Mt Kaputar 86&87? Are you in the pic?

[PeterM]

Bit of nostalgia. Just reading about extremely dark skies of Mt Kaputar on the observational thread brought back many fond memories. I have attached a pic form either 86 or 87 taken by Gregg Thompson. Just wondered how many Ice In Spacers can identify themselves in the pic? I am the one standing just left of centre with a blue shirt and hat. I can identify about 10 others including Rob McNaught, how abou you?
PeterM

[Satchmo]

Nice one! Yikes, that camp was 23 years ago :). I'm the 4th guy standing from the right, with a white T shirt. Of nostalgic interest for me is the presence in the photo of my two favorite 'scopes ever. The compact 9.5" F4.5 on pine mount , front right of me and the 8" F8 binocular to my far right. In the middle of the photo is the AAQ's 13.1" Coulter which was the first Dob i ever used in 1984 and the first Nagler 13mm as well. I certainly miss those telescopes.

It would be fun to see how many names of people in the photo we can recall . I can certainly spot Rob Mcnaught and Gordon Garrad who are still active on the amateur/professional boundaries.

[PeterM]

Yep I picked you there Mark.
Front row nealing left to right Gordon Garrad, Gregg Thompson, (the late) Nick Williams 5th along Jim Barclay, 7th (far right nealing) Don Whiteman??? not sure
Standing L/R 3rd along is Greg Bock, Tall young guy behind Nick Williams is Roy (now Dr) Duncan discoverer of many supernova remnants as a professional radio astronomer. Very back (just see his head) is Warren Sayer. Mark, I remember those 8inch binos well, had never seen anything quite like them, superb. 23 years yep and it seems like yesterday.
PeterM

[Satchmo]

Hi Peter

I can add to the list a few ASNSW members.

From far left Wayne Stewart, John Sumner ( ?) . Below the big grey tube ( a 14" F7 ) is owner Tony Buckley and to his right AAQ ( ? ) member Sue Dreves in the pink top . On the far right is double star afficionado Andrew James.

There is nice article I wrote on this camp for the pilot issue of Southern Astronomy ( which later became Sky and Space ) . If I could find it I would love to post it here. Those camps were born out of shear word of mouth and youthful enthusiasm , nothing like the well organised and advertised established camps we enjoy now.

Is the organiser of the camp , Greg Thompson still involved in amateur astronomy ?

Mark

[Wavytone]

I remember when that was taken - I wasn't in that shot though. There's Andrew James far right, Wayne Stuart far left (and his f/15 6" dob)... John Sumner 2nd from left ... John had a 10" classical cass that year. Greg Thompson is the one crouching down second from the left wearing sunnies... Steve Lee up the back 7th from the left black hair and sunglasses.

In the first shot below another ASNSW member - Merilyn Matthews is standing 7th from left in front of Steve Lee.

Small square scope in the foreground of the first shot is my 6" f/18 folded newtonian. The last two are for those who haven't been there - the peak is a short walk from the campsite. PS apologies for the compression to get below 200kB.

Credit for the original plot for these events is due to both Greg Thompson (AAQ) for motivating the Queenslanders and Andrew James for motivating ASNSW starting about 1980. With the commitment to find a site in NSW (and subsequently Wiruna) ASNSW killed off the annual trek to Kaputar. I've been three time since, on my own.

Should do it again, I reckon.

Ah yes. There was one other thing about Kaputar - if you want an idea of how clear the air can be, at sunrise on the peak it is possible to spot the dome of the AAO 150" glinting in the sun on the horizon, 155 km as the crows flies, and the area visible from the peak is about the size of scotland.

