Best observing site in Australia?

[okiscopey]

Ignoring whether it’s a good place to live and other practical factors, what’s the theoretically best place for optical astronomy in Australia?

What prompted me to think about this was the ‘not perfectly dark sky’ at Kulnura recently and the horrendous ‘dripping dew’ problem I encountered as a newbie observer. Also someone from OS asked a similar question recently, but inevitably they had real-life constraints.

We’re all aware that altitude, dark skies, minimal average cloud cover, laminar air flow and dry air is good, but where in Australia (excluding the Antarctic territories) do ‘all the curves cross’?

Obviously much work was done in chosing a site for the AAO … so if that’s the best place, what’s the next best place and (if possible) why?

Here’s my contribution: top of Mount Sonder, 1380m, W. MacDonnell ranges, NT

P.S.1 “Somewhere else in the Warrumbungles” is disallowed!

P.S.2 Apologies if this has been discussed before.

P.S.3 You can tell I’m at a bit of a loose end at the moment.

[iceman]

i guess Sidings Springs is chosen for a reason.. but not sure what the mountains would do to the seeing there.

Tasmania generally should be good, but I think they have smog/smoke/rain problems. I think FNQ is one of the best places due to being above the jetstream. Their only problem is the 6 months of cloud and rain each year :)

[astroron]

The Flinders Rangers in South Australia were on the list for the AAT but where just pipped by Sidings Spring Mountain.
If I had lots of money that's where I would be.

[GrampianStars]

:) Australia is generally FLAT compared to most of the major sites on the planet

I have a dark site 6.5 mag visually

The best crisp dark sky I ever saw was in the Nullabor Plain WA :eyepop:

[snowyskiesau]

I'd have to agree with this. Crossing the Nullabor about 35 years ago and camped at the WA/SA border. No traffic, no lights. Unforgettable.

[DobDobDob]

I have been told that the seeing is really excellent an hour's drive away from Perth.

[snowyskiesau]

True, if you head south east from Perth you can avoid the major towns.
I was over there in October last year and the skies were surprisingly dark for being such a short distance from a major city.

[Argonavis]

I understand that Coonabrabran was chosen not so much for its having pristine dark skies (it doesn't) but for having dark skies convenient to a major city, as it is only a few hundred kms from Sydney.

Outback SA was possibly considered for the same reason, ie it is reasonably proximate to Adelaide, in terms of only being a few hours drive. I understand that it is a lot darker than the Warumbungles.

[ballaratdragons]

They almost built the 'Australia Telescope' at Mt. Arapiles in western Victoria not only due to the dark skies, but because the whole area has non-reflective soil, which apparently reduces reflectivity of starlight back into the sky! :eyepop:

There are not many places that have non-reflective soil.

Alas, they ended up building the scope near Canberra coz it was closer to the political centre of the country for visiting dignitaries to visit the scope. Unfair!!!

[CometGuy]

Mt Kaptutar in NSW is the best Australian site I have been to so far. 5000 feet elevation and relatively dry conditions make it pretty ideal.

Terry

[glenc]

The Gregory Ranges in North Qld. are dark, dry, clear most of the year and you can see most of the northern sky. They are west of Townsville and north of Hughenden. See the number of clear days here:
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_030024.shtml

[glenc]

These maps give the altitude/elevation and daily hours of sunshine in Oz.
http://www.ga.gov.au/education/facts/images/relief.gif
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/climatology/sunshine_hours/IDCJCM0013_sunshine-hours.shtml

[fringe_dweller]

wow awesome links/maps glenc :thumbsup:
altho mt lofty is 710 mtrs at summit - but is shown as under 600mtrs :shrug: i know other places are as elevated that arent marked as such!? hmmm

[glenc]

Mt Lofty is shown as over 600m, its just that the dot is too small to see. ;)

Here is a better map:
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16765

[ausastronomer]

Terry,

Agreed. Pristine dark skies combined with regular sub arc second seeing at Mt Kaputah.

Argo Navis,

Whilst there are several places in Australia with slightly darker skies than Coonabarabran it is certainly pretty dark and there are a lot more places with skies "not as dark". It is certainly a good bit darker than anywhere you will find in North America. Out on Timor road towards the AAT the skies are very good. We usually get better than 21.6 on the Unihedron Sky Quality Meter, with 22 being the theoretical maximum attainable.

The darkest skies I have seen is in Dusky Sound in the South Western corner of the South Island of New Zealand. There is no road access within 150 kms of it and minimal population within 500 kms of it.

CS-John B