Calgary Jeep Association

General Forums => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: Chupacabra on May 31, 2011, 10:00:21 PM

Title: Camping with the Jeep
Post by: Chupacabra on May 31, 2011, 10:00:21 PM
So me and a few friends are currently working on an Engineering project for school, namely building a telescope that auto-tracks stars and can search for different celestial object in the night sky... What we want to do to get everything dialed in and tested is to get out of the city for a night, where we won't have any light pollution to deal with, and they realized I have a jeep. Any suggestions for some nice areas to camp out in? Hopefully get some good test data...
Title: Re: Camping with the Jeep
Post by: morerpmfred on May 31, 2011, 10:13:12 PM
Go to goose berry campground just north of Consort Alberta. about 300 + km to saskatoon , Regina , Edmonton or Calgary. About 200 + km from Red deer, llyodminster or Medicine hat . No light polution there.  Just do ,t go there during a rodeo weekend or maybe go during a rodeo weekend  ::)
Title: Re: Camping with the Jeep
Post by: FiEND on May 31, 2011, 11:18:18 PM
Can't remember if this goes up to Canada or not, but worth a look

 http://www.jshine.net/astronomy/dark_sky/
Title: Re: Camping with the Jeep
Post by: apeman on June 01, 2011, 03:49:27 AM
Little Bow Provincial...only an hour and a half away...great night sky...nothing around for miles and miles...
Title: Re: Camping with the Jeep
Post by: Knox on June 01, 2011, 10:01:19 AM
Can't remember if this goes up to Canada or not, but worth a look

 http://www.jshine.net/astronomy/dark_sky/

that is really cool... looks like straight east of calgary, north of medicine hat, nice flat area with no light polution... :P
Title: Re: Camping with the Jeep
Post by: apex on June 01, 2011, 10:33:38 AM
blue rock campground is 25 minutes west of Turner Valley. Straight into the mountains and on the side of a valley. The entire campground rings a huge open field with an unbelievable view on the night sky. This is what I would recommend.
Title: Re: Camping with the Jeep
Post by: cLAY on June 01, 2011, 12:12:11 PM
How about the U of C observatory by millarville?
Title: Re: Camping with the Jeep
Post by: Chupacabra on June 01, 2011, 05:33:23 PM
Can't remember if this goes up to Canada or not, but worth a look

 http://www.jshine.net/astronomy/dark_sky/

Too cool! That is a very handy tool!

Ex-gf used to have a cabin out at little bow park actually! Very cool place, hadn't thought about it however  ::)

We're currently in the process of finding some glass blanks to grind down into reflector disks, this is good info on test spots! thanks guys!
Title: Re: Camping with the Jeep
Post by: FiEND on June 01, 2011, 05:47:55 PM
The telus science center downtown has open nights on the roof on Fridays with astronomy clubs and personal telescopes.  Don't know if it is the summer they shut down cause it gets dark too late.  Some people there have built their own as well but not s.ure about the glass
Title: Re: Camping with the Jeep
Post by: Shearcon79 on June 01, 2011, 06:19:25 PM
The telus science center downtown has open nights on the roof on Fridays with astronomy clubs and personal telescopes.  Don't know if it is the summer they shut down cause it gets dark too late.  Some people there have built their own as well but not s.ure about the glass

I hardly think you are going to get a very dark sky downtown. Just sayin! ;)
Title: Re: Camping with the Jeep
Post by: FiEND on June 01, 2011, 06:36:32 PM
No, they tend to concentrate on larger objects for public viewing.   They do have experts and knowledge that this forum may lack.
Title: Re: Camping with the Jeep
Post by: SwampSinger on June 01, 2011, 06:45:50 PM
It's pretty dark in my shorts...here;s some knowledge for you mister!  8)
Title: Re: Camping with the Jeep
Post by: FiEND on June 01, 2011, 08:13:28 PM
Doubt they wanna track uranus
Title: Re: Camping with the Jeep
Post by: Chupacabra on June 01, 2011, 08:26:48 PM
Science center would be pretty cool for info, and Saturn is pretty clear right now, can make out good distinction in the rings... And seeing as it won't be there much longer, and is being moved, might be good to check out. There is also the fact that the actual camping part is important too haha
Title: Re: Camping with the Jeep
Post by: w squared on June 01, 2011, 08:33:13 PM
When are they scheduled to move Saturn?
Title: Re: Camping with the Jeep
Post by: specialk on June 01, 2011, 08:35:14 PM
Damn space people...  first Pluto's not a "real" planet, now this...
Title: Re: Camping with the Jeep
Post by: Knox on June 01, 2011, 08:48:55 PM
It's pretty dark in my shorts...here;s some knowledge for you mister!  8)

So Dom, are you saying they'll need an optic magnifying device to discover whats in there?
Title: Re: Camping with the Jeep
Post by: Shearcon79 on June 01, 2011, 08:57:07 PM
So Dom, are you saying they'll need an optic magnifying device to discover whats in there?

Maybe that little pipe needs to be DOM[Drawn over Mandrel] to make it a little stiffer.  ;D
Title: Re: Camping with the Jeep
Post by: TL-Iguana on June 01, 2011, 11:17:03 PM
Just be sure to call in a second opinion if you discover any rings around uranus
Title: Re: Camping with the Jeep
Post by: XJHERO on June 02, 2011, 07:48:59 PM
Just be sure to call in a second opinion if you discover any rings around uranus
Looks like you have a volunteer Dom....... ^