Really Dark Sky.

Sausageman (Mike Boggan) · #1 03-02-2006, 02:26 PM

Hey fellow IISer's.

Wasn't Lostock great, but I am off to a much darker site tonight.
No sky glow at all, just stars.

It is my observatory site at Aratula, a 75 minutes drive west of Brisbane.
The forecast is for a beautiful clear sky, the dew has not been arriving until around midnight and even then it was so light it is hardly noticeable.

I will have a talk to my peers at the site, and see if we can arrange a weekend for a big observing session.

Mike (Sausageman).

ving (David) · #2 03-02-2006, 02:34 PM

how can a place just 75 mins from brisvegas have absolutely no light pollution?

have fun

wish i was up there too

Sausageman (Mike Boggan) · #3 03-02-2006, 02:50 PM

Ahh now David.
Brisbane is a small place, nothing like the sprawling metropolis of Sydney.
Sydney is a like Supernova of light, Brisbane is more like Pluto.

LOL

Mike

RB (Andrew) · #4 03-02-2006, 02:51 PM

Stop it Mike,

First it was superb sausages, now its superb skies.

Good Luck Champ.

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #5 03-02-2006, 02:51 PM

Have a great night Mike.
You'll have clear skies for sure, fingers crossed that the seeing is good, the last couple of nights have been so so.

dhumpie · #6 03-02-2006, 03:11 PM

Brissie is pretty good light pollution wise. For instance I am about 15 to 20 minutes from the city center and can usually see as deep as 5.6 during winter and 5.4 during summer. A quick 50 minute drive puts me at mag 6-6.5 skies...

Darren

ving (David) · #7 03-02-2006, 03:15 PM

waaaah!
thats what i want

oh hang on, being at the very edge of sydney i get that already

Hitchhiker · #8 03-02-2006, 03:21 PM

Have a great time, Mike.

OneOfOne (Trevor) · #9 06-02-2006, 08:26 AM

We have to go to my wife's brother's place for his 50th late next year. They live in Beau Desert (sp?) on 5 acres. We were going to drive and take the 8 inch. Should I expect to get some good observing in? Fingers crossed, anything would have to be darker than a backyard with three footy ovals nearby!

[1ponders] (Paul) · #10 06-02-2006, 05:44 PM

Beaudesert is not that far from Mikes observing site OOO. There will be a bit of glow from the gold coast at BD but depending on where you are stayingn if relation to BD town itself, if your to the west then your skys to the west should be fantastic. If that makes sense.

Sausageman (Mike Boggan) · #11 07-02-2006, 08:43 PM

Beaudesert will have some skyglow from the town itself, maybe from Brisbane and Ipswich also, but it will still be fine for seeing deep sky objects.
Aratula is a long way from Beaudesert.
We have mountains all around us that seem to get rid of it, I can't explain why.
Last weekend was great, we had 3 hours of perfect viewing, doing a sky tour with the LX200, until the dew arrived.
I got home to find my computer dead, from a spike. got things working only 20 minutes ago, minus one USB port on my Motherboard.
It took a complete hard drive wipe to fix it. Must have been that new virus.

Mike

Moonshine · #12 07-02-2006, 09:08 PM

Mike, let me know next time you are heading out that way - would love to have a look through your 10" LX, and it is always good to catch up with someone from Ippy - I was born and bred there. I want to have a play with my C130 MAK GT under really dark skies

Don

[1ponders] (Paul) · #13 07-02-2006, 10:10 PM

Hey Don come out to Astroron's at the end of the month (probably about two weeks time though I should clear it with him first

) It's out near Kenilworth and the skies are not too shabby.

mickoking · #14 07-02-2006, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ving

how can a place just 75 mins from brisvegas have absolutely no light pollution?

Sometimes I go to my wife's, Aunties farm in Gin Gin which is about 1 hr north of perth. With the exception of a small glow of light in the south from Perth the skies are very dark. Even where I live in outer suburban Perth I can do serious deep sky work. The low humidity here helps as well

Moonshine · #15 07-02-2006, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by [1ponders]

Hey Don come out to Astroron's at the end of the month (probably about two weeks time though I should clear it with him first

) It's out near Kenilworth and the skies are not too shabby.

Paul, I would love to if it is OK with Astroron - let me know the time and place and I'm there!

Don

[1ponders] (Paul) · #16 08-02-2006, 08:46 AM

I"ve pmed Ron and he's set to go for the 25th so I'll put a notice up in the Star Party forum tonight for everyone to see