Where in Malaysia has clear dark skies?

[enewmen]

How far North do I need to drive to get away from the high altitude haze that seems to never leave Singapore?
Sorry for any negitive comments, but I wasn't able to see the milky way galaxy or m31 with ANY size optics. Even when I try to get away from the light polution, there seems to be some haze that never goes away - protects me from sunburns, but also keeps me from seeing any dim objects -even on the (few) best nights.
So! How far North do I need to drive to get away from this haze and light polution? I heard some people had good luck near Mersing. Does that weather change enough that far north to finally get clear skies free from haze? I also tried long exposure (with a well aligned GEM mount) A.P., but that just give me a white image - even with LP filtres and LOTS of photoshop Levels editing.

I care a lot about this, have good expensive optics, and I hope to see some dim objects (not just Jupiters Moons, Saturns Rings, m45, and birds).

thanks!

[Gary]

Hi Enewmen. Sedili and Mersing should be up north enough to have access to clear milky way skies IF THE SKY IS CLEAR on those nights you are there. You are right about the "have good luck" part as no matter how pristine the sky is at a location, there is no 100% guarantee the sky will be clear when you are there. But since the clearest night in Singapore is still no match for an average clear night in Johor (let alone the clearest in Johor), it is still worth taking a chance to go there which is why some of us still continue to do so regularly.

On an average clear night in Singapore, your images should not just give you a white image. You can see from cknjj and astrosiao recent images in this forum which are taken in Singapore. Perhaps you can describe in detail the whole process of your imaging process and let the AP veterans here help you. Best is to meet up with them in person, observe their imaging process and learn from it.

Visually, a lot of stuff can still be seen in Singapore. Most of them not beautifully, brightly and in great contrast but nonetheless seen. For example, we saw M22 last night at roof top of Vivocity with only a 70mm refractor. Fuzzy spot but nonetheless its light still took 10,600 years to reach our eyeballs!

Do read the visual reports in this forum to have a feel of what else can be seen in Singapore. This is a good recent example by Weixing:

Revisit Common Objects - A Short Visual Session
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11016

I suspect you may have a series of bad luck of encountering hazy skies when you have completed your setup to image or observe visually. Just keep trying and lady luck will reward you sooner or later.

Clear skies!

[orly_andico]

Just got back from Mersing.

In my opinion/ experience Sedili is equivalent. And it's a shorter drive - 90-100km vs 180km.

And the chalet (simple hostel) rooms in Mersing don't have sinks!!!

So if the fishpond in Sedili hasn't scotched observing there, I'd choose Sedili.

[enewmen]

Thanks for the posts!.

So I guess it's not just me that thinks there is some cloud hanging over Singapore - only leaving long enough for someone needing lady luck.
Anyway, it seems Mersing and Sedili have less haze and less LP.

I'll look for the examples of objects found in Singapore.
I have a C8 & f/6.3 FL which should have some advantages over a 6" F5 Achro.

The good news is I'll buy a car soon so I can actually get to Jahor with a heavy mount. It sucks living in a flat - I need to drag all my gear to the top of a car-park, set it up, then the thick clouds come in.
Maybe in 20 years I can buy a bungalow and build an observatory on the roof, then I can start viewing/ AP as soon as the skies clear.

[Gary]

Can also consider buying property in Johor and building an observatory there. Haha.

[orly_andico]

My wife and I were stuck for 2 hours at Sultan Iskandar (Johore immigration) yesterday for 2 hours in a traffic jam.

The previous 150km from Mersing only took 2 hours, in contrast.

granted it's Eid but the traffic can be pretty bad.

I am wondering if there are equivalent sites in western Malaysia (so we can use the Tuas 2nd link). I know Gary has a lair / hideout there but that's not available to the rest of us...

[Clifford60]

If you can afford to buy a bungalow in Singapore, you can long afford to buy a villa in northern part of Johor and engage someone to look after the place for you if you are not staying there everyday.

Although street light in small town in northern Johor may affect the eye dilation, the darkness of the sky is still much better than in Sg and in fact you still can see Milkway in that condition. So, if you build an observatory on the roof of the villa (anything above the street light and block it), you will have a great dark sky for ob and ap.

[orly_andico]

How much is a bungalow these days? $4M?

A Paramount and remote obs is pocket change to the bungalow crowd......

[cloud_cover]

Why would you want a bungalow and remote obs equipment in malaysia when you can do so much cheaper in the USA (or even Australia) and use it maybe 5-10x more nights?

[enewmen]

If I get a Villa in northern Johor, then install an observatory on the roof, every amature astronomer in Singapore will want to be my friend.
I'll just have to provide the drinks..