Best club/society to join? (Melbourne)

[cloudparter]

Hi,

I'm an interested newbie who's spent a few clear nights looking at the sky and considering buying my first scope. (The 10" GS Dobs look very nice!)

After reading your advice in various threads, I think I need to join a club and look through some scopes to see if Astronomy is the thing for me. Where should I start?

Ken's Snake Valley club looks interesting but would be a decent drive for me.

The Astronomical Society of Melbourne and also the Astronomical Society of Victoria also look respectable (the Vic Society in particular seems very professional).

You'll probably all have different opinions as to where I should go! But I'd appreciate some experiences you've had with these societies (and others in Vic).


Cheers,
Matt

[janoskiss]

Each of those serve a different purpose. whereabouts in Melbourne are you? You might like to consider the Mornington Peninsula astro society also.

[cloudparter]

I'm in East Melbourne, essentially next door to the CBD.

The Mornington Peninsula might be a little far to drive, but I'm open to suggestions!

[cristian abarca]

Hi Matt I'm a member of the ASV and they are a very professional association with roughly 1000 members. They have a deep sky site out at Heathcote which for me in the outer eastern suburbs isn't very close. so I joined the Mornington peninsula society as well as it's a bit closer. I would be looking at these two societies personally.

Regards cristian

[anthony2302749]

I would suggest that you look at the ASV considering that you are close to the CBD. The ASV have regular monthly meeting at the Old Mebourne Observatory site, Club house in Burwood etc, plus more. Living in the East Melbourne there should not be a problem in getting to ASV dark sky site at Heathcote.

Anthony
ASV Member

[ballaratdragons]

Pick us, pick us :lol:

Matt, whichever Society/Club you end up joining, feel free to come up here any time anyway. We aren't 'member' exclusive. We enjoy having visitors :thumbsup:

[janoskiss]

Either way you will have to put some distance between you and the CBD before you can start doing anything resembling astronomy. (you can look at the Moon and a couple of planets but that's about it.)

[astro_nutt]

Hi cloudparter...
Please feel free to browse at the ASV's website www.asv.org.au
The next big event will be the Autumnal Messier Star Party on March 17th at the ASV's dark sky site about 10 kms North of Heathcote. It's a great way to meet many others plus a chance to view through a wide variety of scopes.
Check out the photo gallery of the 2006 Xmas star-b-que.
Cheers!
Norm.
ASV Member

[crystal_stars]

:hi: As a new person to astronomy I joined the ASV last year, and found it very good. It's nice to talk to other people just beginning to learn about astronomy. Also, from a location perspective it sounds like the ASV would be closest to you, with regular meetings at the botanical gardens and in at the clubrooms in Burwood, and if you're near the CBD you're probably not from from the freeways to get up to the dark sky site at Heathcote. Anyway, whichever club you join I'm sure you meet plenty of friendly people, they seem to be everywhere in astronomy:D


C.