Snake Valley 19th January COME ALONG

[ballaratdragons]

:welcome: to the SVAA Monthly Observing Night

Anyone from Victoria (or elsewhere if you are up for a long drive) that can't make it to Lostock, but would like to get together for observing in dark skies, you are more than welcome to pop up to our Snake Valley monthly group night on 19th January. :hi:

Make yourselves welcome in our cosy clubroom with a cuppa, a chat, and then out on the field for dark sky :thumbsup:

We always welcome ALL visitors :)

We are easy to find. See Map below.

[ballaratdragons]

We have several takers from Melbourne coming up on the 19th. :)

More the merrier. Come along and join in. :thumbsup:

If you want to stay over, you can sleep in the clubroom with others staying over or even bring a tent. There are no accommodation fees.

Among the usual observing & possible imaging, I am going to be doing a Comet McNaught search :)

Non Forum members that are visiting this site can contact me at ken.james1 at bigpond dot com, or just turn up.

[danielsun]

I will try to make it on the 19th but it depends if i'm working the saturday or not and won't know till a couple of days before.

So with a bit of luck i will see you there.;)

[ballaratdragons]

Great Daniel :thumbsup:

[janoskiss]

That's a very nice offer, Ken. I'll try to be there. :)

[Astroman]

Sorry Ken cant make it unfortunatley, unless someone wants a Pier for their EQ6 for $500 then I will think about making the trip :)

[ballaratdragons]

Hope to see you here Steve. :thumbsup:

[ballaratdragons]

:lol: Man o Man, you want that camera pretty badly don't you Andrew :lol:

[Astroman]

sure do Ken :)

[erick]

I'm still planning to come, Ken, with my humble binoculars and with hopefully one, maybe two other newbies with me. It'll be interesting to see the place with others present - I just had a few magpies in the trees and dogs in the distance last time. :)

Seems to me you'll have to chop down a few trees to see Comet Mcnaught??:confuse2:

[ballaratdragons]

We've got a clear view of the south west Eric. We don't view from the Tennis Court but from the footy ground.

Where we park our cars on the other grass area has a great south west view :thumbsup:

[erick]

Melbourne, Friday 19th Jan, Evening forecast:-
http://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/common/images/wxicons/52x40/15.gif Overcast and humid with thunderstorms. Winds will be calm.

:( :(

Promise me that Snake Valley doesn't follow the forecasts. :sadeyes:

[erick]

Latest forecast:-

Friday, Jan 19
http://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/common/images/wxicons/52x40/01.gif
Very warm and humid with plenty of sunshine. Winds from the E at 16 km/h.
High: 30 °C



Friday Night (http://wwwa.accuweather.com/adcbin/public/premium_benefits.asp?partner=accuwe ather&traveler=0&locCode=OCN|AU|VIC|MELBOURNE&metric=1), Jan 19


http://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/common/images/wxicons/52x40/34.gif
Mainly clear, warm and humid. Winds from the SE at 12 km/h.
Low: 21 °C

Lesson - ignore weather forecasts?? :)

[ballaratdragons]

:lol:

[castor]

Yes, I may come. It will be a good oppotunity to meet some people for the first time.

I am bringing a 60mm fluorite that I bought in HK last July here.

[ballaratdragons]

Excellent! Hopefully the thunderclouds will stay away for us :thumbsup:

[castor]

However, the prospects may not be good. The forecast is for clouds and I don't get to leave central Melbourne until 7pm.

[janoskiss]

Would have loved to come along but this new moon w/e is looking like a complete write-off as far as astronomy goes. :(

Who would have thunk comets can bring so much rain?

[ving]

well it is made mostly of ice steve ;)

[danielsun]

:lol:


Just wondering if anyone is still going tonight?
There still may be some sucker holes.......Maybe.

[ballaratdragons]

True to form for up here, Thunderstorms followed by everyone packing up, going home, then the sky clears to a majestic display!

That's how it was again last night at SVAA.

Eric and Sandra made the trip up from Melbourne to join the few of us locals silly enough to stand out in the open (with scopes and Knockie mounts set up) with a Thunderstorm heading directly at us, watching the lightning get closer and closer.

After putting the gear under shelter we went inside and talked telescopes, but time had gotten away and Eric and Sandra had to leave at midnight. So they packed up and made the rainy trip back to the big City at 12:00.

At 12:05 the sky was like glass!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry guys, I'll try wind the weather forward about hour or two next time :lol:

All up, I had a terrific night without observing. It was great meeting Eric and Sandra and we got to talk 'Scopes' and EP's and Imaging etc. Even my boys helped in the description and usage of accessories! :lol:

Great night :thumbsup:

AND WE STILL DIDN'T GET TO SEE THE COMET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[erick]

Overcast all the way to Melbourne and not a star to be seen when we got back, both when I dropped Sandra home and 40 min later when I got home.

Next time.............

But, what a place - even with Ballarat light bouncing of the low cloud, it was DARK!

Also a club room, huge viewing area, undercover shelter (I could even get the car undercover to load up while it was raining).

And we learnt it's called Snake Valley, not for the obvious reason, but the shape of the creek!

And many thanks to Ken for our personal tutorial through reflectors, eyepieces, collimation, refractors, Toucam photography and image processing.

And Sandra got to see what her new binoculars are going to look like - the same as Ken's.

Many thanks Ken, his boys and the others who attended. :)

[ballaratdragons]

Your very welcome Eric. The boys and I enjoyed it. :thumbsup: