Evening all. Only recently joined IIS and I'd posted to a couple of threads when I became aware of the fact that most newbies post a new thread introducing themselves. So here we go then.
Have always had a latent interest in Astronomy and often found myself looking up at the stars and wondering what I was looking at, apart from sheer beauty. About 12 months ago my very wonderful brother Steve (he of the Gargoyle fame) gave me a pair of 20x80 binos, a heap of star charts, Steve Massey's "Exploring the Moon"and lots of encouragement. Just recently, my other wonderful brother Don sent me a Celestron 65 mm spotting scope that he upgraded from. This has been great for checking out the Moon, but I can see that the need for a half decent scope is not too far away.I'm also interested in terrestrial photography, bushwalking, Doctor Who and of course, dogs. I live roughly half way between Alice Springs and Pine Gap and am blessed with some truly dark skies. Please be nice to me if you see me on the forums asking dumb questions. Dark skies to all!
DS. I've had the pleasure of meeting both your brothers quite a few times over the past 18 months or so and you pretty lucky having such great brothers. They are both top guys.
(Paul, aka 1ponders, whom you met back up this thread, also bought a pair of those wonderful 20x80 bino's after hearing me spruke on about how good they were. Bloody good, aren't they? )
One of the best "Astro" things Phil (aka Dog Star) and Don and I ever did was to charter a helicopter and go for a flight around and over the Gosses Bluff comet impact crater. The central "dimple" is pretty much all that remains clearly visible, and that's a ring of hills about 5km's across. A few days earlier we had driven the long and dusty road and toured it at ground level, but you really can't appreciate it until you've seen it from the air!
This was back in '99 after both my brothers had moved to the Alice from Brisbane, and I was traveling Central Oz and spent a few weeks visiting them.
Welcome Phil, you should be able to see heaps from your NT location with 20x80s.
There are 210 NGC & IC galaxies to magnitude 10.5 south of declination +50, you will be able to see most of them.
Humble thanks to all for the warm welcome. IIS generates a sense of community and belonging unlike any site i've visited (astro or otherwise) Take a bow, people. You have something special here.
Ron - Had a most interesting night at your place last year. You made the sky come alive for me. Hope to see you later this year or early next.
Mike - As they used to say in the ad; You'll never never know if you never never go.
Phil - You're obviously a lover of really bad puns. We're gonna get on famously! By the way, where did you get such a great and eminent name?
Paul, Ric and Houghy - Yes, I am blessed regards dark skies. One drawback of that for beginners is the discrepancy between what's printed on star charts and what I can see with my eyes. NOT complaining! Just a bit confused. You'd be surprised however at the light pollution generated by Pine Gap. I'm tempted to knock on their gate one night and ask them to turn it down. Don't know where that would get me though. Jail, probably!
So here we go then.
![[1ponders]'s Avatar](../vbiis/customavatars/avatar45_9.gif){kind=avatar}
DS. I've had the pleasure of meeting both your brothers quite a few times over the past 18 months or so and you pretty lucky having such great brothers. They are both top guys. 
)
Groan! 
