Sometimes you see an area
that holds great potential as a stargazing site. Maybe you even drive by it
numerous times. Finally, you decide that you are going to go check it out only
to find that while it has great potential, the night you chose was less than
perfect.
This is what happened to me and a friend a few weeks ago when we decided to go
visit a site we had both seen on our work commutes. While I do expect to back
to this particular site on a better night and scope it out as it were, my
friend and I took a chance on another area on our way back to San Francisco.
You see, the problem was fog at the initial site. What's new! But that didn't
stop us from at least trying to get to some viewing time in that night. Where
we ended up at was an area that also has potential but what I would categorize
as a little more than a pinch-hit.
On the back side of Pacifica, at the end of Sneath Lane off of Freeway 280
South is a small area that may be considered (in a pipe dream) a stargazing
site.
After meandering through a residential area, up a hill, pass the San Francisco
County Jail (looking like a bad rendition of something out of the Metropolis.
Quite disturbing. And, what's this all about the SF County Jail being located
in San Mateo County? Maybe it's me, I dunno, because I would think that the SF
County Jail would be located in San Francisco County.) Anyway, passing
aforementioned architectural enigma, we drove down the hill into a little
canyon at the dead-end of Sneath Lane.
The potential here is the fact that there are steep, sloping hills on each side
of the viewing area. This is good for blocking out the streetlights and keeping
the fog at bay. However, there is one street light at the crest of the hill
that really annoyed me. In fact, had I had a BB gun, I would have gladly shot
it out. But, this being a family newsletter and all, a response like that often
leads to more trouble than it is worth and not to mention, that being so close
to the previously referenced county jail, I thought I should just keep my
desire to fantasy.
So after taking a look around, my friend and I decided we could live with the
intrusive community safety device and also the house lights from the dwellings
on the top of the east ridge. I had to keep telling myself that this was a
residential area. The fog was abated for the time being and we proceeded to set
up our telescopes. My friend had his set up in about three minutes while it
took me a little longer. This area has a tad bit of a slope and for some reason
I was all thumbs when it came to leveling my tripod, getting it pointed to
north and generally trying to screw on the wing nuts to the telescope mount.
Sometimes it's not just the fog that leads to a frustrating evening!
It was after we got the telescopes set up and our eyes had "dark
adapted" (I use that term loosely here as in an urban area, your eyes
never really get dark adapted), we noticed that there was tremendous sky glow.
So much for the fog being our friend. Viewing objects at the zenith was fine
but anything lower got progressively worse. At the time of night we were there,
the Pleiades were up but looking kind of washed out as you might expect and I
had a hard time discerning Orion. Cassiopeia looked at little better except
that the street light was right under it. Jupiter looked good and Saturn looked
decent. In fact, my friend got a really good view of Saturn through his
10" Dob but then also, he was using his Nagler.
Fortunately, I had thought to bring my binoculars and was somewhat pleasantly
surprised that I could get some decent views through the sky glow. For the rest
of the time we were there, I used my binoculars to get my starfix. (You know,
those binoculars are probably one of the best investments into anything that
I've made in my lifetime. Got give myself a pat on the back for that one. Pat,
pat.)
After about an hour and a half, we noticed that the fog was beginning to creep
up over the crest of the west hill. As it was getting more damp and chilly we
decided to pack it in. While not the stargazing night I had envisioned, it was
none-the-less OK. (The companionship had saved it from being less than OK.)
All in all, this site is just this side of OK. My advice to you, dear reader,
is to check it out only if you are semi-desperate. It's pretty quick to get to
and not that hard to find. Who knows, one night I may go back and I'll love it,
but I don't see that happening anytime soon.
Directions: I-280 South to Sneath Lane exit. Stay in right hand lane coming
onto the off-ramp and come up to the signaled intersection. Take a left turn
and follow Sneath Lane for about two miles through residential areas, pass the
SF County Jail, up the hill and down into the small canyon where Sneath Lane
dead-ends. There is a gate at the end and you can go no further.
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