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Facilities |
Directions |
Observing Conditions
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Guidelines |
Courtesy |
Committee
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Observatory |
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Observatory Code
Information |
NOTICE
The oil derrick SE
of the Dark Site has
been removed.
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Brooks Observatory,
June 5, 2011 |
Busy Dark Sky
Weekend Night, Fall,
2010 |
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ACCESS NOTICE
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Ed Kline |
Many
members worked for
years to find and
acquire a good dark
site from which to
observe. Because of
their perseverance,
the Deer Trail Dark
Sky Site was found
and leased. The site
was renamed the Edmund G.
Kline Dark Site
after a late society
member who made many
important
contributions to the
development of the dark site. The
April 2002 Denver
Observer was
dedicated to Ed
Kline, If you'd like
to download a copy,
click here.
The
dark site is
intended for the use
of society members
and their guests. To
use the site, you
must be a DAS member
in good standing, a
personal guest of a
DAS member, a
registered
participant in a
scheduled DAS
outreach event at
the site, or receive
the permission of
the DAS President or
the Dark Site
Committee Chair to
visit the site when
DAS members are
present. Public
outreach and
education activities
are envisioned in
the near future
utilizing the Brooks
Observatory.
Dark
Sky Weekends are
normally scheduled once per
month, on the
weekend nearest the
new moon. These are
the recommended times for
new members to
receive site
orientations because it is
more likely that
DAS members will be
using the site.
Facilities
The
most recent
development at the
site was the
addition of a
10x10-foot
observatory, with an
8-foot dome,
dedicated in Fall
2011 as The Brooks
Observatory in
memory of Lawrence
Brooks, former DAS
President. Eight
10-ft x 10-ft
concrete observing
pads and two
research and imaging
pads were
constructed in the
Summer of 2006,
bringing the total
number of pads to 14.
The present
facilities include:
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Fourteen 10'
x 10'
concrete N-S
aligned
observing
pads (3
doubles and
8 singles)
each with a
separate ac
power pole
with four
grounded
outlets; six
pads with
footings for
windscreens. |
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One hundred
square-foot
metal
observatory
building
with
rotating
8-ft dome;
housing a
14-inch
Celestron
Schmidt-Cassegrain
telescope on
a
pier-mounted
Losmandy G11
German
equatorial
mount with
a Gemini 1
go-to
system. |
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Two cleared
observing
areas for
research and
imaging
activities
(South end) |
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Leveled area
for large
Dobsonian
telescopes
and/or
vehicle
parking just
to the West
of 8 new
observing
pads |
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Warming hut
with
electric
heat, red
lighting, a
microwave
oven, small
table, and
seating
areas |
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Six portable
windscreens
designed to
block
southerly
winds below
30 mph.
See
information
below. |
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Two
designated
handicapped
parking
spaces |
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Vault toilet
with
nighttime
red lighting |
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Gravel
access road |
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Abundant
dark skies.
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Directions
The
Site is about 60
miles east of the
“mousetrap” in
downtown Denver.
Take I-70 east to
the Deer Trail exit
(exit 328), turn
left at the end of
the exit ramp, and
bear left again on
CR 217 (after the
Phillips 66
station). Take CR
217 just over 1/2
mile, and turn right
(east) onto CR 34
(Jolly Road).
Stay on CR 34 about
6 miles until you
get to CR 241. Turn
left (north) onto CR
241 and continue
about 1.4 miles –-
you’ll see a culvert
with a wide gate on
the right (east)
side of the road.
Directions for
arrival from the
North. Please
do not use for arrival
after dark:
Take I-70 eastbound
to exit 316 (Byers).
Turn left at end of
ramp which puts you
on eastbound US-36.
Take US-36 east 17.2
miles to CR 241.
Turn right (south)
onto CR 241 and
continue for 6.2
miles. The site
entrance is on the
left (east) side between two
tall posts.
