Observing at the OzSky "Alumni" Star Safari

The southern night skies at the OzSky "Alumni" Star Safari are something to behold!

Not only does the hub of the Milky Way start the evening right up at the zenith (yes, both Sagittarius and Scorpius cross through the zenith!), but you'll also enjoy the stunning Magellanic Clouds overhead and so much more.

Availability of Telescopes

Unlike most "regular" star parties, you're probably already aware that you don't NEED to bring your own telescope to the OzSky Star Safaris, as numerous large telescopes are provided for shared use by all attendees – hence our strict limit on the number of people permitted to register for this unique event.

The range of equipment often made available at the OzSky "Alumni" Star Safari includes a selection from:

• Two 25" ƒ/5 Classic Obsessions
  31mm, 17mm & 9mm Naglers
• One 20" ƒ/5 Classic Obsession
  31mm Nagler + 17mm & 8mm Ethos
• Four 18" ƒ/4.5 Classic Obsessions
  26mm, 12mm & 7mm Nagler
• One 18" ƒ/4.2 Ultra-Compact Obsession
  22mm Nagler + 13mm Ethos
• One 14" ƒ/4.5 SDM dobsonian
  22mm & 12mm Nagler + 8mm Radian
• One 25×150mm Fujinon Giant Binoculars
  on a motorized SkyRover StarChair with joystick control

A small selection of the OzSky "Alumni" Star Safari telescopes

How many, and which of these telescopes are brought to the observing site for your use depends on the number of people in attendance. However, as it is already looking like OzSky Alumni 2026 will have yet another "Full House" of observers, there is a very good chance that many of these amazing telescopes could be available for your observing pleasure.

Many of the telescopes at OzSky are equipped with the incredible Argo Navis Digital Telescope Computer, so finding your way around the Southern Night Skies should be a breeze.

A small selection of telescopes will also be provided without any guidance systems to enable observers to complete observing lists which require star hopping only.

Of course, we fully encourage you to bring your own small, rich-field telescope or imaging gear if that’s something you’re interested in, but that's entirely up to you.

The intention of the OzSky "Alumni" Star Safari is to provide an impressive range of LARGE telescopes which would otherwise be prohibitive to transport across the Pacific.

Eyepiece Selections at OzSky

Every telescope at OzSky is equipped with its own dedicated set of quality TeleVue Nagler, Ethos, Radian or Panoptic eyepieces which have been perfectly matched to each telescope to optimise views of the southern skies.

Please feel free to bring any of your own favourite eyepieces (and/or filters) if that's what you prefer to observe with. In the past, some attendees have even brought their own BinoViewers with full paired sets of eyepieces, for example.

A small selection of the OzSky "Alumni" Star Safari eyepieces

Shared Access to all OzSky Telescopes

Folks often ask how each of the telescopes will be "allocated" during the OzSky "Alumni" Star Safari – We are pleased to advise that all official OzSky telescopes on site will be available for shared/communal use by all attendees, every night.

There may also be a small number of additional (privately-owned) telescopes on site which may be made available by their respective owners, however access and control of those privately-owned telescopes lies entirely with their respective owners.

At the OzSky "Alumni" Star Safari, telescopes are never allocated to specific people or groups, however, at virtually all past OzSky Star Safari trips it is usually the case that folks with similar observing interests tend to group together around one or two telescopes to observe similar observing lists, often leaving some of the other telescopes unused for long periods of time.

If you would like to use a specific telescope and there is already another observer or group using it, that's not a problem at all – simply join the queue and you will be warmly welcomed.

If there are several people on one telescope with different observing lists, it is suggested that observers take turns shifting from one observer's list to the next.

If you do have a specific observing list or program which you wish to complete during your time at the OzSky Star Safari, please feel free to let the rest of the group know using the private group mailing list. You may find that there are others in the group who also have identical or similar wish-lists.

No matter who you are, or what you want to observe, you will have ample opportunity to use all the official telescopes on site.

Everyone is strongly encouraged to roam around the observing field checking out the various telescopes, and keep in mind – you will hear frequent calls for "Who wants to look at this near-impossible 16th Magnitude galaxy in the 25-inch telescope?"

OzSky "Alumni" Site Co-ordinates

-34.22°S | 149.24°E

The co-ordinates of the OzSky Star Safari observing site are: -34.22°S, 149.24°E. Google Maps View and the street address of the observing site is Markdale Station, 462 Mulgowrie Road, Crooked Corner NSW 2583, Australia.

Strict OzSky Dark Out Provisions

One of the reasons folks travel half-way across the world to observe or do astro- imaging at the OzSky "Alumni" Star Safari is to take advantage of the sheer darkness and the amazing skies we have to offer.

The night skies at OzSky "Alumni" are usually in the range of SQM 21.4–21.9 mag/arcsec² (Bortle 1–3) and it is not unusual to see shadows being cast by the Milky Way itself.

Each of the volunteers at the OzSky "Alumni" Star Safari feel a duty of care to ensure that the best possible experience can be enjoyed by all OzSky guests, and as such we implement strict Dark Out provisions requiring that only DIM, RED light sources may be used on or around the observing field between 21:00 - 05:00.

Any light sources which are not "astronomy friendly" (such as too bright, or white light etc), must be switched off during official dark out hours, so as not to affect the enjoyment, dark adaption, or photographic exposures of other folks at OzSky "Alumni".

House and Room lights must also remain off during this enforced dark-out period (unless curtains are fully drawn, and windows shielded) which is particularly important to be aware of for any non-observers in the group.

Since our small group usually consists almost entirely of highly experienced deep sky observers, I’m confident that this policy will be very much self-regulated during the week.

Note: Remember to pack your red LED flashlight for use while observing, but please do not bring a "head-light" (even if it is red) as these are typically way too bright for serious observing and generally cause more damage to dark adaption than good.

Also leave at home any flashlight which can accidentally be switched to white light – these are strictly prohibited on the observing field and may be confiscated immediately.

Digital Observing Aids

Folks often raise concerns about modern devices being used on the main observing field or around the imaging field.

Laptop computers, Smart Phones, smart-watches, Kindle-type devices, iPads and tablet computers are welcome, however if used on or near the Observing Field these devices MUST be fitted with an appropriate heavy red screen filter and light shield, dimmed to the absolute minimum level and must be faced away from the Observing Field and any other observers, imagers or imaging devices.

So, feel free to bring your favourite digital devices, but please remember they must not interfere with any other observer or imager during official Dark Out hours.

Without going into details of appropriate shielding options for laptops, tablets, smart-watches and other light emitting devices, common sense should, of course, prevail.

Spread the Word about OzSky

Please remember, these OzSky Star Safaris are enhanced by the group of wonderful folks who are present at each event.

If you have any experienced friends or colleagues who might be interested in joining us at the 2026 OzSky "Alumni" Star Safari (or a future OzSky event), please let them know about this unique observing opportunity.

Previous Edition:
Overview, Trip Planning, Bookings & Logistics

Next Edition:
Eye Candy and Observing Lists