Visiting Australia from Seattle

[wagen13 (Mike)]

Howdy! I'll be visiting Australia this summer (roughly Dec 15 to Jan 3). I'm a casual observer, averaging only a couple of sessions a year due to many competing hobbies and family activities, and Western Washington's uncooperative weather and late twilight in the few months of the year that are less plagued by clouds and atrocious seeing! I've been dreaming of a trip to the southern sky since I began in 1996, so I'm very excited by this probably-once-in-a-lifetime trip! The farthest south I've been is 18 degrees N (Mullet Bay, Sint Maarten), so I've seen Omega Centauri, but barely.

My wife will be in Sydney from November for work with her collaborator at the Children's Cancer Institute. Our tentative plan is to stay on in Sydney for about a week, then go to the Melbourne or maybe Adelaide area through Christmas, then finally a few days near Mackay or Cairns. None of the details have been finalized yet, however, so the order of those sites could be re-arranged. I'm looking to learn ASAP if there are any events (e.g. star parties) in any of these areas during our weeks there, in order to try to accommodate them as I firm up our plans. Please let me know of any you are aware of.

Advice on open observing sites would also be much appreciated. Looking for lodging that is near a good, dark observing site might help select from the many various choices.

Equipment is a big issue, of course. For wide-field views, I have a Canon 15 x 50 IS binocular. For low power, those are nearly perfect, except that if they're not on a tripod, you can't share the view with others who don't know the location of the object. Portable scopes I have are an ST80 f/5 achro, a cheap 80 mm ED Celestron and an also-cheap 100 mm f/6 achro (which I used on the 18 N trip), any of which rides acceptably well (if there's no wind) on a home-made alt-az mount on a photo tripod. I might replace my wife's old aluminum Bogen tripod with a carbon-fiber version in an attempt to firm up the mount a little. I would bring the 80 mm ED for it's better high-power image quality, but 100 mm is more expendable, and if I got tired of dragging it around, I might simply give it to my wife's collaborator in Sydney, since I have virtually never used it since I got the 80 mm ED. The ST80 would be the easiest to transport, but it's probably not optically worthy of this trip.

The alternative would seem to be ordering a small (6" or maybe 8" Dob) to be delivered to my wife's collaborator and leaving it with her after I'm finished. Moving that around with all our other gear may be impractical in a rented car, however, so that would limit me to a session or two while we are in the Sydney area. What are prices for those as delivered in Australia?

Thanks,
Mike

[dannat (Daniel)]

best observing sites in Australian eastern seaboard is inland of the great dividing range, varies between about 50-100km inland of our major coastal cities (adelaide being the samllst of the big cities is prob closer to get out of town)
asf or xmas star parties -astro society of Victoria has a xmas star-b-que, but its in early Dec, rather than after xmas

[el_draco (Rom)]

Bring Daphne Moon with ya, Leave Niles behind. When you get here, Send her Hobart, I'll meet her at the terminal.

If this makes no sense, you're life is empty

[rustigsmed (Russell)]

hi mike,

how about picking up a cheap 8" dob while over here and selling it after you're done?

A couple of places maybe worth visiting, Parkes (radio telescope) in NSW and the Siding Spring observatory. In fact staying near Coonabarabran NSW (Warrumbungle National Park ) would be an ideal spot for observing. Otherwise if you're doing a road trip inter-metro you're not going to have to go too far to avoid the light pollution.

all the best

Rusty

[Wavytone]

Well... You're here from new moon to full... Doesn't make much sense buying a scope as you'll only have a few days after you arrive before the moon spoils the deep sky stuff.

The other thing is the weather in the blue mountains west of Sydney has been consistently abysmal for stargazing on the nights that matter.

Maybe better to join some of the locals for an observing night on a Saturday close to new moon; if the weather permits; that way you'll get to use a scope bigger than you can accommodate and a knowledgable guide.

[Steffen]

I second that. If the weather is good I'd strongly suggest to join one the IIS mobs around Sydney on their observing night(s). That way you'll truly get an appreciation of the Southern skies. We are very accommodating to visitors

A few of us trek to pretty dark skies in the Blue Mountains on Saturdays near new moon. The Western Sydney Amateur Astronomy Group also holds observing nights on adjacent weekends if practical, and sometime throws in impromptu nights on Fridays, before public holidays and even during the week when warranted. They have a 30" Dob, fully decked out with Argo Navis and ServoCat

When the time comes just post here asking "who can I join to observe" and you'll get several options.

Cheers
Steffen.