Pony Club 19th May

[GTB_an_Owl (Geoff)]

the owl is roosting to-nite
no flying anywhere to-nite


geoff

[Irish stargazer (John)]

Originally Posted by GTB_an_Owl

the owl is roosting to-nite
no flying anywhere to-nite


geoff

The Owl has spoken. It's a no-go for me too in that case. Should have gone to Wiruna

[Rodstar (Rod)]

I was planning to go (as was sally1jack, whom I spoke to earlier today). It seems, however, that the neys have it. I am surprised. The skies are looking OK over the central coast at the moment. I don't have a key, so it will be difficult now....

[Rodstar (Rod)]

If there is a keyholder out there who is interested in coming....please let me know!!!

[Irish stargazer (John)]

Originally Posted by Rodstar

If there is a keyholder out there who is interested in coming....please let me know!!!

Likewise. I'll wait until 5.30 and call it a day after that.

[Rodstar (Rod)]

Hey, good to hear John!

The sky is 100% clear here at Point Clare. Very still. All the hallmarks of being an absolute cracker of a night.

Finger crossed.....

[Irish stargazer (John)]

Originally Posted by Rodstar

Hey, good to hear John!

The sky is 100% clear here at Point Clare. Very still. All the hallmarks of being an absolute cracker of a night.

Finger crossed.....

Any keyholders coming ......??

[Rodstar (Rod)]

In the absence of any response from keyholders, I am officially declaring it off. I have spoken with sally1jack to confirm he is also not coming either.

John - a real shame. It would have been a good night. Hopefully next month.

[Irish stargazer (John)]

Originally Posted by Rodstar

In the absence of any response from keyholders, I am officially declaring it off. I have spoken with sally1jack to confirm he is also not coming either.

John - a real shame. It would have been a good night. Hopefully next month.

Thats a pity Rod. Oh well, I can open that nice bottle of Shiraz now over a nice seafood dinner

[hector (Andrew)]

Im at the gate and no one is here, looks like a good night. you guys miss out

[bones]

Have a good night out there Andrew. Hope the skies stay clear for you..
I've had a big day and absolutely feeling smashed. Sorry all I'll have to give tonight a miss and have an early one.
Tony.

[Rick Petrie]

Just got home from a wedding tonight and couldn't believe so many people didn't go to the PC as the sky here at the moment looks great. Did anybody get any viewing in tonight? I wish I could have attended tonight but unfortunately I couldn't escape early enough to go.
Will be away now for 6 weeks on holidays but might try and be back for the July night. Cheers all.

[Deeno]

Amanda went out and I stayed home 'parenting'. Looked pretty good out there last night......

Have a safe trip Rick

[ausastronomer (John Bambury)]

Originally Posted by hector

Im at the gate and no one is here, looks like a good night. you guys miss out

Good morning all,

A small group of us started this Central Coast observing group off almost 8 years ago. We had a close knit regular group which was:

Mike Salway (Iceman)
Rod Berry (Rodstar)
Louis Atalisidis (Atalas)
Andrew Murrell (Hector)
Gary Kopff (Gary)
Andrew (Froggy)
Wayne (Trufflehunter)
John Bambury (Ausastronomer)
Andrew Catsaitis (Rocket Boy)

On occasions we would be joined by
Ed Roca and George Livanos (Orion)
Mark Suchting (Satchmo)
Joe (cant remember his handle)
Daniel Beringer from Frontier Optics also joined us a few times.

We observed at the Paintball Place at Kulnurra at least once a month and usually twice a month. We were given Carte Blanche access to the bottom field by the owner Brian. WE DID NOT NEED A KEY. There were no gates on the access drive to the bottom field, so we just drove in. We could use it any night of the week if we wished, although generally we would only go on a Saturday night and sometimes on a Friday. We just had to phone and tell them someone was coming out to observe. The site was excellent considering it was less than 15 minutes from the Somersby exit on the Freeway. The skies were pretty dark (400 times darker than PC), there were no surrounding lights and there was a nice ring of trees to keep out any stray light from Gosford and passing cars.

A few newcomers joined the group and for whatever reason decided the Pony Club would be a better site. How they figured that is beyond me, because to be honest IMO it has zero going for it. Annoying lights in several directions, very ordinary skies due to its closer proximity to Gosford and the surrounding housing, and sometimes horseshyt all over the place. More importantly, you need a key to get in and only selected people have one. It has a warm cosy shed, but to be honest if you're not serious about observing and just want the comforts of home, it would be easier to wheel your scope out of the garage and invite your friends around to your house for astronomy, beer and coffee. They will see almost as much as you can at the PC.

