Australia outback ’seeing’

[Hakann]

As the 2019 Oz Sky is soon coming up I get good vibration from last year.
One of my very best astronomy highlights.
I had a great time there and beside the southern sky itself and almost all night in observing under the week, it’s a great gang there and many good people going there.
But it’s a big trip from Sweden, and only go for the days of observing, but I will go again.
This spring was mean for TSP and pick up my new Z mirror.
But I canceled the trip vs the mirror is not yet done ( and I has no hurry on that one )
I has plans for Chile under the eclips 2019, but I would also like to go deep and dark in Australia outback later on ( whit own equipment )
What I noted at Oz Sky was moister ( their fall under April noth-west of Sydney ) but it was dark ( I had around 21.6 on my SQM )

-If one go in country ( if roads ) I guess it can be real dark and no lights from roads, cities etc, but what about the average seeing ?
It’s lowland in good & bad, but I read some repotage on great seeing and I heard reverese.
I has a friend here from Sweden ( Timo K ) that observe yearly in western Australia ( east of Gerdalton ) and he say it’s real dark there, but mean as it’s low, so no observatory is build there from that reason.

Anyone here whit experiance of seeing outback ?
What is needed to effect seeing, less turbulance in jet winds etc etc.

I like Australia and feel safe there and western lifestyle and the good thing in low land is not cold.

[PeterN]

Hi Kakann,

I will be going to OzSky Safari in two weeks for a week of southern sky observing. It will be my second time. I went in April 2016. The sky is dark there and the seeing is around 1.0 arc-sec during fair weather. I will also spend a few days touring the Sydney area. Will you be attending OzSky in two weeks?

I have a 100 objects' list to observe, many will be the same objects I observed two years ago. Observing objects in the Large Magellanic Cloud alone could keep someone busy the entire week with its star forming Ha regions, open clusters and globular clusters.


As the 2019 Oz Sky is soon coming up I get good vibration from last year.
One of my very best astronomy highlights.
I had a great time there and beside the southern sky itself and almost all night in observing under the week, it’s a great gang there and many good people going there.
But it’s a big trip from Sweden, and only go for the days of observing, but I will go again.
This spring was mean for TSP and pick up my new Z mirror.
But I canceled the trip vs the mirror is not yet done ( and I has no hurry on that one )
I has plans for Chile under the eclips 2019, but I would also like to go deep and dark in Australia outback later on ( whit own equipment )
What I noted at Oz Sky was moister ( their fall under April noth-west of Sydney ) but it was dark ( I had around 21.6 on my SQM )

-If one go in country ( if roads ) I guess it can be real dark and no lights from roads, cities etc, but what about the average seeing ?
It’s lowland in good & bad, but I read some repotage on great seeing and I heard reverese.
I has a friend here from Sweden ( Timo K ) that observe yearly in western Australia ( east of Gerdalton ) and he say it’s real dark there, but mean as it’s low, so no observatory is build there from that reason.

Anyone here whit experiance of seeing outback ?
What is needed to effect seeing, less turbulance in jet winds etc etc.

I like Australia and feel safe there and western lifestyle and the good thing in low land is not cold.

[Hakann]

Hi PeterN.

No, not this event.
As you has been there you know about the gang there and the sky at Coona.
Hve fun and clear sky for u all !

[Hakann]

No one has any seeing reports from outback down under ?

[Steve Gottlieb]

The Australian outback encompasses 6.5 million km2, so I'm not sure there can be a single answer to your question. Were you thinking more in the deserts of Central Australia or just in the more remote areas of New South Wales, for example?

I had a friends who traveled with telescope gear to Bourke, which is about 450 km northwest of Coonabarabran and found the conditions excellent. I've observed in a few dark areas in New South Wales that were not as remote (though had SQM readings up to 21.9), though my experience was dew can be common.

[Hakann]

If one fly in and can stay for a week before and after the new moon period it can be whatever in the country.
I has only been at Coona and it was pretty dark there, but some dew issue.
Timo from Sweden I mention do observe from the west side and told me about little darker there and no dew but seeing was not a issue but not as good. I think he is around 1 hour east from Gerdalton.
But where Oz Sky is located is not a bad Place and not 'that' far from where one fly in.
But I'm open to hear on other location too and harder to get, plus conditions at thoose places.

