South Pacific Star Party 2009 (22 - 24 May)

[GTB_an_Owl (Geoff)]

you only buy one bottle of anything when you just want to put it up on the shelf and look at it don't you John ?

geoff

[White Rabbit]

Well at least Sunday's weather looks good hah!!

[wavelandscott (Scott)]

I hope you all have a good time and get some clear weather...I'll be thinking of you all as I try to find the big and little dipper through the light dome of the Northeast USA.

[bones]

To all who are going, I wish you 2 safe trips and a great time.

If it's cloudy at all just think it's all clear skies about 10km's away from you - unfortunatley the 10km's is straight up .

As for me - can't go. My son (my son) has soccer game tomorrow and a soccer gala day on Sunday. Assuming of course all this rain stops and the fields remain open. Can't avoid official duties when I'm the manager for the team.

Hope to read some good reports.

[iceman (Mike)]

Got here about an hour ago - it's very cold, very windy and very cloudy.

I've never seen the observing field looking so empty. Noone's been brave enough to unpack their scopes.

Hopefully tomorrow..

[norm]

Hey Mike,

Whats the general consensous for tomorrow in terms of weather. I'm about to load the car this arvo and I need some encouragement .

Cheers Norm

[iceman (Mike)]

I wouldn't dare predict, Norm

Come for the social event and if it clears up, what a bonus!

[norm]

Yeah thanks Mike,

I'll be there. Daughter's having her 1st slumber party with 3 other 8yr olds. Don't think my boy's going to appreciate having to put up with all the giggling and girlie stuff

[White Rabbit]

Howdy from SPSP 09.

The weather is not so great, you can see some stars poking out from behind the clouds but not enough to get the scope out.

I have high hopes for tomorrow though, I think it might be ok at least for some observing.

[iceman (Mike)]

The weather hasn't improved. Cold, windy, windy and a bit of rain.

Considering whether to go home after dinner tonight - we'll see. If it's not looking like it's going to clear up, it would be nice to wake up in my own bed tomorrow.

Went into Rylestone for brekky with John, Anna, Rod and Roger Davis this morning. Always lovely to get the "big breakfast" there. Don't need lunch now!

Bought a 80mm bahtinov mask from the vendor stalls, resisted the temptation to get anything else (unlike John and Anna (17mm Ethos) and Rod (31mm Nagler)!!!).

Wow some sun has just come out, it's so bright. Unrecognisable.

The satellite image shows no clouds, but it's not registering this very low level stuff. And the wind needs to go away!!

Anyway, having fun catching up with friends.

[Barrykgerdes]

Wiruna Sunday morning 8:35

Raining again. Patches of blue sky. Clear Sky for about 20 minites during the night. One viewer got to see Saturn before the clouds closed in again.

Barry

[iceman (Mike)]

I came home last night - left after dinner at 6pm, home by 9:30pm. I got the most observing in for the whole weekend, on the way home It was clearish at Lithgow and I got some naked eye observing done out the car window.

All 4 seasons on the way home though - clear, cloudy, rainy, foggy, windy all on the drive home.

Nice to have a full nights sleep and a warm shower this morning Had a great time, despite the weather. Always great company.

[White Rabbit]

Yip the weather sucked. I did however sit out with my camera on a fixed tripod and take some wide field shots of crux. I came all this way I wasnt leaving with at least one picture. Took me hours to what I got, waiting for a clear patches took for ever.

I'll post the pic later on, it's probably the only picture taken at SPSP 09.

Sandy

[telecasterguru (Frank)]

Just got home from the star party as well.
Weather wasn't the best which was a little disappointing as it was my first ever star party but met some wonderful people.
The guest speakers were great and now I'm looking forward to the IIS star party and lots of others.
Thanks for a fun weekend.

Frank

[Sentinel]

Is the South Pacific Star Party now more likely to be weather affected now that it is in May?

When I last went (SPSP 2004) it was in March.

[xstream (John)]

Weather was a disappointment but tremendous company as usual.
Anna and I normally stay till Monday but with the clouds and wind again this morning, we made the decision to leave for Coona. I'm glad we did, Sunshine hardly a cloud in the sky; Looks like it's going to be a great night of observing.

[Bassnut (Fred)]

I spoke to Les on the selection of the SPSP timing, near impossible to please everyone, its either too hot, too cold or bad weather, Id hate to have that job. It seems March is too hot, its like an oven in the shed on a sunny day (40deg plus?). I dont much care when its on, im just glad its on .

Anyway, despite the weather this year (no-one can plan for that), it was an excellent gig. I got to meet and talk to many ppl instead of struggling to get polar aligned in less than 3 hrs of sheer frustration, so no loss. The speakers were excellent too, a good time was had by all.

The imaging comp was fun, Mike Salway did very well as expected, as did others. Entries for the imaging comp were down this year unforch, but the entry criteria are constantly being reviewed and tweaked to encaurage more ppl to enter, its a hard task, but Monte did an excellent job this year on top of his other duties.

[Rodstar (Rod)]

What a bizarre hobby we share that would involve us spending so much time planning and packing our gear, travelling 4 hours each way, only to sit shivering in bleakness for three days and two nights.

In short, the warmth of human company, a fire, and Muscat and even the dim possibility of getting to see our beautiful Milky Way is enough to bring me. Wouldn't miss it, even in a blizzard.

Did well on the eyepeice front this year (well if you can't actually observe, you might as well gear up for future sessions).

Nice to spend quality time with John and Anna and Mike, to catch up in daylight with some of the IIS gang from the central coast, share brekky with Roger Davis and the others, and I particularly enjoyed the fireside chat last night with Mike Smith.

Thanks to the organisers of this event for making a potentially dreary hell into a cheerful and pleasant event.

Hopefully next year we can get more co-operation from the weather.

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Yep - a great time was had by moi. Thanks Monte and the organisers for turning around what was otherwise a bleak, sleety, windy cloudy weather flop into a very entertaining weekend. Thanks to all the guys who were up at the astroimaging house - I had a ball yakking. Great to meet a few IIS'ers there too. A great bunch

Fred - congrats also to you for winning your division in the imaging comp with a beautiful and starless narrowband M8. Stunning image - you've given me a new direction to try now. Thanks Congrats to all the other winners too!

See you all next year

[h0ughy (David)]

OK so it wasn't good weather wise, it was good to catch up wit ha few people - and if Mike won anything then he had better share the spoils........LOL

How did the imaging comp go?

Unfortunately i had to leave early - even missed out on the group photo. Rod and Anna I am envious of the hunks of glass you both were cherishing, i got my digifire 10 dew heater unit, and was gently rocked to sleep in the tent with the howling winds in the trees Thursday and Friday nights. the fireplaces were priceless and managed t o have quite a comfortable fire going both days - even the car smelled of the camp fire on the way home. i took some videos, and spent some good time with a few people and met some others. Was an interesting year this one!