Note: Travel
distance from Denver
using the North
route is actually
3.9 miles shorter
than the traditional
route, but takes
longer. The first 5
miles of CR 241
going south from
US-36 is narrow and
somewhat rough. Be
careful. |
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Observing
Conditions
EGK Dark Site Clear
Sky Chart
Will it be cloudy or
will it be clear?
Check out the dark
skies forecast. |
Weather
at the Site
Click on the
image at
right for
weather
forecast. |
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Longitude &
Latitude
of the EGKDS:
103.55 45.3
W 39 38' 53"
N |
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Guidelines
To keep
everyone's
experience at the
dark site a
pleasant one, the
DAS E-board and the
Dark Sky Site
Committee instituted
some guidelines.
Please familiarize
yourself with these
guidelines. Enjoy
the site and may
your skies be dark
and clear!
Access |
Warming Hut Rules
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Dark Sky Site
Courtesy |
Guest
Policy
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Access
There is a
combination lock on
the front gate at
the Edmund Kline
Dark Site.
Any DAS member in
good standing may
obtain the
gate combination by
Emailing the Dark
Site Chair at
darksite@denverastro.org.
New members
can receive the
combinations to the
power box and the
warming hut (and
access to the key to
the vault toilet) after they have
received a site
orientation from a
member of the Dark
Site Committee.
Orientations
are normally
provided on the
Saturday night of
the dark sky (new
moon) weekend of
each month.
Warming Hut Rules
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All
visitors MUST
sign in
on the log in
the warming hut.
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The last people on
the site must turn
off the lights and
the heat (although
the timer is
mechanical and
should be left
running) and make
sure the windows
are closed and
tightly locked.
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A microwave is
provided for warming
drinks. Please clean
up after yourself.
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Absolutely no smoking in
the warming hut.
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No pots and pans,
appliances, or other
supplies are to be
left in the warming
hut.
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No personal supplies
are to be left in
the hut overnight.
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Do not donate
furniture or other
things unless you
clear it with the
Dark Site committee
first.
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No food left
overnight in the
hut.
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No sleeping
overnight in the
hut.
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Quick naps are
permitted if you
feel you might fall
asleep on the way
home. We would
prefer you get your
nap rather than
falling asleep on
the road. However,
we don’t want it to
become a tent for
camping.
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Clean up after
yourself before you
leave the site.
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Please clean up all
food that drops or
is spilled,
otherwise it will
attract mice and
insects.
Dark Site Courtesy
Please remember that
white light disrupts
the eye's dark
adaptation and can
ruin
astrophotography. Following
these simple
guidelines will
improve the
experience for all:
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Drive carefully
on the road to
the site,
there are blind
spots in the low
areas and you
will find cattle,
deer
and prong horns on the road at
times.
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Try
to arrive before
dark.
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If
you are the
first person to
arrive at the
site, please
leave the gate
open and
attached to the
wooden pole with
the bungee cord.
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Upon arrival at
the site,
sign-in at the
warming hut.
If you are a new
member, ask if a
Dark Site
Committee member
is present to
give you a site
orientation.
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DAS MEMBERS have
priority usage at
the concrete pads.
Holding a pad for
friends is NOT
allowed.
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If you have to
arrive after dark,
turn off headlights
when turning into
site. Please do not
arrive using North
route after dark.
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Turn off all dome
and trunk lights. If
a light can't be
turned off, pull the
fuse, use layered
red brake light tape
or just duct tape
over it.
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Driving into the
site after dark
without lights
is extremely
dangerous,
particularly if
you have never
been there
before. If you
must arrive
after dark,
please stop at
the entrance and
wait until
someone comes
out to help
guide you in
with a red
flashlight. If
no one comes,
please walk down
to the observing
stations to get
someone.
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When you drive in,
position your car so
you can drive out
directly instead of
using your back up
lights.
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Use only dim red
flashlights. Never
shine a flashlight
in someone's face or
on their scope.
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Please wipe your
feet carefully
before using the
warming hut.
