viewing stars in Payson

[kenandjude]

I went to Payson this past weekend and were the stars amazing! However, according to the Payson Roundup (local paper) and various websites, the reason for such an abundance of stars is because Payson is "one of only three pure ozone belts in the world..." Does anyone know what this means? I've looked all over the web and the only ref to this quote in on the city of Payson's website. I'm just curious. Thanks!

[chumley]

It probably doesn't help this thread for me to add that I don't know what that means.

But I will add that I think it's a bunch of crap. There are plenty of days that the stars in Payson (or up on the rim away from the lights from town) are absolutely stunning. And then there's times where they're not. I'm going to say it has a lot more to do with weather than the "ozone belt".

Arizona has long been known as a great place for stargazing. The combination of clear weather, high elevations, and distance from major light pollution make northern and eastern Arizona great places to view the night sky. Because AZ is such a dry state, it really creates great views. Humidity is water vapor, and that water vapor in the air reduces visibility. So on a very dry, cool, and calm night, (with no moon) the views should be great. Windy conditions cause mixing that reduces visibility and also kicks up dust/particulates. More humid weather later in the summer also reduces the visibility.

Is there an "ozone belt" that adds to these other factors? Maybe. But the weather/elevation/light pollution factors seem to be the most important elements in our excellent stargazing across Arizona.

[PrestonSands]

Payson is "one of only three pure ozone belts in the world..."

I think it's a bunch of crap.

It is. Well said Chumley! Payson is a little too close to Phoenix, and is subject to light polution or the "Phoenix Glow" in the southwestern sky. The top of the Rim has better stargazing IMO.

[chumley]

Let me preface this by saying that I love Payson, and I'm sure I'll take some heat from Dschur and others, but if you've ever watched the daily news video on their hometown news site, it's somewhere between scary and funny. There's something about a high-school girl with braces reading news stories like "Martha and Joe's prize cow Bessie gave birth today".

So, the ozone belt story seems like it might fit right in? plz:

[Dschur]

Stargazing is still okay in Payson. The light dome isn't that bad from here it is to the south west and is mostly out of the way. But the local lighting is what is getting bad. My husband still does excellent deepsky astrophotography in our back yard but for wide field astrophotography the cabin in Happy Jack is better for that. We still are able to see the milkyway and down to 6th mag. stars in the back yard. We still do not have any street lights on street and no one feels that they have to have that 10,000 mega watt lights in their yard. And for all you that live in the valley and have all those lights at 2 or 3 mag in your back yards Payson would be dark.
We have no video show on tv so not sure what you are talking about all we have is the city council on our local channel. Mostly talking about the traffic problems in Payson, water shortages and the handling of growth of housing developments in town.
At one time there was a study in the early 80's on the air quality in the town of Payson and that could be the study they have been talking about. And it was in the top 10 cities at that time. Not sure what or who did it now it was a few years ago.

[joebartels]

reading news stories like "Martha and Joe's prize cow Bessie gave birth today"

You don't know what small town is until the local paper calls and ask if you have any news. Kid ya not!

Page 2 (of 2), Curtis Tribune, Curtis Nebraska, approx. July 8th, 1982
Cousin Joey visited his cousins Jeff and Nancy yesterday afternoon out at the Tiller farm. They ran through the cornfields playing hide-n-go-seek for the better part of the morning. The afternoon was filled with hours of fun riding the motorcycle around the quonset. For dinner they had fresh corn, beef, noodles, gravy and potatoes. After dinner the kids got a little rowdy, grandpa told the kids to simmer down or he'd pop 'em in the kisser and throw 'em in the cellar. Check back tomorrow for 4-H ribbon wars.

[chumley]

I don't see it today, but the local "roundup" website used to have a 5-minute long daily video news report online. I actually found it to be very entertaining. Photos of newborn kids, and Payson high school sports results, etc. Was definitely the small-town-news kind of report.

[kenandjude]

Payson get real exiting during thier national oldest "continuous" rodeo. Tons of news coverage. Joys of a small town. At least they don't have all the shootings (other than hunting) and other crime we have here in the valley.