Malaysian Astronomy Sites

Post by **rcj** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 10:49 pm

Have amended this thread into a general discussion on the quest for dark skies in Peninsula Malaysia.

kochu · Post by **kochu** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 6:31 pm

Hi Croys,

RLow and myself are the Sedili regulars. We go to sedili two or three times a month depending on moon free window. Sedili is about 90 Km from JB . Mersing site is about 175 Km. That is the only reason we prefer Sedili. If you like you can follow us . Next trip will be on July 22 nd Friday or 23 rd.

Kochu

shirox · Post by **shirox** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 9:10 pm

Anyone who is keen in trips up north to mersing can email Remus or post to here directly.
Like i told gary, it doesn't matter where you go or who you go with.
What's most important is we are all staring at the same night skies.

Post by **rcj** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 9:28 pm

Hi Stuart and rest,

Looking back, my intention of this post was to share with others the notice that some of us are thinking of heading up to Mersing to "try our luck" with the skies there end July, given the recent good chances we'd had so far in 2011. But it does not mean that this is the only place one can/will go, with all the dark places one can explore in Peninsula Malaysia, that's why I thought it was fair to mention the other regular places of expeditions (Punggai and Sedili). We all have personal choices/preferences and are completely free to choose or decide where to observe/image. Feel free to join any of the trips you know (whether stated in this forum or elsewhere) seriously! This is just a note to let others know that yes, we are planning to go up again. If you have a car, why not join us, but you are not obligated too otherwise. Like shirox has mentioned, the important thing is you have the chance to be under dark skies and that you enjoy yourself. Incidentally, after this trip, I would plan to make it a point to head back to Punggai the following week, i miss the food there!

Gary · Post by **Gary** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 1:17 am

Hi Stuart. This thread is specifically about the end July trip at Mersing. I think any non end-july mersing related events should be started in a separate thread for ease of reference and content relevance to the thread title.

Since kochu and rlow are the Sedili regulars, you may want to PM them directly for the related Sedili information instead (IIRC, rlow had mentioned in a previous post about PM'ing him for Sedili trips).

For the Sedili regulars, may I suggest perhaps you guys can start an official Monthly Sedili Observation thread? Then all the related questions and answers about those trips can be consolidated there for ease of future reference and trip co-ordination. If PM-only co-ordination (or any other non-thread based methods) has been working fine, then sticking to that is great too.

starfinder · Post by **starfinder** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 10:53 am

I think it's really good that rcj has been taking the initiative with astro trips. I believe he has gone scouting for and found suitable astro sites in Johor over the past dozen years or more. This has been of great service to interested astronomers here, including me. I recall my first astro trip was when rcj brought me to Batu Layar in 1998. It was a real eye opener!

Others too have gone on recce trips to find suitable places. I have done my part on drives around Johor, coupled with studies of night-time satellite imagery of Malaysia. I have found two, the Kahang Eco Farm between Kluang and Mersing, and the place I dubbed 'Sedili South Centauri' which is south of Sedili Kechil, and described both on Singastro and the Wiki site.

I also recall someone posted about the region near Bekok in northern Johor. And RLow has been posting about his trips to Sedili and elsewhere. There are others who have made similar posts too.

I would add that there were other regions scouted which were considered not suitable for one reason or another, eg the area near Simpang Rengam and the region between Tanjong Leman and Sedili Besar. So the ones we go to are those found after much searching.

There are doubtless other sites out there yet to be found and assessed. With ever growing light pollution in Johor, we need to keep searching.

I therefore would like to call for more astronomers on Singastro to go out there in Johor and beyond, to look for suitable dark-sky observing sites and just as importantly, to share the info on this site. But to also drive safely when doing so, whilst keeping personal safety in mind when at isolated places.

Post by **rcj** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 10:30 pm

Thanks Gary and Gavin for your thoughts. Instead of asking the moderators to delete the thread (due to irrelevance in content material pertaining to original post on Mersing), I have changed it to a discussion for Malaysian sites conducive for astronomical observing/imaging.