[Paul Alsing]

When visiting OzSky, be sure and ask Lachlan to loan you "Paul's Docs".

I assembled several 3-ring binders of objects, sorted by constellation, and I didn't bother to bring them back since they are only relevant to the southern hempshphere and that seems to be missing here in California :).

Each page includes a printed map of the area and a 30-arcminute circle somewhere on the page, used to help determine the size of the object. Each page is in a protective plastic sleeve and can be taken up the ladder and used to help locate the object, should that be desired. Each page may or may not include comments made by another observer that I saw somewhere on the internet. Here is an example...

https://tinyurl.com/y7vhemqe

I enjoy assembling and using these documents and I hope that someone else might enjoy them, too, while attending OzSky, and they are there for the asking.

[Hakann]

I has just bought a SDM f/4 chassie for my upcoming CZ mirror/s in quartz.
So Australia 'outback' observing - will come !

Any interesting ideas here are welcome for that trip.
Maybe some like to join in ?

Peter Read at SDM is a great guy to work whit and I like to has some special solutions and like to know what’s going on.
I' find no time in my company/life now do it all, but whit Peter I can be involved and gets his experience, craft and discussions.
-So it will be a 'modern' classic.

We will go little bigger than his std 18" scope so we will have 2" clearance on mirror box and 1" clearance on the UTA ring.

It will be carbon fibre poles at 41 mm OD x 3 mm wall ( 0.57 kg/m ) and also CF struts in UTA.
The pole-ends I will machine at JP’s design in T6.
I will also do the mirror cell as I has a FEM/FEA drawing whit super Invar steel, and I will do the holder for the vane system.
A sling might be best, but as the mirror will go in & out we found out a wiffle is best way to go.

Strarlight focuser and TV PII, but it might be a Sips. ( both has it good and bad side..
I has a Australian Astro Device Nexus push-to, but as a star-hopper I will has a Telrad on.
I will collimate whit Glatters laser/tublug.

I investigate now on fan’s and found out the German made NoiseBlockers fans.
They has many models but the e-Loop has a 3-pinned and static RPM ( lower RPM by volt )

The 120 mm blow 150 m3/h and the 140 mm blow 173 m3/h.

I plan to use the 140 mm under the mirror.

But on the crossing fans I plan 2 of the 120 mm fans, and that will blow 300 m3/h and maybe 2 of the 120 mm fans for sucking.
Now I found out that exhaust might be twice the size of the blowing side.
I’ll just can’t has 4 sucking fans at 120 mm..
A nest idea, but maybe better to has 2 x 120 mm exhaust holes - or ?

Ideas on this issue?

My guess a plano mirror in a closed mirror box I will has the fans on under observing. This fans is really smooth running and I can adjust them by change voltage.

The scope will be all in black.

It will be a nice project and real fun pick-up and tested scope from a guy that make good craft and then observe down under as a BIG bonus.

Idea is a radie out in the outback for at least 500 km..less lights.

----

Edit on fans ;
CZ told me to not worry to much over fans on this thin quartz mirror.
But it depens where one are for observing.
Ex desert can change fast, and might need fans ( so I heard )
I will use the NB Black Silent PR-2 60 mm x 3 at rear and the PR-1 x 3 at crossings plus x 3 open 80 mm exhaust holes.
This is a low noice fans and anti dust technology and magnetic bearings.
I will adjust airflow whit a Dewbasterd.
Idea is cool mirror at the open rear, and 'if' needed I will use the cross fans for a mild 'breeze'.

[Vello]

Noted planetary imager, Anthony Wesley, observes from Rubyvale, Qld due to its superior seeing.

I would advise monitoring SkippySky (http://www.skippysky.com.au/Compact/Australia/Compact_Oz_Coonabarabran.html) for its seeing forecast, which I find are reasonably accurate, at least in my region.

BTW, the site surveys conducted prior to establishing Siding Spring Observatory found that the seeing in the Flinders Ranges, SA, were also pretty good.