Hi all,
Rod's given the OK for an astro session for Saturday 6th of July at the Airfield.
It's the middle of winter, & it WILL be cold. 1000m above sea level, & you do feel it. Come rugged up! The blessing of the Airfield is the combustion heater in the office - you can get some feeling back into your frozen toes before heading back out again.
July sees the full splendour of the central region of the Milky Way splashed across the sky. The dark conditions allow us to see the "Emu" in the sky - a stretch of dark dust & gas obscurring the glow of the Milky Way that has the shape of an Emu stretched across the heavens. This is probably my favourite time of the year for observing. So many galactic & extra galactic wonders to be seen in the one night. The cooler weather also making for a more stable atmosphere, making for better observing conditions. It just can get so cold!!!
Recent rain has regouged the unsealed last 3km of the road leading to the Airfield, so take it slow. Such a shame as it had been newly graded not to long ago.
As always, I'll try to get there by sunset,
. Rod is usually there anyway, so someone is always present for any early comers. There's no set finishing time as we are welcome to stay all night. We can also crash in the office - that fire is soooo welcome,
Hope to see you there.
Mental.