Loewen Rd football fields - good observation area

starfinder · Post by **starfinder** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:59 pm

There is I think a good substitute for the former Dempsey Road observation site which has now become unsuitable for star-gazing with all the newly opened restaurants.

At nearby Loewen Road, there is a giant football field which is very dark (relatively speaking for the city centre) at night. This L-shaped field is about the size of 2 or 3 standard soccer fields.

It is just off one of the branches of the T-shaped Loewen Road. Loewen Road is accessed from Harding Road, which itself is accessed via Dempsey Road or Minden Road. Both Dempsey Road and Minden Road are accessed from different stretches of Holland Road.

I have been to this field several times before. About 7 years ago, I watched a football match there in the daytime, and more recently have checked it out at night.

I was there again this past Saturday night (1 Sept 2007) to try to observe the Aurigid meteors. There are very few direct light sources there: the two main ones are from a small building with a drinks vending machine, and on the other side of the trees at the southern end there are some lights from a golfing range. These light sources are by no means very bright. Ambient darkness is about the same or even darker than the former Dempsey site used to be.

This is only suitable for those with cars, since it is way too far from Holland Road to walk in with gear.

There is a rectangular paved car parking area beside the field, and from there, obstruction (from trees) is only to about 20 degrees for most sectors, and at the eastern side to about 50 degrees. However, the fields are very large, so if one is willing to move into the fields and walk about, one can limit the obstruction to about 15 degrees for all directions.

It is a very quiet area, and whilst I was there from 7:30pm to 8:10pm on Saturday night, I did not hear any man-made sound at all after a group of footballers had left at about 7:45pm, not even the sound of traffic. I only heard a dog bark, and some bats flying overhead and clicking away.

I have captured a satellite image from Google Earth of the area, and added some annotations. Here it is:
http://www.singastro.org/album_showpage.php?pic_id=918

This field, marked in outline in light green in the above image, is not to be confused for the smaller football field right by Harding Road where vehicles drive by. This giant field is much further in and down a slope at one end of the T-shaped Loewen Road.
(Note: the Google Earth image does not show the part of the road which leads to the car-parking area marked "X" by me).

This field is I think now one of the best areas in the city centre for observation. Perhaps we could hold a Singastro session there to test it out!

Clifford60 · Post by **Clifford60** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 6:59 am

When you plan to go, this Fri or Sat?

Clifford60 · Post by **Clifford60** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 3:51 pm

Plan to go there tonight at 9.00pm if the weather permit. Anyone want to join? PM or SMS me (96968692)

Was there before 1pm, nice and quiet place. The small building mentioned other than the vending machine, there is a toilet too, the old man who work there mentioned that it is open at night. Expect other light source from the tall building in Queenstown.

cataclysm · Post by **cataclysm** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 5:38 pm

Yes its a good site, recce that place at night b4, just a stone throw from where i live. But more ideal after 11pm, because after that the driving range flood light will be off.