by Chuck Olson
I decided to see if the "excellent" seeing promised by "clear sky clocks" last night for Fremont Peak would be approximated at Coyote Lake, and went there last night (Tuesday 7/9). I was alone, of course, so I had a lot of time to think.
It got quite dark by 2300, which is one requirement for a good observing site, and the conveniences of the Park are hard to beat (flush toilets, not too far, etc). The light dome from Gilroy in the south wasn't too bad. But it occurred to me that it's going to take a long time for that very large expanse of asphalt to dissipate the day's heat and allow the kind of seeing that we might enjoy at other sites. The parking lot sure is pleasant to set up on - - clean and not a bad slope at all. But ten minutes after I put out my stuff, some guy pulled his big trailered boat up to the highest point on the lot and opened his bilge valve, producing a large trail of water across the entire parking lot - - and directly into my setup. Oh, well, it evaporated after a couple of hours, but I put that down as a "minus" for the site. The seeing at 2300 was still pretty bad, with the "Teapot" stars blinking like lights on a Christmas Tree (small exaggeration, there, but you could definitely see what the heat from the asphalt was doing).
I think I should have gone for altitude at Coe or Fremont Peak. It would have been slightly cooler, and the seeing decidedly better, I feel.
I know for imagers who don't need the resolution of perfect seeing, this site is going to be rewarding - - it's big and clean and convenient. And I must join all who expressed appreciation for the effort that went into paving the way for astro activity there with the Rangers. It's definitely a valuable addition to the TAC list of observing sites - - it just needs time for the pavement to cool down before it becomes top notch.