What I find to be ironic is that Andrew Murrell is one the most skilled visual observers on the planet. He has had published a number of magazine articles, over many years. Notably on the Magellanic Clouds and Wolf-Rayet Stars. He has made significant contributions to several notable well read Astronomy books including The Caldwell Objects by Steve O'Meara, The Night Sky Observers' Guide by Keppell and Sanner and several others. He has also made significant contributions to several star Atlases. Most notably he discovered a planetary nebula in Norma, which is now named after him (Murrell 1).

Andrew turns up to observe and can't get in, so he turns around and drives home again. Rod Berry and Phil Townsend were also going to go out there, but decided not to, as they knew at the last minute no one was going to be there to open the gate. How cool is it when 2 of the original Central Coast group (one of them probably the best observer in the Southern Hemisphere) can't get in to the site to observe.

I can only say what started off almost 8 years ago as a really good thing, has gone notably down hill.

I think a few more keys need to be handed out or a few people at least need to be prepared to get off their butts and go and open the gate.

Dummy Spit now turned off again.

Cheers,
John B

[Deeno]

Originally Posted by ausastronomer

Good morning all,

A small group of us started this Central Coast observing group off almost 8 years ago. We had a close knit regular group which was:

Mike Salway (Iceman)
Rod Berry (Rodstar)
Louis Atalisidis (Atalas)
Andrew Murrell (Hector)
Gary Kopff (Gary)
Andrew (Froggy)
Wayne (Trufflehunter)
John Bambury (Ausastronomer)
Andrew Catsaitis (Rocket Boy)

On occasions we would be joined by
Ed Roca and George Livanos (Orion)
Mark Suchting (Satchmo)
Joe (cant remember his handle)
Daniel Beringer from Frontier Optics also joined us a few times.

We observed at the Paintball Place at Kulnurra at least once a month and usually twice a month. We were given Carte Blanche access to the bottom field by the owner Brian. WE DID NOT NEED A KEY. There were no gates on the access drive to the bottom field, so we just drove in. We could use it any night of the week if we wished, although generally we would only go on a Saturday night and sometimes on a Friday. We just had to phone and tell them someone was coming out to observe. The site was excellent considering it was less than 15 minutes from the Somersby exit on the Freeway. The skies were pretty dark (400 times darker than PC), there were no surrounding lights and there was a nice ring of trees to keep out any stray light from Gosford and passing cars.

A few newcomers joined the group and for whatever reason decided the Pony Club would be a better site. How they figured that is beyond me, because to be honest IMO it has zero going for it. Annoying lights in several directions, very ordinary skies due to its closer proximity to Gosford and the surrounding housing, and sometimes horseshyt all over the place. More importantly, you need a key to get in and only selected people have one. It has a warm cosy shed, but to be honest if you're not serious about observing and just want the comforts of home, it would be easier to wheel your scope out of the garage and invite your friends around to your house for astronomy, beer and coffee. They will see almost as much as you can at the PC.

What I find to be ironic is that Andrew Murrell is one the most skilled visual observers on the planet. He has had published a number of magazine articles, over many years. Notably on the Magellanic Clouds and Wolf-Rayet Stars. He has made significant contributions to several notable well read Astronomy books including The Caldwell Objects by Steve O'Meara, The Night Sky Observers' Guide by Keppell and Sanner and several others. He has also made significant contributions to several star Atlases. Most notably he discovered a planetary nebula in Norma, which is now named after him (Murrell 1).

Andrew turns up to observe and can't get in, so he turns around and drives home again. Rod Berry and Phil Townsend were also going to go out there, but decided not to, as they knew at the last minute no one was going to be there to open the gate. How cool is it when 2 of the original Central Coast group (one of them probably the best observer in the Southern Hemisphere) can't get in to the site to observe.

I can only say what started off almost 8 years ago as a really good thing, has gone notably down hill.

I think a few more keys need to be handed out or a few people at least need to be prepared to get off their butts and go and open the gate.

Dummy Spit now turned off again.

Cheers,
John B

I remember the Paintball Place and it also was everything you claim except, we lost it due to change of ownership....
Most regulars were away that weekend, and if you are a regular (no one in the above list) you would know there is a 'back door' way in....

Feel free to find an alternative site....a few regulars have tried and its not as easy as you might assume........

