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Where would you live?

spaceboy

By spaceboy
in The Astro Lounge

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spaceboy

spaceboy

Posted
Posted

From an astronomers point of view just say you won enough money to allow yourself to choose any location to live. Not enough that you could give up work so you would still need to make a living. Where would that location be for you?

Personally I'd like to settle somewhere along the hemispheres as the southern sky sure seems to offer a lot of wonders but then I have been brought up on the north and have my favorites. Needless to say I'd prefer to avoid sitting directly under two weather cells as we do in the UK but I would like a mix of weather as I can imagine too much of one thing even if it be glorious sun shine would become mundane. Altitude would be a bonus to get above any fringing in the distance light pollution, and clean air to breath (observe through) would be a number one priority.

Does such a location exist or do you have to go off the grid ?

Where does Hawaii stand given people live the dream and you could set up scope at mauna kea? 

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nightfisher

nightfisher

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An interesting question, but you complicate it with the continue working clause!

If i did not have to carry on working and purely from an astronomy point, i guess some where like Ohio or montana in the middle of no where, but then the thought of living in the USA is a no go for me, so again from astronomy i think i would look at one of the Greek islands probably peloponnisos, being a bit of the radar but close enough to get to central greece 

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ronin

ronin

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37 minutes ago, spaceboy said:

From an astronomers point of view just say you won enough money to allow yourself to choose any location to live. Not enough that you could give up work so you would still need to make a living. Where would that location be for you?

If you still have to work then you cannot live at an ideal location.

Hawaii is going to be out of it, the Hawiaan's do not like the scopes up their mountain, it is now considered a religwous site and there is opposition to the ones that are there so no way are you in an SUV going to get up there for casual observing when it suits you.

Suppose a few train stops outside of Perth Aus would be good.

So would a couple of stops along the trans Canada line out of Winnipeg or even out from Toronto, avoid Churchill - not much LP, good Aurora but the occasional hungry polar bear. One of the West coast Canada Gulf islands sounds good - one of them has no cars there, just golf buggies. Sounds about right.

Closer to home, try the Scilly Islands.

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RichM63

RichM63

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Where I live right now. Slap bang in the middle of the countryside, no near neighbours, zero LP, only 2 tractors per day at most, loads of wildlife, bird song is the only noise pollution, not on any major flightpaths, and 10-15 mins from the cliffs and beaches, although we do have a yacht port down by the tidal river and the commuter train is a 100 year old Steam rig for 5 months of the year..

I can easily observe NESW if I wish to.

The only downside is a fairly slow Internet connection but they are replacing all the lines with Optical so even that will change soon.

Rich

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spaceboy

spaceboy

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1 hour ago, nightfisher said:

An interesting question, but you complicate it with the continue working clause!

I thought it would add a sort of realism to the question. It would after all only take a small windfall for some people to be able to pack up and move to an ideal location but not necessarily without the need to continue to work.

When you take working out of it your talking big money lottery wins which is even less likely to happen.

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nightfisher

nightfisher

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5 minutes ago, spaceboy said:

I thought it would add a sort of realism to the question. It would after all only take a small windfall for some people to be able to pack up and move to an ideal location but not necessarily without the need to continue to work.

When you take working out of it your talking big money lottery wins which is even less likely to happen.

Yeah, i have been trying to win the lotto since it was launched, im still poor

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DaveS

DaveS

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When I move it will be because I can retire, and still have Dorset on my target list.

Move anyehere? New Zeeland North Island, there are dark areas there, the ambience is good, and some northern targets are still visible.

Else possibly a mountain in Chile.

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geordie85

geordie85

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Define "need to work". If you've won enough money to move anyway then you've won enough money to move somewhere you can start an astronomy holiday camp. 

Get the skies and Star gazing time you want plus earn a living doing so whilst meeting many like minded people.

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scarp15

scarp15

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41 minutes ago, estwing said:

I could move to Canada...but missing out on once a month Dob mob meets?....no thanks

With a lottery win, I think that I could settle on Canada, perhaps become neighbours with Gerry in the North, Boreal Forest, take up a part time job doing whatever. My parents use to live in Kirkoswald, a small village in the Eden valley NE Cumbria, I seriously considered moving across there quite a few years ago before I got married, would still like to, close to both the North Pennines, the Lakes and magical dark skies.

 

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Alfian

Alfian

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I'm very fortunate to be "retired" and although extra income (lottery or otherwise) is always welcome, I don't "need" to work now. Like I say - very fortunate.  I live on a hilltop not far from Peters lair and when the weathers clear it can be good. That said those little words "when" and "can" typically feel much bigger. If I was to consider a move to gentler climes with the possibility of clearer skies more often,  I think it would have to be somewhere out in the sticks in France. I like France and the rural life there. With a bit of research I'm sure a nice dark sky spot with an astro' conducive climate could be found. Reality is thats not going to happen but a move elsewhere in the UK could be possible. I was born in the east  midlands but have lived in Yorkshire longer than I've not, if that makes sense, so having now been willingly indoctrinated into appreciating the joys of northern life I'll not be moving south. I like the countryside on the Lancashire/Yorkshire border, Ribble Valley kind of area. We would still get the weather systems blowing in from the west but there would be less murk of the kind that tends to cling to these Pennine hills and skies can be pretty dark if you pick your spot right.  Failing that it would have to be Northumberland famed for its wonderful coast, beaches and dark skies. We have had many holidays there and I've noticed that often when the forecast is bad, you can see clouds hugging the Cheviots but the coast stays pretty clear, so a little cottage a just a few miles inland off the tourist trail and out of the lights would do nicely, not a lot to ask really - is it?

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Beulah

Beulah

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Very, very happy where I am as it's a place I dreamed of living in for nearly 20 years -  and I'm stupid enough to place location/quality of life before work.  :D:D

The work'll come but you can commute in the meantime...did it for two years (450 miles per week) until I obtained more local employment. :)

 

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RayD

RayD

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Exactly as I have it now.  Very fortunate (health permitting) to be able to travel regularly to our house in Southern Spain which is 700m up in the middle of the Sierra de las Nieves National Park.  Nearest neighbour is an empty house about half a mile or so away.  No permitted building as we are in the "zona de reserva".  No roads past my house, only the track to it, and glorious views when not imaging.

Perfect for us and wouldn't change it for anything.

Below taken the other day sat on my front terrace just watching the sun setting and all ready for a night of clear and no dew.

Being inland Spain also, whilst we do have a lot of land with it, no lottery win was necessary when we bought it 20 odd years ago, and even if I had one I wouldn't move.  As we are totally off grid (6.6Kw solar and wind powered and natural spring water) the ongoing costs are tiny.  We have a 20Mb satellite broadband connection which works great.

20170912_200902.thumb.jpg.eabfb6291acaa6740ac23b4c531a8273.jpg

 

 

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Alfian

Alfian

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6 minutes ago, RayD said:

 

12 minutes ago, Beulah said:

Ray, I think you win the thread with that image.  :)

 

LOL oh I'm sure there are others with just as good if not better.

 

With that view and those conditions, whats it matter, looks like a winner every day!

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