Thursday nyt session at Sydney's Terry Hills - anyone

[mental4astro]

Hi all,

A couple of fellows and I will be setting up our scopes at the "JJ Melbourne Memorial Park" in Terry Hills this coming Thursday night, the 6th of October.

Yes, it is very short notice and on a Thursday night, but that's what we are doing.

This site is the one used by the Northern Sydney Astro Club. It is next to the Forest Hills Pony Club, so I'm hoping that their lights aren't on this evening... The site location is at the end of Thompson Drive, Terry Hills. The pic below gives some more details and the side road connection (Kamber Rd) from Mona Vale Rd.

The site is situated on top of a ridge, surrounded by parkland, and has a great horizon. It has the best sky I've seen for Sydney for many many years. On my first visit there a few months ago I saw the Coal Sack for the first time every from Sydney. And despite the site being right next to the busy highway, the trees actually stop all visible trace of it!

Access to the obs field is easy from the parking lot.

I plan to get there between 6:30 and 7pm as I have a couple of things to set up and have a feed before night fall.

Alex.

[Wavytone]

Should be ok for me :)

[mental4astro]

Will be good to catch up with you Wavy :)

[sharptrack2]

This was awfully tempting, but I have to be up at 5 am to get to work, and the drive would not leave me much time to setup and observe. Would need to go home first, pick up scope and then drive down in rush hour traffic. I couldn't get out of work today.

[MortonH]

I'm a maybe. Not sure about cloud cover prospects.

[Wavytone]

Looking good here (Killara). The wind has dropped and the sky is reasonable - perhaps not 100% transparency but good enough to take the scopes out.

[mental4astro]

Lovely clear night hear :)

[AG Hybrid]

Sorry I had a 4 am start this morning. Hope it turned out well

[ChrisV]

Damn. I didn't see this !

[mental4astro]

Hey Chris,

Sorry we missed you.

The night was just lovely. Clear right up to the moment we decided to pack up.

An unexpected treat was to get to see six planets in the early evening, Venus, Saturn, Mars, Uranus, Neptune, and don't forget Earth... :D

Alex.

[MortonH]

So, is this a one-off or might you go there again? I've been there before and it's not bad for being so close to Sydney.

[Wavytone]

Morton if you want to make it a regular haunt join the NSAS as I have - see their website.

I agree it's good for casual observing but for deep sky... hmmm.

Weeknights aren't easy for me.

[mental4astro]

I should make a mention of the NSAS (Northern Sydney Astro Society ) and myself. I am not a member, and I have no affiliation with them. I suggested this site as it can be accessed with the gates closed if you are happy to hike a few metres from the car park to the observing field. The obs field is locked if there are no activities happening from the various special interest groups that use the park facilities.

Please keep in mind that unless it is an NSAS endorsed session, any astro use of this field is an entirely private individual situation.

Like Wavy said, for being an inner metropolitan location, the sky here really is pretty good. This particular night even with the Moon close to Saturn, I could make out some extension to the Milky Way either side of the Cloud of Sagittarius. On my first visit there a few months ago, I also managed to see the Coal Sack. For an urban sky location, it is pretty good, but nothing beats a dark sky site.