Viewing Spots Blue Mountains

[Frostyricho]

Hi everyone,

Me and my dad are dying to get out to the west to see the milky way. It is something that i've always wanted to see since a little kid and never have. I want to know what are some easy accessible spots in the blue mountains. I will also be taking my telescope to see some DSO's and maybe planets. By the way i have a 8" dobsonian so i can not really travel 200 meters with it :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: . I just want to witness the milky way, see some comets and satellites. I live in the west (liverpool area) and so it isn't as bad of a drive from the CBD. Also every Friday night Im going up to Richmond area. So if there are also any suggested areas here it would be great. Anywhere that is within a 1 and a half hour drive from Sydney would be great.

Kind regards,
frostyricho

[gregbradley]

Just go up the Bells Line of Road from Richmond until you see it. By the time you reach Bilpin you'll see it easily. I live in Kurrajong and I see it at night here.

There are little side roads that come off Bells Line of Road and run parallel to it for half a kilometre or so. They would make a good stop.

Once you get over the main hill on the way up it blocks a lot of Sydney light pollution.

Greg.

[Frostyricho]

Thank you ill look into it and see when i can go.

[ariefm71]

You can also go to the ASNSW Crago observatory at Bowen Mountain, a 20min drive from Richmond http://www.asnsw.com/node/746 . The observatory usually opens for visitors a week before the new moon. Also, there is a large cleared area around the observatory to set up your own scopes.

If you're in Katoomba area, a publicly accessible location will be the Evans lookout near Blackheath.

Arief

[Star Catcher]

Another comfortable site is Linden which is the observing site for WSAAG. See here: http://wsaag.org/

A darker site (but further) would be the Katoomba airfield. Check out the posts referring to observing at this site and I am sure one of the regulars will chime in as well with info.

Ted

[Wavytone]

Crago observatory at Mt Bowen is one,
Further up Bells Line of Rd at Mt Banks the car park is very good,
Table rock on Kings Tableland (south of Wentworth Falls )is quite good, find the western end of Hordern Rd and then turn left;
There's a group of IIS members who occasionally head to Katoomba airstrip - note this is private land and you can only go if it has be arranged as indicated in the forum here;
Lastly, Hargraves Lookout at Shipley Plateau which will give the finest view short of driving as far as Oberon.

[Frostyricho]

Yea i was looking at that this afternoon looks interesting but its looks confusing how to get in. I want to use my own telescope and also maybe get one of the members to show me the 16" dobsonian telescope. I just want to go out there and see the milky way its always something ive wanted to see in person.

[Wavytone]

See the ASNSW website to find out which nights they will be operating, weather permitting, and details. Doesn't hurt to use that old fashioned thing - the telephone.

The 16" is optically excellent so unless there's a compelling reason don't bother with yours.

[Frostyricho]

But where i live there are a lot of lights and i want to use it sometime and thats is when i go out there. No point in spending that amount of money and let it sit there collecting dust. :shrug::shrug::shrug:

[Wavytone]

Mt Bowen (where it's located) is also spoiled by light pollution these days. If you want to use your scope to see DSO's properly you need to head further west to one of the other sites I mentioned.

One aspect of Mt Bowen is that the seeing there can be quite good and the 16" is capable of stunning views of the planets and other things that warrant high magnification.