[PeterM]

Hi Mark, Sue Dreves was a member of The SAS(Qld). Gregg Thompson developed and ran Infinity on the Gold Coast, he is semi retired but still is involved with Infinity, not so much observational astronomy. He has a nice penthouse in the centre of Surfers with his 18inch Dob on the roof. I talk with him quite often, if you would like to call or email him send PM me and I will give you his contacts. In wavytone image I am banana legs on the far left (blue shirt). Yep I see Steve Lee there. Martin Spencer is to the left of Sue Dreves on the first image I posted.
PeterM

[AstralTraveller]

I can add another two. I reckon I (David Wheeler) am the tall bloke in the hat and sunnies above the aperture of the blue scope. The bloke to the left with the hat and 'IAS' tee-shirt (Illawarra Astronomical Society) is Peter MacKinnon. I remember that there were a couple of blokes besides Mark there who worked for AOS - one called Andew perhaps?

Despite the impression this picture would give my memory is of constant cloud and frequent rain. I have some pictures taken on a walk Peter and I did where visibility was down to 200m. I've been back a few times since (as a tourist) and generally had cloudy weather. I reckon I know why the AAT wasn't put there.

[Wavytone]

Yep... Kaputar cops the cloud when there is a low parked off the east coast. very common in cyclone season - and I recall seeing a cloud chart somewhere showing November - Christmas is the worst possible time to go there. Precisely why the AAO wasn't sited there. The distance from both Sydney and Brisbane means its still protected from the light domes from Sydney and Brisbane, whereas the AAO is no longer.

What had us fooled was that the early years it was really good - and I'm thinking 1980 - 83 - thanks to a drought. The Kaputar park was burnt by bushfire in '83 and the drought ended in '84 with Narrabri flooded that year, from then on it was pretty dreadful...

The clearest time at Kaputar is I suspect April-May which is when I visited in subsequent years, though its getting cold at night then.

[Satchmo]

I think we had a good night on the main night that year. The year before we never saw the sky, something I remeber well as I'd burnt the midnight oil to finish the 8" binos and they hadn't seen first light.

I can see Wayne Stewart and David Ash who were working at Astro Optical Supplies as was I at the time.

I think the best year was 2003/2004. I've never seen M33 in Triangulum naked eye so clearly since.

[hector]

Andrew James and Glen dawes on either side of Marks Binos. Neiling in front is Melvin England, Adrian Saw behind Glen Dawes. Tony Buckley at the back in front of his 14" below the focuser. Just a few that I recognise.
The pic must be from 86 as I dont see me there.

[Enchilada]

Adrian Saw wasn't there...

[Enchilada]

The Star Party began with myself, Dawes and Harrip in 1981, and myself and Wavytone in 1981 and 1982. I recall that M.Harrip and I went on the tour of the main observatories in New South Wales in 1977, and had travelled north through Coonabarabran and Narrabri. We stayed in the national parks (through lack of funds), and observed from the Warrumbungles and Mt Kaputar.
The latter proved to be the best place because of its altitude and pleasant camping grounds. The sky had excellent dark-skies and several places which allowed views of most directions of the sky and was at least protected from the wind. I returned there by myself several times between 1978-1980 observing mainly with the C8. Then Harrip joined the Air Force in Queensland. In 1981, and Dawes and me, with Harrip meet at Mt. Kaputar.
It was one trip up the mountain that we discussed have an annual Star Party here for observation. We discussed this idea with Loveday, and going to the 1982 NACAA in Brisbane, went via Mt Kaputar. Wavytone, after seeing the skies, suggested we should hold a joint these Star Party between the ASNSW and the Queensland Society's. Other societies then also joined in.
After investigation we held Star Party's in the following years (1983-1986) - and as far as I know these were the first true Star Parties in New South Wales.
It ended in 1986 with disgruntlement with the weather and the distance to get there. The concept of the ASNSW star party started around this time when some members decided to think of a site closer to home - assisted greatly be a significant bequest. This lead to 1988 when the South Pacific Star Party was created - all out of the ashes of Mt Kaputar.
Still love the place, and reminds me of my more carefree youth. If I had my way my own ashes would be scattered there - if only because it is just a very beautiful place in New South Wales.

[Jen]

:eyepop: 23 years ago i was only 12 :P
nah i wasnt there :)