Leon Mow Dark Site (VIC)

[Stephane]

Hi all,

I’ve never imaged anywhere other than my Bortle 6 backyard and I would like to try some galaxy imaging at a dark site. I hear the Leon Mow Dark Site in Victoria is a good location with practical facilities available (kitchen, toilets, etc), it’s gated meaning I can sleep easy without worrying my rig will be gone in the morning (hopefully…).

There is an $80 / year membership fee. So I’m wondering if anyone here has been there. What are the facilities like? Any photos? Any info would be much appreciated.

Many thanks,
Stéphane

[AstroViking]

Hi Stephane,

The LMDSS is owned and operated by the ASV (Astronomical Society of Victoria). You need to be (as you pointed out) a member to access the site.

I'm a member and have been there several times. The facilities are good, if a little on the "functional" side, but these areas include a kitchen and common-room area, accommodation rooms and a fairly new toilet/shower block. There is plenty of space to put a tent if required.

The observing field is a large, open space with limited power (I think there's only 1 power outlet) whilst the imaging / astrophotography field has 6 piers (BYO adaptor) and multiple power outlets (BYO extension cord).

Unfortunately, the dark skies up there are getting lighter. In the last year I have noticed that the housing developments at Wallan and parts of Bendigo are affecting the skies. But it's still a lot, lot darker than suburban Melbourne!

Regards,
V

[strongmanmike]

Don't underestimate the effects of the Tongan explosion and solar activity, the skies at my dark site are not quite as good as they were last year either and there has been no development anywhere nearby that could explain it. Might improve again next year, usually takes a couple of years for a major eruption to fully dissipate....

Mike

[AstroViking]

Thanks! :):):)

[alpal]

I've never been to the Leon Mow Dark Site but I have spoken to many people who have.
It is a very good place for deep sky imaging but there are some drawbacks:
It's a long way North of Melbourne.
If your target is South then the lights of Melbourne will
cause some gradient problems.
If the clouds come over or you have some equipment problem
then you've wasted a lot of time and money to go there.



So if you live in the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne
you'll find the same dark skies a lot closer out East.
That will also give you darker views when targeting South.
The problem then is to find a place that is clear of trees
and that hopefully has a 240V power supply.
Running a mono camera with a Peltier cooler uses a lot of power
so a large, expensive, deep cycle battery and sometimes inverters are required
if there's no 240V mains.


cheers
Allan