Southern Delights

[centroid]

Now that the Moon is out of the way, for the first half of the night down here (Western Australia), I stretched out on a sun lounger in my daughter's garden, with my 15x70 binos.

To add to the enjoyment, it was around 24C, and I was accompanied by a couple of cold beers.

The garden has a very good view to the West, with Sagittarius, and Scorpius, high enough to be well clear of the horizon, but not so high as to be near the zenith.

Armed with my daughter's lap-top, onto which I'd installed Stellarium, I set about hunting down some of the DSO's, in that area.

In the space of a couple of hours, and a few more beers , I'd viewed, M6 (Butterfly Cluster), M7, M8 (Lagoon Neb), M19, M20 (Triffid Neb), M22, M28, M62, NGC6281, NGC6242, NGC6321, NGC6322, NGC6383, and NGC6416.

With Sagittarius being in the direction of the galactic centre, the view of the Milky Way, is quite different to that which we see in the Cygnus area.

Before packing up, around 23.00 hrs, I 'swung' the binos around to the South, and gazed upon the Large and Small Magellenic Clouds.

Back home, being an imager, I rarely look through an eyepiece these days, and I'd forgotten how much fun tracking down DSOs with a star chart, and star hoping can actually be. This was made even more enjoyable, by looking at a different sky to that which I see back home in the Northern Hemisphere, and seeing objects that I can never see from home.

This was the first time I'd really put the Celestron Skymaster 15x70 Binos to 'work', and I am very impressed with them.

So, all-in-all, a very enjoyable couple of hours, and a whole list of new DSOs 'under my belt'.

This coming Saturday, all being well, I will be driving out to the ASWA 'star party', way out in 'bush land', and away from any sort of light pollution, where the night sky will be just about as dark as it gets.

I know that there will be at least a 16" scope there, I'm am really looking forward to a look through it.

The only possible 'fly in the ointment', is that at the moment, cloud is forecast for the end of the week, and the weekend (its been clear nearly every night since I've be here) . However, just like back home, a forecast is no more than that, and is subject to change.

Dave (Nr Perth, W.Oz)

[moondog]

Dave - sounds like a great way to observe the southern sky - lying on a sunbed with bino's and beer!

I'm still finding my way around these skies and enjoying every minute.

Hope your Star Party in Oz turns out OK and you have good skies. If you get the chance, see if you can have a look at the Horse Head nebula through the 16" scope. It would be interesting to compare with the view I had through a 16" scope at the NZ Star Party.

Await your report with bated breath!

8)

MD

[CELESCOPE]

Ah now thats alovely report Dave ,thanks for tellimg me about it , must be fantastic to see all those objects , from here at home viewing is just hopeless , and i can understand the enjpyement ppl get from realy dark skies , enjoy you night in the outback , dont forget to keep a cap over the beer else the creeper crawlies will drop in ehhehhheheh .

Rog , cold /wind and drizzle at the moment,

[Psychobilly]

Nice Report Dave...

The Australian Branch of the family have a small holding - a couple thousand acres about 100 miles from Perth... they do the European tour every few years and have often invited us back - based on your report i might have to try and save up for a trip...

And anyway Rog... Dont they eat the creepy crawlies down under....?

Billy....

[centroid]

The Australian Branch of the family have a small holding - a couple thousand acres about 100 miles from Perth... they do the European tour every few years and have often invited us back - based on your report i might have to try and save up for a trip...

Billy....

You should try and do that, as its fascinating just to look up at a different sky to what we are used to seeing.

My daughter lives in a small town, about 40 mins south of Perth, and there is plenty of light pollution. No different to any other town really, but it didn't stop me finding those DSOs.

Light pollution from the town centre, to the North, is pretty bad, and it makes me appreciate my dark sky location back home in rural Suffolk.

However, you don't have to drive too far inland here, to lose the light pollution completely, and hopefully on Saturday, I'll be driving 165km (kms is what they use here), inland to 'bush country', where the 'star party' will be, and ZERO light pollution .

And anyway Rog... Dont they eat the creepy crawlies down under....?

Billy....

You've been watching too much of 'I'm a celebrity, get me out of here'.

Its spiders and snakes that you have to be careful of down here. Of the worlds 25 most poisonous snakes, Australia has 21 of them.

Here in the Perth area, the four local 'nasties' are the Red Back and White Tail spiders, and the Dugite and Tiger Snakes. The Tiger Snake is rated as the 5th most poisonous snake in the world. :shock:

Oh yes, the Red Back Spider is a close relative of the Black Widow, and the White Tail's bite eats away your flesh (necrosis).

But hey, the weather is lovely!!

Dave

[Psychobilly]

It's the spiders and snakes that have put me off.

My father was born in a bush hospital as the family were building the railways down there at the time.. their neighbours were a certain "Harris" family my dad and "Rolf" were born a few days apart.

One part of the Family came back when my dad was 6 the ones who stayed eventually got involved in politics and the husband and wife with the small holding were both exploration Geologists spending years deep in the bush...

Billy...

[johnlagot]

hi. anybody in longisland suffolk county, new to this need help t.y. john