City dwellers need help watching the comet!

March 9, 2013 12:45 PM

We live in Orange County, CA. What is a good place to view the comet this month? And if you have any suggestions as to what night would be best and at what time, please share!
posted by Brocktoon to Science & Nature (3 answers total)

What part of OC are you in? I'd think getting out in the east side, near the canyons, would be good. I know they do astronomy events in Thomas Riley park at the end of Oso parkway, so it's probably a good spot.
posted by primethyme at 2:35 PM on March 9, 2013

I've recently consulted a resource called the Dark Sky Finder. It is a Google map with a color-coded overlay indicating how much light pollution should be expected for a given area. The data is believed to be a few years out of date, and in the continental United States, light pollution is expected to get worse over time, not better. But this may be a good starting point for you, if you're willing to travel for the opportunity. Other things to keep in mind are elevation, convenience, safety, weather conditions.
posted by germdisco at 2:54 PM on March 9, 2013

The Register usually puts out a guide for things like this. Here is the one for the comet.
posted by cecic at 7:36 PM on March 11, 2013