[ausastronomer (John Bambury)]

Deeno,

The ownership of the Paintball Place changed long after the group changed venues. Had we continued to go there and not "jump ship" and leave a sour taste in Brian's mouth I am sure he would have organised access for us with the new owners and the group would still be using Paintball and it's a way better site for observing than PC.

We had a group of regulars who no longer go as often as they used to because the PC site is pretty ordinary from an observing point of view and outside the social interaction thing offers very little to a serious observer. The social interaction thing is great but you don't need to go out there for that. We could all meet at Terrigal Pub and do the same thing. I no longer go there because I moved to Kiama, but to be honest 2 out of 4 new moons Gary K, Andrew M, Rod B and I went to Bucketty anyway, because the skies were infinitely better than PC. I have no need to leave my house to observe these days as I have Mag 6 skies in my backyard at Kiama.

Those you term "regulars" Deeno came along late in the piece for mine and a couple of years after a few us, (Mike, Rod, Gary K, Andrew M and myself) originally put this thing on the Central Coast together and got it off the ground.

Cheers,
John B

[Rodstar (Rod)]

Originally Posted by Deeno

if you are a regular (no one in the above list) you would know there is a 'back door' way in....

While I plan to stay well away from getting embroiled in this general debate, I must take exception to the above statement.

The inference is that if you were part of the "in crowd" you would have the secret knowledge about a back door way in to the Pony Club. Apparently there is an A list, and a B list. Even though I have attended the PC dozens of times over a number of years, I am, it would seem, on the B list. This is a bit hard to swallow, given that I started up the central coast observing group, with Mike Salway, Froggy and Wayne (Trufflehunter) in early 2005, and when I attend the PC, I usually forsake my own observing interests to share my scope with newbies and others keen to take in the views through a larger aperture telescope, including the A listers.

In the discussion each month about the impending New Moon night at the PC, there is always discussion to ensure a keyholder will be coming so we can get in. No one from the "in crowd" has ever indicated that it was not necessary to use a key to access the site - and have in so doing allowed a misunderstanding to be perpetuated. Because of this exclusive behaviour, three keen people missed out on the opportunity to observe last weekend while the A list drank in the clear dark skies of Bretti. Thanks guys! Such behaviour undermines trust, and ultimately destroys the sense of community which I, and many others, have worked so hard over the years to build.

[ausastronomer (John Bambury)]

Originally Posted by Rodstar

This is a bit hard to swallow, given that I started up the central coast observing group, with Mike Salway, Froggy and Wayne (Trufflehunter) in early 2005

Actually Rod our first observing session was April 2005 because we started to organise this straight after the 2005 South Pacific Star Party, which was held in March that year. That was where I first met you and Mike and you guys first met Gary and Andrew; and we got the show on the road from there.

Cheers,
John B

[Rodstar (Rod)]

Hey John, it is good stretching our memories with these things!

Actually, Mike Salway and I first observed together when I bought my LX200 in January 2005. We then met with Froggy at a function in Woy Woy a week or two later. From this, I arranged a group observing session near a watertank in Somersby (I recall Trufflehunter was there) - Froggy was horrified by the amount of light pollution, and invited us to observe next time where he was living and working (the Paint Ball site). That's where we therefore went the next time (possibly April 2005, as SPSP was in March that year I think). I recall John you joining us around that time, and as you recall, perhaps there was 8 or 10 of us who were regulars in those early days.

I remember HOughy joining us on one of the early nights in 2005 at the Paint Ball site with his 12 inch LX200 classic.

I remember Scott Mitchell was another regular face in those days, he was a real character - a shame he had to return to the US. And yes Joe was a regular with Anushka (apologies for spelling) - her home baked cookies were first class!

I used to spend my time in those early days scratching my head as to why the views through my $5000 LX200 were so much inferior to Mike Salway's $800 10 inch dob. It took me a while to accept the superiority of the views through a dob vis-a-vis a Schmidt Cassegrain.

RB used to bring one of his refractors in those days. Amazing views - we used to split doubles and take in fantastic views of the planets.

I also recall with a great deal of fondness my first night at the Paint Ball in 2007 with the Mary Rose. From those dark skies, the views of the Homunculus were simply stupendous!

[Irish stargazer (John)]

It's a one hour drive to the PC from Sydney so I won't travel unless there is a key holder present. PC is more convenient than say Crago. It would be nice if there was a site that was open more often, such as on Fridays or on day with a partial moon which would set early. I have done less observing in Sydney than in Ireland from a semi dark site due to the limitations of access and the usual dodgy Saturday night weather. My previous club in Melbourne MPAS had an excellent semi dark site which was available most days.
Anyone have a farm they are not using