Heading out to Katoomba Airfield this weekend, and maybe next too

Hello folks,

With the September new Moon sitting mid-week, we have the chance of getting two good dark sky weekends this month, one either side of the new Moon.

It's been an abysmal year this one so far for using Katoomba Airfield.  We have not had one single new Moon weekend fall in our favour!  Dreadful weather has befallen each and every new Moon weekend for us this year.  There are some regular visitors to the Airfield who have not had their scopes out for over a year with work also conspiring against them.  Very sad state of affairs this one.

This weekend is looking very promising though.  I'm hoping it will be a very productive one for me too.

If ever you do come down to Sydney, see if you can manage to pair it up with a new Moon weekend.  This makes for the best opportunity to get out under a southern dark sky.  Maybe even look into meeting up with us fellows who make the trek to Katoomba Airfield once a month or so.  It would be great to meet you.

The Airfield its 1000m above sea level, making it one of the highest observation points within 2 hours of Sydney's centre.  This helps so much in toning down the light dome coming from Sydney as the majority of it sits in a natural basin below the Blue Mountains.  When conditions have been at their best, I've managed to see the Pinwheel galaxy, M33, as a naked eye object.

I'll be taking along a 12" Marana dob and a 17.5" Karee dob, both from Gondwana Telescopes.  I'm happy for people to come and use both these fine instruments.  Lots of photon collecting power between these two scopes :) 

Fingers crossed for a good couple of dark sky weekends.

The picture below is from one of our summer nights a couple of years ago.

Alex.