Trial run: Toa Payoh Observation Group now (re)open!

Alright, this is for sharing of your observation experience. Or, if you are arranging gatherings, star-gazing expeditions or just want some company to go observing together, you can shout it out here.
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zong
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Trial run: Toa Payoh Observation Group now (re)open!

Post by zong »

It's back! After 2 sickening years of dealing with the "from boys to men" phase of life, I'm finally going to ORD soon. This saturday night, i'll hold a trial run of the Toa Payoh Observation Group that was initiated by me and Samuel about 2 years back.

I'll try to contact Samuel to see if he can join us again, since his supposed "busy period" of probation should be over long ago. His intes-micro MN56 is still one thing i miss so much!

As mentioned, this week will be only a trial run, to find dark sites in Toa Payoh. I'm looking at the Toa Payoh park, but when i last went there the usual dark site had been sealed off. I'll search in the remaining area of the park to see if any part is dark enough. Of course it isn't as dark as the tampines group's site, but it should be dark enough to see clusters properly.

Anybody who wishes to join me can contact me. I will be there around 9-10pm to test the ob site. Highlight of the day, if the sky is clear and there are newbies willing to learn and wanting to join, will be Jupiter.

As I'm also considered quite a newbie at finding objects, I hope when i officially reopen this group, more seniors can come and help me! Thanks all!

Summary:
- Place: Toa Payoh Park, opposite hdb hub
- date: this saturday, 2sept 2006
- time: 9-10pm, maybe later if the sky is good
Last edited by zong on Mon Jul 25, 2011 11:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Canopus Lim
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Post by Canopus Lim »

2 years only. hee....Don't complain so much man.. nowadays NS guys are paid more, work 5 day week and ORD in 2 years. :P
AstroDuck
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zong
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Post by zong »

Erm, the point is not about my ns, it's about my trying to restart the central ob group. i know i didn't do much in ns myself, compared to you guys of the past. But that's another topic for coffee-corner :P
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zong
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Post by zong »

Went to recce the place yesterday even though the sky is really, really, really not good. High clouds everywhere, and the moon was so bright it + the clouds totally blocked off m6 and m7. I might have pointed at m7, but it looks only like a few stray stars in the whole view.

I found a place in the park that is (relatively) darker than the rest of the park, but the street lamps are still quite a bother. Due to the high clouds, I'm also unable to ascertain whether the lamps will be a major problem if i'm to venture to other objects in future. However, that place has a decent view of the whole sky, with the North seeable from 40deg upwards, and the south, east and west from 20deg upwards.

In spite of the high clouds, I could still see jupiter quite well. I can see at least 3 bands in jupiter at only 50x! The other moons are also very easily spotted, but at 150x the view becomes too soft to see anything properly. The moon is my only other catch. I think it's been a long time since I watched the moon in detail, and yesterday I had a great time re-exploring each and every crater again!

In conclusion, i think Toa Payoh Park is still a relatively viable place to do stargazing. I'll try to hold as many weekly ob sessions over there as possible in future, until i find an even darker place somewhere accessible and central.
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Airconvent
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Post by Airconvent »

zong wrote:Went to recce the place yesterday even though the sky is really, really, really not good. High clouds everywhere, and the moon was so bright it + the clouds totally blocked off m6 and m7. I might have pointed at m7, but it looks only like a few stray stars in the whole view.

I found a place in the park that is (relatively) darker than the rest of the park, but the street lamps are still quite a bother. Due to the high clouds, I'm also unable to ascertain whether the lamps will be a major problem if i'm to venture to other objects in future. However, that place has a decent view of the whole sky, with the North seeable from 40deg upwards, and the south, east and west from 20deg upwards.

In spite of the high clouds, I could still see jupiter quite well. I can see at least 3 bands in jupiter at only 50x! The other moons are also very easily spotted, but at 150x the view becomes too soft to see anything properly. The moon is my only other catch. I think it's been a long time since I watched the moon in detail, and yesterday I had a great time re-exploring each and every crater again!

In conclusion, i think Toa Payoh Park is still a relatively viable place to do stargazing. I'll try to hold as many weekly ob sessions over there as possible in future, until i find an even darker place som
ewhere accessible and central.
Hi zong..
would help us to understand the site better if you tell us where it is actually. so far most of the places people found are way off the beaten track , even for a driver like me.

rlow and gang has some place in Lim Chu Kang (I had to check the street directory for 5-10 min to figure a way to reach there!).

another gang has one more convenient in punggol but that place is alway very cloudy.

changi is good but a little too far for my liking

and no one *sob sob* goes to dempsey anymore...
The Boldly Go Where No Meade Has Gone Before
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United Federation of the Planets
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rlow
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Post by rlow »

and no one *sob sob* goes to dempsey anymore...
Just last night 2 Sep, I was at Toa Payoh HDB Hub at 10pm with Clement and Ian. Somehow, we didn't figure out that Zong is just next door. In the end, Ian and I went over to Dempsey to ob until 12 midnight. :)
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zong
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Post by zong »

Haha, i don't think anyone would have figured, given the lousy skies yesterday that permitted only the seeing of a few alpha stars, the moon, jupiter, and (very dimly, have to squint) the basic figure of scorpion and saggitarius.

Okay, the next time i hold this (probably in 2 weeks) i'll put up a rough sketch picture of how to find the place. And i hope the next time i try the skies will be nicer to me!
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Clifford60
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Post by Clifford60 »

Zong, Hv u tried the open space behind former Toa Payoh Girl Home (xTPGH). Just recce the place @ abt 7.40pm, very minimum stray light fm the road and building as the site is surrounded by trees and xTPGH. The biggest source of stray light is fm the Thomson MRT construction site @ xTP Hospital, but still weak. The site has about 1/2 a football field of open sky. Only thing is that you need mosquito repellent, as trees and grassy are is heaven for mozzie.

To get there, from TP, travel up TP Rise off Lor 1, after xTPGH at the hill top, "turn left" to get around xTPGH and you will find the site. If you drive, just park after the turn. On the way back, you need to go thru Thomson Rd. For other coming from Thomson Rd, TP Rise is just beside the Mobil petrol station @ the junction of Thomson/Marymount Rd. Travel TP Rise to the hill top till u saw a no entry sign on the left, just park yr car after it. The site is on the left of where u will park.
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rlow
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Post by rlow »

Zong doesn't drive. Maybe you can pick him up with his equipment .... :)
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Clifford60
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Post by Clifford60 »

Zong, if you need me to bring you to the site, just PM me.
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