Oz is great for Astronomy. Well Brisbane!

[dizzy2005 (Mike Diskett)]

Until a year ago I lived in the UK (Guildford then Scotland), and being in Brisbane has got me back into astronomy.

I was out for 3 hours last night loving every minute of it (My wife thinks I must be doing something else as she cant see how I could spend 3 hours looking at the sky). (And I'm using a 60 mm toy like refractor, while I await my new 8 inch dob)

Heres whats great about briz.

1. Skies are clear more often than they are cloudy, in the uk I could wait 2 weeks for 1 cloud free night.

2. Temperatures are well above zero, in the uk its only really dark at a reasonable hour in Winter as sub zero temps would be the norm. Especially in Scotland, I'd go outside all wrapped up full of good intentions then 20 mins later be inside with a cup of tea. (I undestand sub zero is good for quality of viewing, but its not much use if your indoors)

3. It gets dark early even in summer, horray for qld's lack of daylight saving time

4. The southern sky! You still get orion but you also get a ton of great stuff to look at and I havent even seen LMC and SMC yet! I'm still learning my way arround the southern sky, good fun learning new (to me) constellations.

5. Dark skies, even in the suburbs of brisbane its still good viewing compared to a UK city, I think in the uk we had street lights every 5 meters, and they all pointed upwards instead of downwards).

Last night I was doing the scorpion and the surrounding clusters and nebulae. (it finally came out from the giant tree behind my house)

MikeD

[dizzy2005 (Mike Diskett)]

>1. Skies are clear more often than they are cloudy, in the uk I could wait 2 >weeks for 1 cloud free night.

I spoke to soon,looks like the forcast is for rain for the next 7 days. Thats what you get for buying a new scope.

MikeD

[Dennis]

Hi Mike

Welcome to Brisbane! We’ve had a bit of a poor few months with weather recently, but the number of clear nights will pick up again I’m certain.

Don’t forget the Queensland Astrofest – a must do event for your calendar.

Cheers

Dennis

[matt]

Originally Posted by Dennis

We’ve had a bit of a poor few months with weather recently

Oh Dennis!!!! That's the understatement of the year.

You're a very generous man. I've lived here close on two years and between the cloud and the poor seeing....

Welcome to Brisbane anyway, Mike.

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Sky at Night listed the Queensland Astrofest as one of the top 10 star parties on the planet.
It just gets bigger every year.

[astroron (Ron)]

Matt, it's all the Hot Air that keeps the clouds away from Camberra
Welcome to Queensland Mike

[AstroJunk (Jonathan)]

Hey Mike, I stepped of the (metaphoric) boat 5 years ago and never looked back either!

Its not just the skies that are great, the people are too - so look up your local astro club and get involved

[Glenhuon (Bill)]

Originally Posted by AstroJunk

Hey Mike, I stepped of the (metaphoric) boat 5 years ago and never looked back either!

Its not just the skies that are great, the people are too - so look up your local astro club and get involved

I'll second all of the above Although for me it was 28 years ago.
Welcome to Wonderland !

Bill

[astroron (Ron)]

Originally Posted by AstroJunk

Hey Mike, I stepped of the (metaphoric) boat 5 years ago and never looked back either!

Its not just the skies that are great, the people are too - so look up your local astro club and get involved

Hey Jonathan, when are you coming to join us at Cambroon

[AstroJunk (Jonathan)]

Originally Posted by astroron

Hey Jonathan, when are you coming to join us at Cambroon

I'm comin' EVERY month! It just never seems to happen

[pgc hunter]

Originally Posted by dizzy2005

1. Skies are clear more often than they are cloudy, in the uk I could wait 2 weeks for 1 cloud free night.

pffft that's nothing. There's this notorious fabled weather hole called Melbourne, where clouds have been known to take up residence for MONTHS at a time without a single clear break....

[Dennis]

Originally Posted by matt

Oh Dennis!!!! That's the understatement of the year.
You're a very generous man. I've lived here close on two years and between the cloud and the poor seeing....
Welcome to Brisbane anyway, Mike.

Hi Matt

Hmm, maybe my Weltanschauung (World View) has been somewhat coloured by my recent slump in enthusiasm for getting out there, under those not so clear skies!

Certainly the past 12 months has been iffy and if I think longer and harder, 2006 was the last really good year of nice runs of clear skies with good seeing!

Have you really been up here for 2 years! Wow – it only seems like yesterday!

Cheers

Dennis

[rider]

I don't know what they are going on about, Brisbane has regular clear skys each month, and you can plan for them too, - they happen every time it's full moon.

Anyway, welcome to BrisVegas, - its always good to share the light bloom

Rider

[matt]

Originally Posted by Dennis

Have you really been up here for 2 years! Wow – it only seems like yesterday!

Near enough. Arrived July 2007...

How time flies!

[dizzy2005 (Mike Diskett)]

Thanks for the welcome. (I've actually been in Brisbane a year now)

I'm going to join a local Brisbane club when my new scope arrives, hope to get some time to attend a couple of the dark skies field trips.

Allready met a few of them at a local public viewing night on Mt Coot-tha.

Mike.

[rider]

did you have to say it? "New Scope" - now look what you've done to Brisbane weather.

Rider

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Dang Mike.
With the new moon coming up and the first sunspots in months, you have to buy a new scope.
What will we do with you.

[dizzy2005 (Mike Diskett)]

Well new scope arrived a few days ago and triggered the biggest rain storm Brisbane has seen since well ok the last one was what 6 months ago. Anyway now the dams are full, the roads are now lakes, and for a few glorious hours this evening the clouds dispersed and I got to try it out.

Its an 8 inch skywatcher collapsable dob.

And I love it allready. I need to learn to collimate it, but even as it was eta carinae/omega centauri and saturn were all amazing, I think the finderscope on it is better than the whole of my last scope

MikeD.

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Glad you got out amongst it Mike. It's a glorious evening.
I know exactly how you feel. I went up from a 60mm wobbletronic to a 10"dob. The clarity of the finder compared to the 60mm, it was astounding.

[AstroJunk (Jonathan)]

Originally Posted by dizzy2005

... for a few glorious hours this evening the clouds dispersed and I got to try it out.

Top news - and the rain had cleared the dust out of the atmosphere nicely too, so I hope you made full use of the excellent transparency!!