Lowe Observatory

[Satchmo]

New public observatory available to amateurs up near Tamworth .

http://www.loweobservatory.com/about.html

[strongmanmike]

Wow, looks like a fabulous scope, is that a Byers drive on teh Dec I wonder?.. and the location looks and sounds great too, 37km from Tamworth would make it quite a dark site, wonder what the seeing is like there at 1160m ASL?

Mike

[Satchmo]

Perhaps an opportunity to try some large aperture imaging, Mike ?

The focusser and focus position doesn't look ideal for hanging a big rig off though . Looks like some monster focusser you'd buy 30 years ago that looked appropriate for a large scope but sits the focal plane way off the side of the tube . But maybe its a lot beefier in the flesh .

Milroy observatory ( 1 meter pictured ) has its grand opening during the Coonabarabran Starfest . It would be interesting to see what kind of prime focus capability it has and what kind of group hire rate and bunkhouse tariff .

http://milroyobservatory.com.au/

[el_draco]

Steady... Steady.... Breathe.... Breathe...
I can feel the aperture fever bug rearing its ugly head again...
and I am talking about ME!! :eyepop:

[Paul Haese]

Oh dear it is like what we in SA call the "House of Pain". Our association owns a 20" on the same type of mount and has a Newtonian focus in the same sort of position. It is positively dangerous trying to observe in some positions near the zenith, imaging though can be quite an adventure.

Still it is an impressive looking telescope.