As most of us already noticed, 2010 was not a very productive year for astronomy, be it observing or imaging. On a personal note, most of the time spent in Malaysia back then, was in Punggai, and almost 80% of the time spent, it was cloudy - this is NOT TO SAY that this site is not good for astronomy, perhaps it was a combination of bad weather and luck/timing. At the time, some of us also expressed like-minded intentions to venture to new places in Peninsula Malaysia in the search of dark skies, but at the same time, we noticed that whenever it was cloudy in SIngapore and the lower areas of the States of Johor, it was "usually" clear beyond (inclusive of Mersing area). I do admit that this is a very naive way of coming to the juncture that "yes! this is a good enough excuse for trying places further up north, shall we!" but when you are in the shoes of an observer/imager experiencing 80% luckless skies, you tend to grow jiffy and eager to try out different areas.

So we did, and we went on to Gavin's new discovery - Kahang. It was no doubt a darker site than Punggai, and looking back Mersing as well. However, mirroring Weixing's thoughts, the place was extremely prone to dew, perhaps due to the geographic character of the region, as well as there was an additional element of hindrance - low level mist. If these two factors were non-existent, it would have been the ideal place for observing/imaging without totally leaving beyond the State of Johor.

Hence, we decided to try the old Mersing site once again. All this while, we had the impression that the new resort in place of the fields was a huge commercial resort with flood lights - no, on the other hand, there was indeed a resort, but it was more like a basic chalet premises with local white lights that could be arranged to be switched off.

I have been to Sedili, but it was Mutiara Motors Resort, and that was way back in early 2000. Didn't have a good impression - too many mosquitoes, but hey, things may have changed? It was so many years ago.

Where to from here? Mersing seems to be a convenient place for now - at least those of us who have been there recently has gotten used to its feel, amenities, etc, but we know that we will eventually still need to further our quest for better sites in time to come. If you are keen in discovering more places, I am on too!

starfinder · Post by **starfinder** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:40 am

I suggest that the Singastro community endeavour to find at least 2 new dark-sky sites in the remaining months of 2011. And the more the merrier. Let's give it a name too.

How about ''Projek Bintang Search 2011'', where ''bintang'' means ''star'' in Malay?

I think some of the main criteria / factors for a suitable dark-sky site are:

1. Dark-skies, of course. We could examine satellite imagery such as on Google Earth, which was how the Kahang and Sedili South sites were found. Or just ordinary road maps where areas far from towns can be deduced.

2. No significant local light sources, e.g. from buildings, road lamps etc.

3. Large open flat area, unobstructed by trees and other structures, down to 20 degrees above the horizon in most directions.

4. Good ground conditions. So, not tall grass/lalang. Preferably short-grass. Or else fine gravel, or else hard earth that drains well and dries up soon after rain. Or else concrete.

5. A relatively safe area. Not too isolated or near work sites that we would be vulnerable to robbery. Really, this is an impt factor. I once saw workers with parangs at an oil palm plantation. Gave me the shivers.

6. Not too far from Singapore, i.e. up to 2.5hrs drive from Tuas or JB, and easy to get to, road-wise.

However, I'm also keen to find places in southern Pahang state, quite curious about the potential of that area. We may have to go beyond Johor to get truly pristine skies, esp for the southern aspect. Why not, if its for an annual star party event?

7. Good local environmental conditions for observing, i.e. little dew and fog/mist, and little wind. Better still if it's a place that is relatively less cloudy than the average for the southern Malay Peninsula.

8. A minimum of pests: mosquitoes and sand flies which are a bother, but more importantly, no rats, stray dogs, snakes, scorpions, etc.

9. Preferably, available accommodation nearby, at a town/village or even on-site.

10. Near to a town or petrol station to get supplies.

11. Permission or entitlement to access and use the place, i.e. a public area or a private area where we can get the owner's permission.

Hope I've not left anything out?

Sigh.... astronomy is one of the most difficult of hobbies. Many of the above factors are quite contradictory, eg the further you get from a town, the more isolated and less safe it is, usually, and less convenient for supplies too. And the roads may not be good in rural areas. But the nearer to town, the brighter it gets. And after all that, even with the best of sites on a moonless night, the clouds can just ruin a whole night! And the equatorial region is just sooooo cloudy.

Shall we start thinking of Pahang as potential for a truly special really dark-sky place?

Finally, if anyone out there knows of dark sky sites in Johor and Pahang already, please post the info on it here. We really would like to know!