
Gil Bartee
Vice President
JMK Holdings Management / Sierra la Rana
(817)975-8736

www.sierralarana.com
www.jmkint.com
www.CFRanch.com

[xelasnave]

Yes there is a dark sky community ...my place..the only problem there are no others in the community...er now that I think about it that is not so bad.
What we need is someone to get one off the ground...er build one on the ground... someone with vast experience with these sorts of ideas....mmm...someone like you Lance.
I have priced some shipping containers...little boxes on the hill side not made of ticky tacky but they will all look just the same...not bad..$2000 odd but I have yet to see one..but a mate is buying one..in fact his family is moving in next to the Ex so I will get to see it and sus the flok who supplied it...and I think the crew supplying the container are letting them pay it off...$30 a week I think ...but as time passes I will learn more.........and there is a place in Queensland who fits them out such that real folk would not feel they have compromised on necessities...they put in fancy kitchens and bathrooms, windows and I sw one with a laundry..why you need one of those I have no idea...but how much I do not at this stage know... they are on the net but I never got the link off the person who showed me...next time maybe.

I think I have all your links in the right place now anywyas I can get them up on this machine..my last note was from another machine I can not spend much time on ..so maybe my comment does not seem that strange now...so from that (after reading tehm all again) I can say you could be the mayor of such a community Lance ...and I am sure it would not be long before you could arrange shipping containers for a modest "Town" ....but I want the candle franchise.
alex

[Ric]

Hi Lance, I live in a dark sky rural community but it's not by design its due to fact that we are designated rural and there is no requirement for street lights to be put on rural roads, which is perfectly fine by me.

Also all of our block are from 5 acres to 20 acres so house lights are not a problem either.

I do have a slight skyglow from Canberra in the West but a lot of that is blocked by a small range of hills so I'm pretty lucky I feel.

Cheers

[gary]

Originally Posted by abellhunter

Oh, speaking of Texas, heres an All-Stations bulletin:

When you get down here you will meet our good friend Anne A. who
hails from TX but is a regular visitor to Oz. Anne and her husband are
moving to Limpia Crossing from elsewhere in Texas and are building
a new house there with the express purpose of it having an observatory
at a dark sky site.

They will be joining a community of observers that also includes
friends Van R. (also an Oz regular visitor) and Jimi L, originally
from Florida and who was building a 48" there.

Anyway, when you get down here we can introduce you to various people
I am sure will be able to provide some additional input into where you
might search for observing nirvana down here.

Best Regards

Gary

[abellhunter]

Originally Posted by xelasnave

Yes there is a dark sky community ...my place..the only problem there are no others in the community...er now that I think about it that is not so bad.
What we need is someone to get one off the ground...er build one on the ground... someone with vast experience with these sorts of ideas....mmm...someone like you Lance.
I have priced some shipping containers...little boxes on the hill side not made of ticky tacky but they will all look just the same...not bad..$2000 odd but I have yet to see one..but a mate is buying one..in fact his family is moving in next to the Ex so I will get to see it and sus the flok who supplied it...and I think the crew supplying the container are letting them pay it off...$30 a week I think ...but as time passes I will learn more.........and there is a place in Queensland who fits them out such that real folk would not feel they have compromised on necessities...they put in fancy kitchens and bathrooms, windows and I sw one with a laundry..why you need one of those I have no idea...but how much I do not at this stage know... they are on the net but I never got the link off the person who showed me...next time maybe.

I think I have all your links in the right place now anywyas I can get them up on this machine..my last note was from another machine I can not spend much time on ..so maybe my comment does not seem that strange now...so from that (after reading tehm all again) I can say you could be the mayor of such a community Lance ...and I am sure it would not be long before you could arrange shipping containers for a modest "Town" ....but I want the candle franchise.
alex

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Ya know Alex, with all them shipping containers for cheap (compared to wood $$$) it makes good sense and man are they secure! Set up a couple big 40 footers with a roll off roof, then use the 20s for "cottages". i can see even a commune style kitchen dinning hall/patio too.

Look at your garden variety observatory complex, they all got that "MadMax/Post-Modern/MoonScape vib!

But let's take a look at how a well known amateur
astronomer and a real estate developer/amateur
astronomer made this work. As i recall ASV is
on 450 acres and they made 85, 4 acre lots that
sold for $25,000 each. Let's assume that all 85
lots sold for the low price of only 25K, this
gives you 2.1 Million and change.

[As a side note, i've read that 30 lots sold
in the 1st weekend by phone, to their fellow
amateur astronomers!]

i do not know what they paid for the land, or when
they bought the land. Nor do i know how much went
into subdividing, the roads and the cost of bringing
power to the site. (i do know that buyers had to
drill their own wells.) But i would think that the
investors easily made their money back, plus each
got a lot, house, scope and enough to develop
the community center/observatory to house the
30" Starmaster.

Not bad! i told my wife: "i can hear their wife's
saying; ARE YOU CRAZY! BUYING LAND IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE ARIZONA DESERT! TO START A DARK SKY COMMUNITY!
NO ONE WILL FALL FOR THAT MISTER!

Lance aka "abellhunter"

http://www.anzaobservatory.com
...is Moving to the Southern Hemisphere any suggestions?

[abellhunter]

Originally Posted by Ric

Hi Lance, I live in a dark sky rural community but it's not by design its due to fact that we are designated rural and there is no requirement for street lights to be put on rural roads, which is perfectly fine by me.

Also all of our block are from 5 acres to 20 acres so house lights are not a problem either.

I do have a slight skyglow from Canberra in the West but a lot of that is blocked by a small range of hills so I'm pretty lucky I feel.

Cheers

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Hi Ric, Can't ask for better than that! OZ Sky with S t y l e !

Aloha, Lance aka "abellhunter"

[xelasnave]

I was aware of that subdivision Lance...and having a background in law and also real estate various ideas crossed my mind in that reguard.
A mate was subdividing 1000 acres up my way with 24,000 acres in stock ...last time I spoke to him he was selling 25 acre blocks for $30,000 or thereabouts...
Still I dont think I will be doing similar I like a bit of bush around me...
however one could make a dollar buying up what is cheap land and finding a better use..ie astronomy sites.

But it sounds like work to me and I am too busy to fit too much of that in my life...

But I have been thinking to get a container for the top hill ..I had a place up there but it burnt down there is only a floor and some rock walls left...I was going to rebuild it but it is a lot of work ..I remember the first time I rebuilt it... the shipping container is a fast relative cheap approach.

alex