Blue Mountains, 30th April - Katoomba Airfield

[mental4astro]

Hi all,

Clouds, clouds, clouds! All we could see last Saturday, :sadeyes:.

Well, if the planets all align, I'll be at Katoomba Airfield on Saturday April 30.

Hopefully things will finally go well for us. Three months without a session at a dark site! I've started developing a nervous tick, :scared2:.

Mind you, it was a rather novel experience to look up at the clouded over sky, and not see anything! Not a cloud, not a star, nothing!! The light pollution is such that you can't see the clouds! Amazing! I've been in the city too long for this to excite me, :lol:.

Mental.

[AG Hybrid]

Fingers crossed. See you there.

[mr bruess]

lets hope the clouds will clear

[qld]

:thumbsup:they do at WIRUNA and everybodys welcome and insured whether you are a member or a visitor,stay the night in comfort in one of several ski lodge style accomodations unless you want to camp or bring your van ,beats the hell out of ruffing it and you get the opportunity to look through some very big scopes as well ... clouds ? what clouds! check the web page of ASNSW this month from 29th to 31 .

[Sylvain]

Ahahaha hilariously the sad thruth :S

[mental4astro]

Qld, thank you for the suggestion of Wiruna. It certainly is an option for many folks. For me, and some others, Wiruna is just that bit too far. Katoomba Airfield offers a convienence of proximaty and sky quality that suits our needs.

I would like to visit Wiruna though. It's Scott Mellish stomping ground, and I'd really like to join him while he's on a sketching session! I'd also like to come to SPSP there too. Hopefully next year.

The good news is that the any liability issues at the Airfield have been resolved. I sought legal advise, and the solution is I require to have attendees sign a release form, which absolves me, as the organiser of the meet, from any loss, damage or harm experienced by the attendees.

These are the types of forms typically found at many types of public events.

Alas it has come to this. I apologise if this measure offends anybody.

Now, if the clouds behave on the 30'th, :lol:.

----

As always, everyone is welcome to join us. Scope or no scope, experienced or novice, young and old.

The site is completely BYO everything- power, gear, food, drink, etc.

There are loos for the ladies and kiddies.

We are also welcome to use the office building to sleep if the night becomes a late one, :thumbsup:.

Torch light is the only light that is available. Red light at that too! If this is your first visit, you can make a mask for your torch with two or three layers of red cellophane over the torch face. Cheap and easy.

Parking is no issue- it's an airfield! See the pics.

Hopefully we'll see you there.

Mental.

[qld]

well thats an option open to you and all and i certainly hope that your group makes the pilgrimage to join the regulars at Wiruna sooner rather than later, it wont dissappoint you,the photos of the Airfield are impressive and i can understand your use of that site. on the question of liability im not that sure that the release form you refer to will cover all issues or situations ,indeed what you may have created is a deemed unincorporated association which brings about a host of other legal problems comencing with everyone being liable collectively to third parties and i can go on from there,,,,best you are not seen as THE DEFACTO ORGANISER WHATSOEVER nor that you are seen as the promoter...anyway best of luck to you and your friends and clear skies yassou

[mental4astro]

Yassou,

Thank you for your well intentioned advise, however I did seek professional counsel, and am best guided by their word.

There is no defacto organiser. It's been me all the time. You can look at all the prior threads on this topic. If, down the line, fellow attendees and I decide to form a formal structure, other than me as the sole organiser, then the appropriate measures will be followed. I would so much hate to see any further complications arise to the whole amateur astronomy fraturnity here in Australia than has already occured.

I can only imagine the qulity of the sky available to you at Wiruna. If from here at the Airfield the Taranturla Nebula is an easy naked eye object, gee, I'm sure you'd be able to see the Crab Nebula over there, :lol:. I am looking forward to joining you there soon. Truth be said, I'd like to bring my little boy too to make it more of a family thing as it would have to be an overnight stay. He's a little young still, and even now he gets upset when I'm off to the Airfield without him, :sadeyes:. That breaks my heart, :sad:.

I'm itching to get in some good scope time. It's been too long due to the prevailing weather pattern. Nothing we can do about that, other than do another 200km round trip for pizza, :lol:. Mmmmm, pizza...

[mr bruess]

wanna visit Katoomba Airfield for observing.

[mental4astro]

I'd love to see you there, Mr Bruess

[sasup]

im sailing on saturday, ill see how tierd I am. It would be good to catch up.

[Sylvain]

Looks like it's gonna be rainy again -_-'

[mental4astro]

:windy: :windy: I'm not going, :sadeyes: :sadeyes: :sadeyes:.

[Sylvain]

It's so difficult to get the stars aligned :(

[Manav]

Next friday or saturday night?

[Steffen]

Not a bad idea! The moon will be gone by about 8pm.

Cheers
Steffen.

[FlashDrive]

There are loos for the ladies and kiddies.

And " Trees " for the Guy's .... :P

[Manav]

Yeah I checked in Stellarium.

[yusufcam]

have to get out to a dark site soon.....

it cleared up late saturday in the city

first time i've been able to identify the galatic centre around scorpius/sagittarius with the naked eye from home.

so it was actually very clear after midnight..