Hi folks,
This has been VERY lean year,
But one thing about astronomers is we are an optimistic bunch,
So, let's have one last try for a visit to Mt Victoria Rd Obs site for the 26th of November.
The site is a tick over 3km from the Victoria Falls Rd/Great Western Hwy intersection. The road surface is unsealed but nothing that a sedan can't handle. It just requires some careful driving as the surface can be rutted and have some gouges cut out of it due to water erosion. If you've been to the Airfield, the road surface here is the same. Access to the Obs field is good, and if it gets busy, there is more parking, which can also be used as a second obs field, just 20m further up.
Note that the site is immediately behind a large red rock on the right hand side of the road, and up a slight rise - see the pics below for the turn off location and the large red rock on the road side.
The site is truly fantastic with a totally uninterrupted 360° horizon, and even a peak of the Sydney Harbour Bridge some 92km away from a tiny gap between Mt Banks and the neighbouring ridge! Only thing is it is totally exposed being on top of a ridge, and only with low shrubbery around it - not the trees that surround the runway at the Airfield.
If you haven't been to a dark sky site, this is a good chance to do so with like minded folks who are only too happy to help out. Scope or no scope, it doesn't matter. Just be aware that astro dark sky fields use only red light, NOT white light. So if you only have a white light torch, cover it with two or three layers of red cellophane. I may have a few little red lights I can hand out too. Be aware too that it is really dark out here, and not a great place for little kids to go wondering.
I'm hoping to get there around 6:30pm. But as always, keep an eye on this thread for any last minute changes, even cancellation, all depending on the weather and bushfires.
Hope to see you there.
Alex.
