Observation at Turf City - 23/9/11

[Gary]

Gavin, Clifford and I went to ob at Turf City last night. Heard about this place several times and finally got a chance to check it out for the first time.

After the golf driving range lights were switch off at around 10 pm, followed by distant car park lights later and also the nearest street lamp, the ob site is very dark. The big open field is relatively flat and the grass nicely trimmed. Quite amazing such dark open fields still exist in Singapore today!

Big thanks to Gavin for driving us there and back and letting us play with his scope and eyepieces. Also big thanks to Clifford for discovering this place (2007!), making arrangements with the management people previously which pave the way for other astronomers to observe there and also for being such an amazing human GPS navigation system!

Ok guys, your turn to continue this report. I actually only wanted just to post the following photo thats all. LOL!


Photo description: Jupiter rising from the east. Celestron NexStar 6SE on the left, Meade 8" SCT on the right. The place is so dark, if not for the deliberate use of flashlight and the camera's long exposure at high ISO setting, you would be looking at a rectangular black box now.

Here's how to get to the Turf City ob site (not updated since 2007?). Bus routes and services might be different now.
http://www.singastro.org/viewtopic.php?t=5040

For past Turf City observation reports, search "turf city" in this forum.

[starfinder]

Ya, that's a very suitable site for ob'ing.

It was an impromptu let's-find-somewhere-to-deploy, and hope-there-would-be-some-gaps-in-the-clouds-but-don't-expect-too-much, kind of session.

I think it's probably one of if not the largest open and dark (ambient terms) areas in central Singapore. There are clear views all round, depending on which side of the field you would deploy at. Its surrounded by trees.

Another similarly large area would be the open field around Old Holland Road, but that one would likely require some illegal parking unless willing to carry stuff far.

Anyway, we were at Turf City last night from around 8.45pm to 1am. The skies were partly cloudy and somewhat hazy. We managed to see Comet Garrard, but it was very faint and difficult to discern, certainly much fainter than the nearby globular M92 in Hercules which was obvious in the eyepiece.

We spent most of the time observing Jupiter. It had two widely-spaced dark swirls in one of its main belts, which looked like a pair of eyes.

There was quite a lot of dew, though, which was surprising for Singapore.

I think this place would be suitable for a star party. However, I dont know how much longer the place would last, as things change so fast in Spore.

[Clifford60]

Big open field surrounded by forested area can't help with the dew problem unless you bring along thermal pad or dew heater.

The food outlets there closed between 9~10pm, Giant close at 11pm, so can you stock up some food if you need to stay longer. After the obs, one can head to Adam Road Hawker Center for supper, some stalls open 24 hrs.

[Airconvent]

haha...yes...Clifford's favourite haunt.

But I heard there may be redevelopment as the authorities are releasing more land for condos.

[VinSnr]

Ya, that's a very suitable site for ob'ing.

It was an impromptu let's-find-somewhere-to-deploy, and hope-there-would-be-some-gaps-in-the-clouds-but-don't-expect-too-much, kind of session.

I think it's probably one of if not the largest open and dark (ambient terms) areas in central Singapore. There are clear views all round, depending on which side of the field you would deploy at. Its surrounded by trees.

Another similarly large area would be the open field around Old Holland Road, but that one would likely require some illegal parking unless willing to carry stuff far.

Anyway, we were at Turf City last night from around 8.45pm to 1am. The skies were partly cloudy and somewhat hazy. We managed to see Comet Garrard, but it was very faint and difficult to discern, certainly much fainter than the nearby globular M92 in Hercules which was obvious in the eyepiece.

We spent most of the time observing Jupiter. It had two widely-spaced dark swirls in one of its main belts, which looked like a pair of eyes.

There was quite a lot of dew, though, which was surprising for Singapore.

I think this place would be suitable for a star party. However, I dont know how much longer the place would last, as things change so fast in Spore.

Gavin,which part of turf city did you do your obing?

[Clifford60]

Hi Vincent, see link in Gary post (1st post) for the location, the open field site mark in cyan color in the map

[VinSnr]

Hi Vincent, see link in Gary post (1st post) for the location, the open field site mark in cyan color in the map

I see...but I think the road entering that site is close after 10pm.....

[Gary]

Hi Vincent. We also thought they would chain up the road after 10 pm. But apparently they didn't. Gavin manage to reverse his car back to the ob spot when we decided to pack up and leave at about 1 am+. Not sure if it is permanently unlocked. During our obs, we saw a couple taxis driving along the narrow street to seemingly pick up passengers at the driving range area after 10pm. Perhaps that's the reason.

[Clifford60]

Hi Vin,

Even if it is locked (chained up) after 10pm, it is only less than 50m walk from the car to the ob site, not too bad.

By the way, this is my 999 posts, haha!

[Gary]

Jiayou Clifford! Welcome to the 4-digit total posts club very soon.

1 weixing 4372
2 Airconvent 4342
3 rcj 2397
4 acc 2304
5 ariefm71 2301
6 VinSnr 2214
7 Tachyon 2007
8 rlow 1942
9 wucheeyiun 1430
10 Meng Lee 1196
11 chrisyeo 1185
12 Gary 1149
13 MooEy 1136
14 jermng 1098
15 Canopus Lim 1079
16 Clifford60 999