Quote:
Originally Posted by AstralTraveller
I agree the potential of Mt Kaputar is great, although the camping ground has some of the most troublesome roos I've ever met. The problem is that I've been there 5-6 times and I've never yet had a clear night. It hasn't always been raining, though one observing weekend organised by some ASNSW folk back in the 80's it bucketed down the whole long weekend, but it has never been cloud-free. I think that is why the Warrumbungles were preferred to Katutar for the observatory. They are pretty close (ca 150km I think) but the weather is different.
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As far as I know, Mt Kaputar wasn't considered as a site. The weather at Siding Spring is far from ideal. I think 1/3 of nights are cloudy. The decision came down to a site in the Flinders Ranges with much better clear sky stats and Siding Spring. They chose Siding Spring because the sealed road was already there. It was going to cost $16, 000 extra to seal the road into the Flinders ranges site.
Kangaroos are a problem on Siding Spring as well. I remember using Tom Cragg's 12" f7 Cave Astrola newt at his house on the mountain at Siding Spring. Tom was the chief night assistant on the 150 inch for many years from commissioning of the 150 inch in 1974 until he retired 20+ years later. I was up a 6 ft ladder. Next thing Kangaroos were jumping all around the base of the ladder.
I told Tom about it the next day. He told me that he was up there one night and two males were fighting on the ladder base and he was scared they'd kick the ladder over. They kept circling the scope and when they were on the other side he came down the ladder and ran away.
Joe
Joe