what are skies like near Wollongong?

[spearo (Frank)]

Hi
considering a very potential job in Wollongong/Shelharbour.

Is it hopeless for astronomy (ie skies always overcast etc) or is it ok?
what if I live 1/2 hour away from coast inland ?
any input appreciated
i have a week to decide whether to apply for the job

frank

[Ian Robinson]

The place is surrounded by big mountains and you have Bluescope and a lot of very polluting industries in the area - light pollution , dust emissions , smoke emissions (will be concentrated at night time as is seems the tradition with lots of companies .... like people aren't aware of this).

Viewing conditions in The Gong , near Kembla and most places near there will be horrible I think.

I expect you'd have an effect akin to what happens in LA (where lots of the pollution gets trapped by the mountains over the narrow coastal plain and it just accumulates until a storm comes along and the rain clears some of it).

You'd need to travel a fair way S or W to get away from the light pollution and the pollution ploom , especially in summer when the sea breezes are the prevailing effect in the evenings.

[AstralTraveller (David)]

Originally Posted by spearo

Hi
considering a very potential job in Woolongong/Shelharbour.

Is it hopeless for astronomy (ie skies always overcast etc) or is it ok?
what if I live 1/2 hour away from coast inland ?
any input appreciated
i have a week to decide whether to apply for the job

frank

Gidday. The first thing you need to know about the 'Gong is that we really really hate people misspelling the name of the place. It's Wollongong and there is no wool here.

Now, after calming down, I can also suggest you look at my avatar. I can also report that the first Europeans to come here were logging the Red Cedars which grew here in the rainforests. Yes, the climate is suitable for growing rainforests. At the back of Wollongong is an escarpment about 400-500m high and on days like today when the wind blows onshore the consequent uplift causes cloud and rain. We also tend to get cloud if the wind comes from the north, south, east or west, or anywhere in between. OK not really but it is pretty cloudy.

It is much cloudier than Braidwood but a better observing location than Sydney; it has less light pollution (especially down around Shellharbour) and it is easier to get out of town. I live in Gwynneville, at the base of Mt Ousley and 1km from the centre of town and travel to Bargo to observe, about 40 minutes away (at least I can walk to work at the Uni). Places like Picton and Wilton are closer and there are lots of new places being built at Wilton.

If you are working around Shellharbour then you should consider travelling S or W. Travelling is easiest to the S but you stay on the coast. However the escarpment is further inland and I suspect it is less cloudy. Travelling W involves the scenic Maquarie Pass with its loverly rainforest stands. There are also about 800 bends in 8km. Once up the pass you are on the loverly southern highlands - loverly and expensive. There is also a reputation for cloud up there as the moist winds blow up the Shoalhaven and Kangaroo Rivers' valleys, but I think you should consult a local about that.

On the positive side, Wollongong is IMHO a very pretty city. I also hear that from a lot of the overseas students I meet. The escarpment provides a beautiful backdrop and there are great beaches. Despite rumours to the contrary it is NOT a polluted city and the air here is far cleaner than in Sydney. The heavy industry has cleaned up its act over the past 30 years and the EPA watches them closely. (I knew the local deputy manager of the EPA during my undergrad days in the early 90s and he could quote chapter and verse about the changes over the 17 years he had been at the EPA.) The worst pollution events occur in summer and they are due to Sydneys exported pollution. At night the winds blow directly offshore and push Sydney's vehicle exhaust fumes out to sea. There they react with the sea spray to make smog. The ne breeze the next morning brings them back onshore at Wollongong and if there is a temperature inversion at the top of the escarpment (a common occurance) the smog is trapped here. The worst spots can be in the Albion Park and Jamberoo valleys. This happens 0-3 days per year.

cheers,
David

[spearo (Frank)]

Thanks Ian and David,

I appreciate the feedback (and I've edited the original post so as to ensure I stay in the good people of the 'Gong' good books).

