MD80 FLT CREW HAS UNSAFE NOSE GEAR INDICATION ON DEPARTURE AND AFTER COMPLYING WITH QRH PROCEDURE ELECT TO DIVERT TO ARPT WITH BETTER FACILITIES.

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FLT DEPARTED ZZZ AND SHORTLY AFTER TKOF; WE NOTICED AN UNSAFE NOSE GEAR INDICATION (RED LIGHT AND LOUD NOISE). I ASKED ZZZ DEP FOR A LEVELOFF AT 4000 FT TO ANALYZE THE SITUATION. I DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED A FLY-BY AT ZZZ TO HAVE TWR OBSERVE THE POS OF THE NOSE GEAR. ZZZ TWR GAVE US A RPT OF 'PARTIALLY RETRACTED WITH THE GEAR DOORS OPEN.' WE REQUESTED A SECOND FLY-BY AT ZZZ AFTER ACCOMPLISHING QRH PROC TO 'LNDG GEAR DOWN.' AT THAT POINT; WE HEARD A LOUD CLUNK OR BANG THAT WAS NOT NORMAL FOR GEAR EXTENSION. I ELECTED NOT TO RETRACT THE LNDG GEAR AGAIN AS THE QRH PROC REQUESTED. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE SECOND FLY-BY AT ZZZ AND TWR RPTED THE GEAR SEEMED TO BE DOWN. WE HAD AN INDICATION OF THE GEAR BEING DOWN WITH 3 GREEN LIGHTS IN THE COCKPIT. DUE TO THE LOUD NOISE DURING GEAR EXTENSION; I DECIDED TO DIVERT TO ZZZ1 FOR SEVERAL CONSIDERATIONS (RWY LENGTH; MAINT AND BETTER PAX OPTIONS). SHORTLY AFTER STARTING THE DIVERT; ZZZ DEP TOLD US THE GEAR SEEMED TO BE AT A 70 DEG ANGLE PER PHOTOGRAPH THAT WAS TAKEN DURING A FLY-BY. AFTER A DISCUSSION WITH MAINT; I ELECTED TO ACCOMPLISH A 3RD FLY-BY AT ZZZ1 TO HAVE MAINT LOOK AT THE POS OF THE GEAR 1 MORE TIME. WE RECEIVED A RPT OF NORMAL FROM AN MD80 CREW; MAINT AND TWR. WE THEN DECIDED TO BURN ENOUGH FUEL TO PUT THE ACFT BELOW MAX LNDG WT. FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT UP TO THE FINAL APCH; AND I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT FOR THE FINAL APCH AND LNDG. WE LANDED AT ZZZ1 STOPPED THE ACFT ON THE RWY TO HAVE MAINT PIN THE NOSE GEAR; THEN TAXIED TO THE GATE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 776945: AS OUR MD80 TOOK OFF FROM ZZZ AND LNDG GEAR WAS RETRACTING; ALL 3 FLT ATTENDANTS FELT OUR EARS POP. ALL FLT ATTENDANTS GOT ON INTERPHONE WITH CAPT. HE THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE A PROB WITH OUR NOSE GEAR. HE WASN'T SURE GEAR WAS UP. LIGHTS INDICATED IT WAS. WE DID A FLY-BY AT ZZZ TWR. (FOR A VISUAL OF THE ACFT) CAPT DECIDED TO GO TO ZZZ1 JUST TO BE SAFE. HE THOUGHT EVERYTHING WAS OK. NO EMER BUT DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE ACFT ALL THE WAY TO ZZZ2. HE NOTIFIED PAX AND KEPT EVERYONE CALM. HE WANTED A LONGER RWY AND ZZZ2 HAD ONE. WE CIRCLED TO BURN FUEL SO AS NOT TO LAND HVY. WE WERE TOLD TO LAND. PAX WERE FINE. I MADE CALM ANNOUNCEMENTS; TOLD CUSTOMERS TO STAY BELTED IN AND SEATED UNTIL CAPT NOTIFIED US. TAXIED TO GATE. (AFTER CAPT COMMUNICATED WITH GND PEOPLE) NO INCIDENT; NO ACCIDENTS; PAX WERE FINE. CREW WAS FINE.