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Please chip in and
do some cleaning up
in the hut or at the
observing sites. It
is the
responsibility of
all users to keep
the place clean.
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Astrophotographers
may wish to use the
South field since it
is somewhat isolated
from the rest of the
area.
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There is no sleeping
in the warming shed
overnight. However
if you need to nap
for a short period,
you may use it. We
would rather you
fall asleep there
rather than at the
wheel on the way
home. (If you find
you are sleepy
on the drive
home, there is a
rest stop at the
I-70 Kiowa exit
between Bennett
and Strasburg where you can
take a nap in
your vehicle.)
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You may warm drinks
in the microwave—it
is not there for
warming food and
cooking since we
have no water to
clean up. If you
spill, please clean
up after yourself.
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If you are the last
person to leave the
site, lock the vault
toilet, turn off the
lights and the
heaters in the
warming hut. Then,
lock the warming hut,
turn off the
breakers,
lock the breaker
box, and close and lock
the gate to the
site.
Other Suggestions
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Wear warm clothing.
The nights can be
extremely cold in
the winter and
surprisingly cold in
the summer.
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Bring your own power
such as a battery
and/or an inverter
since the power
sites are limited at
some times of
the year.
Also bring extension
cords.
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Hot drinks can help
you survive the
night!
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When approaching
the telescope of
someone who does
not know you,
introduce
yourself and ask
before looking
through the
scope. Most
members will be
happy to share their
scopes.
Astrophotographers
will probably be
happy to show
you the image
they are taking
on their
computers.
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Bring your own
toilet paper in case
the vault
toilet runs out.
Brooks
Observatory
As of
June 2012,
rules have not been
established for
access to, and use
of, the observatory.
Committee members
who are familiar
with (and learning
about) its operation
characteristics are
developing a
training program and
will make the
observatory
available for
observations on Dark
Sky Weekends.
Members visiting the
dark site are
encouraged to
contact the Dark
Site committee if
the observatory
appears to be
damaged or if it
appears to have been
tampered with.
Society members are
encouraged to
communicate their
interest in using
the observatory
orally or in writing
to the Dark Site
Chair and committee
members. When
sufficient
experience is
obtained with
running the
observatory and
telescope, the DAS
will develop a
public outreach
program to host
small groups.
Portable Wind
Screens
There are footings
for portable wind
screens at six of
the 14 observing
pads -- five for
12-ft screens and
one for a 14-ft
screen. Two of the
screens are designed
for a single or
optional double
screen on the
20-foot NW pad.
These screens are
intended for use by
members or
member-hosted public
observing events
only. Please see the
Wind Screen
Manual
for information on
use of the screens.
Please follow the
instructions. Misuse
of the screens could
result in damage to
the screens or to
personal observing
equipment.
Information on the
wind screens will be
included in Dark
Site Orientations.
If you have
questions about how
to use the screens,
please email the
Dark Site
Committee.
Guest Policy
The Edmund G. Kline
Dark Site, while for
the exclusive use of
the membership for
serious observing,
will allow visitors
on a limited basis.
Groups or classes
wishing to use the
dark site may do so
only with prior
arrangement through
the DAS president or
vice president.
In general, it is
not possible to host large
groups due to
liability concerns.
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Members are
responsible for
educating their
guests as to the
rules.
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Prospective members,
out of town
astronomers, and
others may be guests
one time.
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Members can bring
family any time and
personal friends on
a limited basis, but
should not abuse the
privilege.
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Groups of five
or more guests
must be cleared
through the
DAS president or
vice president
prior to
visiting the
Dark Sky Site.
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DAS MEMBERS have
priority usage at
the concrete pads.
Holding a pad for
friends is not
allowed.
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Dark Site Committee Members:
-
Ted Cox
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Darrell Dodge
(Acting Chair)
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David DeLassus
- Glenn
Frank
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Joe Gafford
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Jim Holder
- Mike
Hotka
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Bernie Poskus
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Ken Takahashi
Email
contact:
darksite@denverastro.org
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