Visitor in Adelaide needs your urgent help

[Gerrymac]

Hi,
I've just arrived in Adelaide for Christmas through to Jan 6th with my family and I'm desperate to have a look at the highlights of the beautiful southern sky. Does anyone have a decent cat so that I can have a look at a few of the objects I'll never see from London? I'm in Western Adelaide and I'm willing to take a taxi ride if you're willing to host me for an hour or so and show me what you can see. I live in Central London and so I peer through the worst orange skies in Europe where the only galaxy I can see is M31 and where I have to flip from one filter to another to try and screen out the dreadful glow. I know that metropolitan Adelaide has it's light pollution, but I would happily swap your glow for mine :-)
So, I know it's holiday time and that everyone is weighed down by family obligations, but if you are willing to take a little time out, I'd be a willing student - just drop me a PM.
Cheers,
Gerrymac.

[Liz]

Welcome to Australia Gerrymac, :hi: and am sure someone will come forward to help you out.
Lucky you are not in tropical north Queenland as we have an overabundance of cloud.
Enjoy your time in Aus, and make sure you see the Magellanic clouds - easy naked eye in darkish site, 47 Tuc and Omega Centauri. :thumbsup:
Merry Christmas too. :xmas::reindeer:

[Gerrymac]

Thanks Liz,
I'm sitting here in Adelaide with a copy of Stellarium on my PC and I'm going to have a squint at the sky. It looks nice and dark to my eye but I'm sure some country observers would say it's polluted. It's a real pity I wasted luggage space on the usual friviouus family junk and left my Skywatcher Equinox ED80 at home. I'm afraid my priorities were all wrong :)
Here's hoping someone picks up my plaintive request.
All the best,
Gerrymac.

[batema]

Go to Skymaps.com and print off the swouthern hemisphere map as it shows the constellations that can be seen but alsoon page 2 it has a list of objects that can be seen with the naked eye, binoculars and telescopes. Merry Christmas. You could also download Cart de ciel and use that in conjunction with the skymap to get more information.

Mark

[Gerrymac]

Mark,
Thanks for your note.
I use Stellarium so I've been able to change my 'location' and with the PC's timezone changed, I can see all the southern sky's objects; however this only adds to the frustration because it make me realise what I'm missing. I like to feel the thump of photons impacting on the back of my eye. I have had a look at the main naked sky objects (I particularly liked 'upside down' Orion), but I do want to see them through a more familiar focal length of 2800mm.
All the best
Gerrymac

[Analog6]

I looked up the ASA list (http://asa.astronomy.org.au/observatories.html) of observatories for you (links where available) - no idea of opening hours etc but here you go, get those fingers walking through the phone book - or the online Telstra white pages

The Adelaide Observatory (http://www.bom.gov.au/sa/inside/history/the_adelaide_observatory.shtml)
University of Adelaide Observatory (http://www.physics.adelaide.edu.au/~pmcgee/adobs.htm)
Adelaide Planetarium (http://www.unisa.edu.au/planetarium/) - University of South Australia
Private Observatories
DO3-12 Mr Justin Tilbrook, Private Observatory (Penwortham, SA)
DO3-13 The Stockport Observatory (http://www.assa.org.au/facilities/stockport/) (Astronomical Society of South Australia, near Adelaide)
DO3-24 Douglas Scrub Observatory (Astronomical Society of South Australia, near Adelaide)
DO3-34 The Heights School Observatory (http://www.assa.org.au/facilities/theheights/) (Adelaide SA)

[TheDecepticon]

Howdy. I would gladly help, however, I am heading into the bush for the next week. We will be back on the 31st, so we could arrange something after that. We could use my LX90 8" if that would be suitable.
Alternatively, you could look up the Astronomical Society of South Australia at www.assa.org.au and some one from there could help you.
Do you have an Australian mobile phone number for me to contact you on after I return? If you want me to contact you, send your number to me in a private message through this forum.
Cheers and clears.:)

[Gerrymac]

Odille,
Rather belatedly, I want to say thanks for taking the time to reply with your selection of Astronomy sites and observatories in or near Adelaide
. I did have a look on the Internet but it seems that any that have public events in January, have these days after Jan 6th when I leave Australia rto eeturn home to the UK. I've bought an apallingly cheap Tasco refractor from Cash Convertors but I can't see a thing with it (a) because it's a piece of optical tat and (b) because I'm hopelessly dependent on my Celestron GoTo. And, by way of a coda, no one explained to me that mosquitoes seem to hand around waiting for amateur astronomers. I was mauled and will be going home with a crop of inflamed bites. I'm beginning to think that astronomy is more of a dangerous sport than a hobby in suburban Adelaide.
All the best,

Gerrymac

[Ric]

Don't worry about the mozzies Adrian, we have little house spiders called Huntsmen that take care of them. ;)

Cheers

[Liz]

Oh Adrian, still no luck with any Adelaidians?? Alas, people pretty busy holidaying etc.
Yikes, a Cash Converters Tasco .... then the attack of the Aussie Mozzie. You are living on the wild side!! :help:
To add to that, its supposed to be 41 dg today!!! :scared2:
Happy New Year. :D