Mersing

From SingastroWiki

Kampong Telok Sari in Mersing is a popular stargazing site for amatuer astronomers in Singapore. It has what we call 'dark skies' - near perfect skies without any light pollution, and an open accessible field by the beach that is fairly secluded and relatively safe. One night there is incomparably better than any you'll ever see in Singapore. However, due to increased development in the area, the light pollution from the bordering towns have gotten slightly larger over the years and streetlamps have been installed nearby. While this means that things are not as perfectly dark as before, the Mersing site will remain a favourite observing site for a long time to come.

When?

Singastro holds an annual major trip to Mersing around April. It is a 3D2N event, and school astronomy clubs are welcome to join.

Other trips are organised on an ad hoc basis, most commonly in the window of clear weather between March and August, and on a new moon to avoid moonshine. Refer to the Events and Observation Sessions forum in the SingastroForums for updates.

Some other Singastroians are known to be there almost every new moon when the sky is clear.

Points to note

• Normal precautions and procedures for traveling to Malaysia apply.
• Travelling with telescopes means possible problems with customs. Refer to experienced travellers for advice.
• The 200km+ drive to Mersing takes between 3-5 hours. Beware car-sickness.

• The Mersing observation site is simply an open field. It is basically an outdoor camping experience with:
  • Possible rain,
  • Possible mosquitoes,
  • Cold sea-breezes,
  • Damp dew,
  • No nearby eateries, and
  • No toilets.

• Recommended things to bring to a Mersing observation.
  • Red torchlight (to preserve night vision).
  • Water and snacks. (can be bought in Mersing town)
  • Thermos flask with hot drinks (hot drinks can be bought in Mersing town)
  • Warm clothing. (jacket as the wind can be cold in the morning)
  • Mat to lie on.
  • Insect repellant.

• Optional things to bring
  • Telescope, Binoculars, viewing chair.
  • Tent (In case of rain; newspapers layed below will help prevent dirt and grass from clinging)

• Other things to note
  • It is best to keep a low profile to avoid attracting unwanted attention.

How to get there

• Public transport You may take a bus to Mersing town and then a cab from Mersing town to the observation site. There are several beach chalets in the vicinity.

• Minibus Groups may hire a private tour minibus for 10 people that will drive you to the observation site and back.

• Driving:

The observation site is about 25 km North of Mersing town. Specifically, it is situated about 5km north of the village of Kampong Tanjong Resang, and about 5km south of Kampong Tanjong Penyabong.

Here's the GPS fix for the observation site: 2º 36' 13.2"N, 103º46' 48.9"E.

From Singapore, cross over to Johor Bahru via the Woodlands Causeway. Then travel 40km North-east towards Kota Tinggi. Once past Kota Tinggi (there is no need to enter the town centre), continue heading North for about 90km to Mersing town. (Once at Mersing, stock up on food and other supplies, and also have a snack, traditionally at the KFC).

From Mersing town, head North for about 15-20km along the trunk road that leads to Kuantan in Pahang state.

Along this North-bound road, look out for a small road sign saying "Tg. Resang". Turn right here. Then travel along this road due East for about 5km towards the sea.

At the first junction, turn left to head North towards "Jeti.. Penyabong". Travel for about 3-4km due North parallel to the beach, & use the GPS fix to determine the exact location. Its a large field by the sea, on the right side of the road, and has a few tall coconut trees.

The total road distance is around 160km from Johor Bahru to the Observing Field at Telok Sari. It takes about 2.5 hours in total, without stops. Remember: drive slowly, safely and defensively.

This is a annotated road map of Johor state (see also the larger-scale map of the Mersing area below).

This is a larger-scale annotated road map of the area from Mersing town to the Observation Field at Telok Sari. Follow the orange-and-white dotted line. The map as printed does not show many of the roads in the region of Telok Sari (note: this version of the map is now long out of print, and newer editions do not show the region at this scale and detail).

Here is a rough drawn map by Arief showing how to get there from Mersing town.

Below is a photo of the small easy-to-miss road sign on the trunk road about 15km North of Mersing.

Below is a photo of the large road sign near the village of Tanjong Resang. From here, turn left and head North about 3-4km to reach the Observing Field.

Here are two aerial photos of the region of the observation site, taken by Starfinder whilst on a flight from Singapore to Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City) in November 2006.