Hi & v27 (visit observatories?)

[phathag]

Hey guys,
(& esp. Iceman)
well my question is where to? (aka v27 for those who played RTCW :P )
Yes I am taking a couple of weeks holiday next weeks out past the blue mountains towards parkes and dubbo and the surrounding region. I know most of NSW telescopes are around there. I used to be very interested in astronomy (even started an astrophisics degree in it! eeeek) but haven't touched the subject in a number of years or visited any proper observatory; thought I'd find out if you guys n girls if can recommend me what telescopes would be worthwhile for myself and wife to be visiting.

if you list or link to them; and whither or not you can visit during the day and if any you can check them out at night (guessing all the major ones will be for staff and people who have booked observing time) just thought i'd check.

any tips or useful information would be really appriciated too as never been past blue mountains.

L8r
PhatHag

[iceman]

Hey phathag! Great to see you here.

The major observatories are up in Siding Springs (Coonabarabran), but there is one at Linden near the blue mountains. There's a couple of members who come from that area, so they'll be able to fill you in!

Should be a fun time! I'm going to the blue mountains for xmas holidays, so I'll even take note of some of the recommendations for myself!

[acropolite]

G'day phathag, welcom to IIS..:D

[Starkler]

OMG its the ole clan leader himself !
G'day phatty and welcome :)

[seeker372011]

Observatories



Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains-solar and night time observing

Linden-observing nights on some dates check website for details

Magellan Observatory-Lake Bathurst near goulburn-farm stay combined with observing imaging-check website

Grove Creek Observatory-near Bathurst-this is serious observing/imaging..two night minimum-check website

Bathurst itself has an observatory

so does Dubbo-a couple of C1 4s from memory

Skywatch at Coona as Iceman pointed out has a public observatory- a bunch of telescopes..not surprisingly you can look AT but not through the Anglo Australian

Gilgandra has an observatory-10 inch scope in the middle of town

Falls Creek near Cowra has an observatory

enough for now?

oh this is from memory, mainly places I have been to, the Astronomy 2005 ephemeris has a list of every observatory in Oz

[ving]

OMG WTFax!!
teh RTCW h4x0r si here!
UT pl4rorz whip j00 butzor!

umm... hi :)

[phathag]

Hey starker, & thanks iceman & seeker for the suggestions.

well looks like i've mapped out where we are driving to.
now i just need to decide which will be the best or most benificial public observatory to visit on the way.
also you think it will be worthwhile to visit (just to look at not use of course) "the dish" at parkes and all the telescopes at coonabarabran?

here the basic route i think i will take. sydney to katoomba to bathurst and orange. then if parkes IS worthwhile visiting there and up to dubbo then coonabarabran then return im not 100%. or if parkes isnt that good/nice just go from orange to wellington and dubbo etc.

what you think? and mainly whats the best public telescope that we can try on the way?

Cheers