I'm not sure where the position would be based at present if I took it and I would probably aim to live West from the coast to minimize the weather issues. I wonder if 30 min drive West would suffice either from Wollongong or Shellharbour.

thanks again for the info,
much appreciated.
frank

[Phil]

I used to live in Wollongong the bad thing was the steel works. The light coming out of that place is very bad. When they pour the slag the sky would turn red.
Phil

[Ian Robinson]

Originally Posted by Phil

I used to live in Wollongong the bad thing was the steel works. The light coming out of that place is very bad. When they pour the slag the sky would turn red.
Phil

I really miss the heats (every 30 - 40 minutes that would light up the sky at night from Newcastle Steelworks) and punchuated most of my life.
The cokeovens steam puffs are missed too.
But the coke, slag, iron ore ladden dew and the dust that was lifted when the wind blew , and the very bright light pollution I do not miss.

[MarkN]

Ian, why do you post an opinion based not on personal experience but what you surmise?

I live in an inner Wollongong suburb; during the last Mars opposition I could observe the polar cap and syrtis major. On good nights I can see five Saturnian moons. The steelworks is about 4 kms to the south but does not affect my enjoyment of objects like 47 Tuc. or the Tarantula.

Like any urban environment it's not the best for galaxies but I can see structure in the brighter ones like NGC253.

If I want to see more I go to a dark site but rarely feel the need to do so.

Mark.

[AstralTraveller (David)]

The days of 'Aurora Port Kembla' have passed. It used to be the flame from the BOS plant that lit up the sky - injecting liquid oxygen into hundreds of tonnes of molten iron produced a flame that lit the sky and could be seen from Bald Hill. But it doesn't happen any more. They've changed something but I don't know what.

Regarding 'travelling 30 minutes west' I think you need to look at some maps. Wollongong is constrained between the escarpment and the sea and so is very long and thin. There are only five ways out of town: the coast road north, the highway south, Bulli Pass, Mt Ousley Rd and Macquarie Pass. Depending on where you start from, getting to one of those exits could take 2 minutes or 20 minutes. Also, to the west of the northern part of town is all water catrchment area and there are no settlements until you get to Wilton or Appin. By the time you get to those spots you are more affected by Sydney's skyglow than you are from Wollongong's.

[astronut (John)]

Hi Frank,
I'm the president of The Macarthur Astronomical Society located in Campbelltown.
We have access to a cabin in The Belanglo Forest, 40mins S.W. of Wollongong.
We meet there on New Moon each month and make a weekend out of it.
The skies are pristine and have been measured down to Mag 7.5 in winter!!
You are most welcome to attend as my guest.

Cheers, John.

[mrsnipey]

I used to live in Warrawong near the hospital that overlooked the steel works. At night the whole steelworks were lit up by jets of blue flame. It's very pretty but not very good for astrophotography.
Looking further south towards Shell Harbour wasn't too bad though. Once the bats have gone past that is. You don't want to leave your mirror facing up while those beasts are flying overhead.

[spearo (Frank)]

Thanks everyone for the input and info,
its much appreciated.
John I'll take you up on your offer if i end up that way.

cheers
and thanks again for the quick info
frank

[Wavytone]

Some years ago I scoured the area south and west of Sydney using a C8 as a test scope for seeing etc.

Sites below the escarpment is pretty much useless for stargazing, there is often an inversion layer over the coastal strip trapping a lot of moisture near ground level and worse, at night there is a lot of salt carried from the breaking surf and this reaches a long way... no good for telescopes. The sky might look dark, but mostly the transparency is poor and seeing terrible.

The first decent site I found was the carpark at the "Barren Ground" park, it's not very dark though.

I've stayed in weekenders in the hills above Berry, Jamberoo and Kangaroo Valley, as long as you get well out of the valley these inland places are OK.

Then there's the hill above Kiama, at night the gate is locked but if you're OK with staying the night its not bad.

Inland... try the roads around Robertson, there are quite a few quiet spots you can use. However, going further west means approaching Bowral/Mittagong... the southern highlands are the cloudiest part of Australia and pretty much a waste of time.

There is also the road from Wollongong that joins the Hume (M32) somewhere near Sutton Forest/Goulburn, there are useable places on that though in winter it can be very very cold there (and will snow).

Lastly the main problem i found down south is dew - the farming areas in most of this region have dark moist soils. The only way to avoid this is to head for a sandstone area which is not farmed.

[spearo (Frank)]

Thanks Wavytone,
excellent info
cheers
frank