I've been collecting photographs and information for several of the observing sites I've used or scouted around Flagstaff. My intention has been to eventually put together a list of Northern Arizona observing sites with detailed information, maps and photos of each. My inspiration has been the excellent Tucson area observing site page put together by Andrew Cooper. One of my two main sites, Anderson Mesa, was recently moved to the front of my to-do list after our club was contacted by Daniel Pendick at Astronomy Magazine. He is writing an article for an upcoming issue that will feature beloved observing sites in the US--and Anderson Mesa is on that list. It should be an enjoyable and informative article. Keep yer eyes peeled; they may use one of my photos ;-)
The page I've started can be found here. I've also added a permanent link above in the page banner. Anderson Mesa is the only site on the list at the moment. On the roster to be added are:
- Willard Springs, south of Flagstaff
- A couple sites near Wupatki National Monument, northeast of Flagstaff
- A site northwest of Flagstaff
- A couple urban sites, one of which will be Buffalo Park
- And hopefully some of the Saguaro Astronomy Club sites along the Rim
You may notice that Cinder Hills Overlook isn't on that list. After some research, I've noted that it's actually inside the Sunset Crater National Monument boundary by a couple hundred yards. So I'm not sure if it's a good idea to publicize it that way. As other sites come to my attention, and I'm able to shoot panoramic photos and gather info on them, I'll add them to the list. If you have visited Anderson Mesa (or any of the other sites I end up adding) and you have any comments about your observing experience there, let me know. I'll be adding comments from other observers to each observing site page.
