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Old 06-28-2012, 03:42 AM
 
1 posts, read 19,336 times
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Hello, i am a dude living in Vancouver. I have always been fascinated and amazed with stars in the skies and i was wondering if anyone knows any great place near Portland where i can look at the stars and the night sky in all its glory. The place i live at and usually the places i have been to are very bright and it is impossible to see stars in the night sky. I would really appreciate it if anyone could help me out.. Thank you.. I am also hoping to take pictures of star trails.
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Old 06-28-2012, 05:29 AM
 
Location: Houston
1,257 posts, read 2,652,432 times
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How close? 6 hours to the snake river canyon east of Baker City. A spot I used that was closer was a view point on Hi-way 26 on the right side before the summit. I cannot remember the name, but the spot was great for meteor watching. Basically get out of town where you are away from major light sources. The coastal hills and highways are great for that. The main problem with Portland and stars is light pollution. You really don't get "all the good stuff". The snake river canyon is isolated and you can actually see the satellites passing over. There are probably spots like it that are closer.
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Old 06-28-2012, 07:57 AM
 
Location: the Beaver State
6,464 posts, read 13,434,579 times
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Larch Mountain above Multnomah Falls is the place to go. Several local astronomy groups go up there and if you time it right many of the people out there will let you look through their telescopes.

There are a couple of places closer to Mt. Rainier, but I'm less familiar with them.
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Old 06-28-2012, 12:50 PM
 
Location: Myrtle Creek, Oregon
15,293 posts, read 17,671,176 times
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This ties in with the thread about how to make friends in Portland. Mutual interest groups are the way to go. For this particular interest, check out Rose City Astronomers
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Old 06-28-2012, 05:00 PM
 
Location: Portland, Oregon
73 posts, read 183,430 times
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A happy medium between Larch Mountain and all the way east of Baker City would be to drive east on I-84 about two hours, pass The Dalles, drive south on either Hwy 97 or Hwy 197 for a few miles. Find a place to park. Spread a blanket on the hood of your car, open coffee thermos. Enjoy.

On the Washington side you could do the same in the Goldendale area.
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Old 06-28-2012, 05:24 PM
 
Location: Houston
1,257 posts, read 2,652,432 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Larry Caldwell View Post
This ties in with the thread about how to make friends in Portland. Mutual interest groups are the way to go. For this particular interest, check out Rose City Astronomers
I love being alone or in a small group for this stuff. I like group activities just not star gazing


The perseids are coming up. Find a good spot bring a cooler and a friend or 2 for a relaxing evening out in the middle of nowhere.

EarthSky's meteor shower guide for 2012 | Astronomy Essentials | EarthSky
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Old 06-28-2012, 09:32 PM
 
Location: Minnesota
5,147 posts, read 7,473,761 times
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Ahhhh. Reminds me of our farm outside Spokane. We could lay out in the pasture at night and see unfathomable numbers of stars. I don't know how astronomy buffs even pick out a star or planet in that situation. It seemed like a mass of white up there.
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Old 06-01-2013, 01:54 PM
 
Location: Vancouver, WA
1 posts, read 18,237 times
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Similar question - if you are in Vancouver and have only a half hour or so to drive, where would you go to view the Aurora Borealis? I've driven north on I-5 to get away from Portland/Vancouver light pollution. But I haven't found a good dark spot that is up on a hill or with a clear northern view, w/o trees.
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Old 06-01-2013, 10:18 PM
 
99 posts, read 155,281 times
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Head up to the bluff between Kalama and Kelso overlooking the river
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