Good Viewing Locations in Singapore

[RubesNZ]

Hi
I got my first telescope (yesterday) and want to know some good viewing locations that are easy to get to (via taxi). I have a south facing balcony which I can use, but there is lots of street lighting as I am near Balestier Rd.
Any suggestions on which are the best parks with low lighting which also have easy access. Where do most people go to get away from the bright lights? Any info would be good.
Also, I see there is a organised get together over this weekend at Toa Payoh. I might try to come along if I can make it. It would be good to get some hints about how to get the best out of my scope.
Cheers, Rubes

[Airconvent]

Welcome to Singastro. We used to have a big list featured in our wiki pages but that has since been removed. Generally Changi has the clearer skies but there are a few flat fields in Sengkang that would be ideal too but the enemy is not the street light here but the clouds!

[Gary]

Hi Rubes. Welcome to the forum and congrats on our first telescope purchase!

If you are taking taxi, I guess most of the places in Singapore are relatively easy to get to and right to the door step.

Here are some of the darker places:
- Changi Beach
- East Coast Park --> viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8256
- Tampines ECO Green --> viewtopic.php?f=19&t=9790
- Turf City --> viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5040

Read the observation reports in the Events and Observation subforum to have a better understanding of these dark places.

For observing moon and planets, you don't really need a very dark site. Due to the unpredictable skies in Singapore, I think it is more important to react quickly to clear sky periods. By the time you travel to a dark site and fully set up your telescope, the clouds might roll in. Thus, you may try to look for sites nearer to location that is darker than your house but may not be as dark as a far away observation site. Whenever the sky is clear, go to this nearer place and observe first.

Please feel free to drop by Toa Payoh for the upcoming Mars Opposition tomorrow night and saturday night. That location is brightly lit so definitely not a dark site. But since we are observing the planets, not a big deal. I have seen some amazing stuff in fellow members big scopes there despite the bright lights. Again, it is more important to react quickly to clear sky than going to a far dark site and then pray for the sky to be clear (I stay in Toa Payoh).

As it is a public sidewalk location, do prepare to have people queueing behind your scope to take a peek and asking you questions about what they are looking at. So if you have some premium astro accessories (e.g. eyepieces), you may want to keep them from public use unless you don't mind cleaning them later.

A few of our veteran members will be there too. Feel free to ask them questions and tips for using your scope. You should also ask such questions in this forum too. Afterall this is what this forum is for -- amateur astronomers helping out each other.

Take your time to slowly figure out what your scope is capable of doing and what can be seen in Singapore's sky with it. Enjoy the process, don't rush! Feel free to start a thread and document your adventures with your scope. Hope you see you soon at Toa Payoh.

Good Luck!

[vivid]

Hi there,

For me it's quite the opposite....i actually wanted to get a scope as far back as 1997 but due to lack of funds so scrapped it. Later got car hence wanted to buy in 2000/2001, but Jurong Island closed due to terrorist attack.

Now no car, but figured that the Sky Park @ rooftop is nice and pretty dark (especially dark at wee hours) and after observing the skies and decided that with SG's fickle weather/clouds it's really better to have a fast reaction time. Unfortunately it would close from 10pm-6am, so seriously i have to move to the middle-tier park should i wanna do any ob. I have been there at 6am and seriously most mornings it's just so dark and serene up there. Problem is that you just have maybe 30 minutes to do it, so must be very fast, absolute acid test of "grab n go". The only advantage is that i can do this almost daily as it's really no sweat at my doorstep. If it's good i'd try to apply for access during 10am-6pm, issue is that they have security there to make sure everyone exits after 10pm. (Locking of the turnstiles is not an issue i guess, i mean you just have to bring some plastic bags to answer the call of nature! )

Just 2 days ago the seeing/transparency was pretty good, within 3 minutes i was right there observing and having access to 360 deg of the sky (just avoid those parts which are brightly lit). The zenith was especially dark, one of those really good nights here. The only problem is that my scopes/base/anything cannot be bigger than 21" diameter, as i have to go through turnstiles.

At least for me, taking public transport/car/taxi is a good way to kill the hobby as it's not sustainable for more than 2 years. I know that from my bird photography many many years back. That's just not me...

I think with our hectic lifestyle here wanting to earn more money and expand your career/business, we don't really have time. If you are semi-retired then i guess that's a different story.

Anyway, just found something that I could set up fast, that has premium optics, and has a base that is small enough to squeeze through without much disassembly and not too heavy even though my home -> lift -> ob site is no more than 30 metres of walking, and also not so expensive Eg Obsessions etc. Currently I have a 152mm refractor and Alt-Az on order. Sort of a complement - but well i'll just enjoy the big refractor first.

http://www.teeterstelescopes.com/catalog_sts.html

http://www.starmastertelescopes.com/hybridscopes.htm

[weixing]

Hi,
Base on my experience, if the zenith (directly above you) on a clear night is dark blue, you are in a good location for astro(Singapore standard).

Have a nice day.

[vivid]

There is a best viewing location that everyone can easily enjoy. And that is a window seat on a aircraft @ 39000 ft (typically) at night. The eyes are easily eye adapted after 30 mins - 1hr, and you see everything and I do mean everything. Absolutely mind boogling. And you can even view stuff right above the horizon no issue, there is even no twinkling because there is not much air anyway.

This is easily better than any black site (forget about Malaysia/Indonesia), but of course the windows do reduce the resolution. But you do get a very wide view of the heavens and so many objects that you can't even count. If it is like overcast below and you are flying past a city you can even detect a faint patch of the amber HPS street lights glow (coz your eyes are already very dark adapted).

Just came back from Beijing with 2 night flights. When i went there it was sort of full moon, but it's not an issue coz there isn't much air in the atmosphere @ 39000 ft, no haze/dust/anything....just jet black skies.....as long as the moon is not in your direct vision, of course.

[vil]

just on looking out from my window which is directly facing south... i staying quite central and have almost an unblock 180 view, horizon upwards from east to west, but the light pollution is pretty bad

i think most of the 'actions' or darker skies are higher up/overhead but there are limitations due to the typical hdb window design

[VinSnr]

Hi there,

For me it's quite the opposite....i actually wanted to get a scope as far back as 1997 but due to lack of funds so scrapped it. Later got car hence wanted to buy in 2000/2001, but Jurong Island closed due to terrorist attack.

Now no car, but figured that the Sky Park @ rooftop is nice and pretty dark (especially dark at wee hours) and after observing the skies and decided that with SG's fickle weather/clouds it's really better to have a fast reaction time.

Where is Sky park @ rooftop?

[vivid]

Where is Sky park @ rooftop?

Pinnacle @ duxton. Sorry, it should be Sky bridge. If they do not put turnstiles there I surely would whack a dob or something.

There is going to be a similar one at Strathmore ave/Queenstown, 47 storeys...HDB. Skyville. Edit- sorry i think Skyville is not that suitable, the blocks are pretty close to one another, very little "lobang" showing the sky.

[Gary]

How big is the turnstiles? Can show photo or link? I am sure can squeeze through some dob if we put our hearts and mind to it. Or surely there must be some bigger door/emergency exit somewhere?