What is the seeing quality in the Cooma area like?

[strongmanmike]

Just wondering if any IIS'ers live in the Cooma/Berridale area and can provide any feedback on the general astro seeing and weather quality in your area?

Mike

[The Mekon]

Mike,
there are a couple of comments on this area in this recent thread http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=184318.
We have a holiday place in Cooma and I observe there regularly.

[strongmanmike]

Cheers John, are you in the greater Cooma area, or out a bit? Do you find the seeing agreeable very often? I had previously heard that the Bombala area for example, can be a bit soft a lot of the time..?

Mike

[The Mekon]

The place is an old SMA house in North Cooma. Sometimes I travel north up Mittagang road for a darker sky. As I spend much more time at home in Bowral, my assessment of conditions may not be accurate, but I have had a much higher proportion of excellent nights at Cooma than Bowral. Also does not get the orographic cloud effect in Summer that I suffer from at home.
Not sure of your exact location near Canberra but it may be every bit as good as Cooma.

[multiweb]

Seeing would get better with altitude. I always wonder about surface wind around that area. Would that be something to factor in too? The elephant in the room is bushfires though. Most locations have only one way in and out.

[strongmanmike]

Thanks for the feedback John, my main concern was if being at the eastern side and below the Snow Mountains, played any havoc with the seeing or cloud cover? I am currently just 10km north of Canberra at 600m ASL and I am quite happy with the seeing quality in general but would be keen on darker skies, however, I'd hate to get under darker skies but experience worse seeing :doh: ...as a deep sky imager, seeing quality trumps darkness IMO :)




I agree regarding altitude, I can get to 850-900m pretty easily in the Cooma/Berridale area but as I said to John, I wouldn't want to have darker skies but worse seeing :scared:

Mike