Astronomy Places of Interest

iceman (Mike) · #1 22-03-2005, 01:35 PM

What are some good places of interest to astronomers? If you had the money to take a trip somewhere and see a landmark or a building or an observatory etc, where would it be?

Some examples off the top of my head..

Keck observatory
Anglo-Australian observatory
Mt Stromlo
Cape Canavral (spelling?)
etc

Think of big places, small places..

Where would you love to go? What places are you interested in?

slice of heaven · #2 22-03-2005, 02:29 PM

South pole. Nice long nights And no light pollution .
And the best part of the sky overhead.

Slice

vindictive666 (John) · #3 22-03-2005, 02:31 PM

my places

book a viewing night at the perth observatory and the Anglo Australian
obesrvatory as well

#4 22-03-2005, 03:24 PM

I reckon the south pole would be a bit nippy around the "family Jewels".

iceman (Mike) · #5 23-03-2005, 06:13 AM

Any others? Put the thinking caps on!

Astroman (Andrew Wall) · #6 23-03-2005, 06:54 AM

Arkaroola Observatory, I think they have a 14" SCT there and you get to ride on a sky chair, for a price. PLus look around the flinders ranges.

Anywhere in the world where there is 0% light pollution and clear nights 365 days of the year sometimes 366 days.

slice of heaven · #7 23-03-2005, 09:39 AM

Exfso.....Its only for one night....

toetoe (Peter) · #8 23-03-2005, 02:35 PM

I saw a pic of Gemini North in Hawaii, i think that would be very nice for the day activities and what else could you ask for at night time.
Wouldn`t it be great to go to NASA tho..

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #9 23-03-2005, 03:04 PM

The South Pole has the highest reflectivity on Earth (equal with North Pole). Star light and it's reflection washes out the sky about the same as a quarter moon. I read that on an astrophysics site somewhere.

I would like to set up for the night at Mount Arapiles which is one of the darkest places in Australia and it's only about 1 1/2 hours from here! Will be doing it first chance I get.

Also would like to go to outback Northern Territory.

gaa_ian (Ian) · #10 24-03-2005, 10:58 AM

Yay .. go for the NT Ken ... If you never never go ....
For me the best place would be the Cafe 3/4 the way up Mauna Kea, in Hawaii.
They have 14 & 16 inch go to's set up on the viewing deck.
Then there is the Antarctic Plateau, where the UNSW has been getting seeing twice as good as the best observitories anywhere else on earth

rumples riot · #11 24-03-2005, 01:03 PM

Stonehenge or one of the observatories of the Inca's gets my vote. Just to see how the ancients did it.

ving (David) · #12 24-03-2005, 02:58 PM

ahh! to stand side by side with one of the greats of astronomy history and to make those first discoveries. now that would be something.

antartica would be ideal but i wouldnt be able to move for all the clothing i'd have to wear. I hate the cold

beren · #13 27-03-2005, 09:47 AM

View a shuttle launch or visit Mauna kea would be two big highlights or book some time at one oif the big observatories and get a chance to see how things are done . To go to one of those big American astronomy fairs/convemtions .

seeker372011 (Narayan) · #14 28-03-2005, 12:13 PM

here are some places of astronomical interest right here in NSW.

firstly Parkes-though they dont let you play tennis ball cricket on the dish-with my family I spent an hour or so at the visitor centre last Easter

seeker372011 (Narayan) · #15 28-03-2005, 12:18 PM

Coonabarabran is worth a visit..here 's a picture I took at the Anglo Australian telscope a couple of years ago..

plus the Skywatch (private) observatory over there is not a bad way to get a fix if you arent carrying your own scope...and the Warrumbungles have got to offer some of the best bushwalks

seeker372011 (Narayan) · #16 28-03-2005, 12:21 PM

here's a picture of the entrance to the Anglo Australian visitor centre with the observatory dome in the background..

you get the most fantastic views of the warrumbungles from behind the dome

seeker372011 (Narayan) · #17 28-03-2005, 12:25 PM

Another great place to stop for a while is the Australia Telescope radio array at Narrabri if you are ever driving past

its visually stunning...you drive along a country road miles from anywhere and all of a sudden there is this imposing group of radio telescopes in the middle of a paddock surrounded by roos.

particularly interesting when all the dishes realign in unison to point at some distant object

seeker372011 (Narayan) · #18 28-03-2005, 12:26 PM

and another picture of the same

MiG · #19 28-03-2005, 12:34 PM

Mount Palomar to see the Hale telescope?

rowena · #20 28-03-2005, 09:56 PM

1. Cape Canaveral to see a shuttle launch and landing
2. International Space Station to look at Earth (no-one said that we couldn't be off of the planet

)
3. Canada to see the Northern Aurora's!
4. Russia to see a Soyuez rocket launch

Ok now for the places where I can afford to go....

5. Outback Australia - nice dark skies.
6. Parkes radio telescope
7. Anglo Observatory
8. Siding Spring Observatory

9. I have been to heaps of times.. Sydney Observatory... but they have nights where you can attach your camera to their scopes.. they normally only do the moon... been twice. one night they only used their 10" scope, another night they used their 10" scope and also their 16" scope!

10. Mt Stromlo and Tidbinbilla