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Observing at the OzSky "Classic" Star Safari

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

Not only does the hub of the Milky Way reach the zenith (yes, both Sagittarius and Scorpius will cross through the zenith!), but you'll also enjoy Omega Centauri overhead, the entire Crux / Carina region, the stunning Magellanic Clouds early in the evening, and so much more.


Possible Telescopes at OzSky

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.

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


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 "Classic" Star Safari includes a selection from the following OzSky-owned and privately-owned telescopes:

  • Two (2) 25" ƒ/5 Obsessions (Classic)
    • 31mm TeleVue Nagler (82° / 102×)
    • 17mm TeleVue Nagler (82° / 187×)
    • 9mm TeleVue Nagler (82° / 353×)
    • Feather Touch dual-speed 2" focusser
    • Telrad zero-power reflex sight finder
    • 12×80 right-angle finder (on one 25" only)
    • Argo Navis Digital Telescope Computer
    • 8' (2.4m) aluminium ladder

  • 20" ƒ/5 Obsession (Classic)
    • 31mm TeleVue Nagler (82° / 82×)
    • 17mm TeleVue Nagler (82° / 149×)
    • 8mm TeleVue Ethos (100° / 317×)
    • Telrad zero-power reflex sight finder
    • 7×50 right-angle finder
    • 6' (1.8m) aluminium ladder
    • Available by special request only

  • Four (4) 18" ƒ/4.5 Obsessions (Classic)
    • 26mm TeleVue Nagler (82° / 79×)
    • 12mm TeleVue Nagler (82° / 171×)
    • 7mm TeleVue Nagler (82° / 294×)
    • Feather Touch dual-speed 2" focusser
    • 2" TeleVue ParaCorr Coma Corrector
    • Telrad zero-power reflex sight finder
    • 7×50 right-angle finder
    • Argo Navis Digital Telescope Computer
    • 3 or 6 Step ladders

  • 18" ƒ/4.2 Obsession (Ultra-Compact)
    • 22mm TeleVue Nagler (82° / 87×)
    • 13mm TeleVue Ethos (100° / 147×)
    • Feather Touch dual-speed 2" focusser
    • 2" TeleVue ParaCorr Coma Corrector
    • Telrad zero-power reflex sight finder
    • Argo Navis Digital Telescope Computer
    • 3 Step ladder

  • 14" ƒ/4.6 SDM Dobsonian
    • 22mm TeleVue Nagler (82° / 74×)
    • 12mm TeleVue Nagler (82° / 136×)
    • 8mm TeleVue Radian (60° / 204×)
    • Feather Touch dual-speed 2" focusser
    • 2" TeleVue ParaCorr Coma Corrector
    • Telrad zero-power reflex sight finder
    • 7×50 Antares straight-through finder
    • Argo Navis Digital Telescope Computer
    • 3 Step ladder

  • 12" ƒ/5 Home-made Dobsonian Binocular Telescope
    • Paired 24mm TeleVue Panoptics (68° / 64×)
    • Paired 13mm TeleVue Naglers (82° / 117×)
    • Paired 10mm TeleVue Radians (60° / 152×)
    • 8×50 RACI Finder
    • 1.25" Astronomik UHC filters
    • Available by special request only
    • Only available at the OzSky "Classic" Star Safaris

  • Celestron C11 XLT 11" ƒ/10 Schmidt Cassegrain
    • Available by special request only

  • 10" ƒ/5.6 Home-made Dobsonian
    • 23mm SkyWatcher Panorama (82° / 62×)
    • 15mm SkyWatcher Panorama (82° / 95×)
    • 7mm SkyWatcher Panorama (82° / 203×)
    • 8×50 straight-through finder
    • Telrad zero-power reflex sight finder
    • Available by special request only

  • 25×150mm Fujinon Giant Binoculars
    • Motorized SkyRover StarChair
    • Joystick control
    • Optional Sirius Unimount Parallellogram Mount
    • Available by special request only

  • TeleVue Renaissance 4" ƒ/5.4 NP101 polished-brass Refractor
    • 35mm TeleVue Panoptic (68° / 15×)
    • 18mm TeleVue Radian (60° / 30×)
    • 3mm TeleVue Radian (60° / 180×)
    • TeleVue StarBeam Finder
    • TeleVue Gibraltar wooden tripod & Alt/Az Panoramic mount
    • AstroSolar Visual Solar Filter
    • AstroSolar Photographic Solar Filter
    • Available by special request only

  • Coronado 40mm ƒ/10 Personal Solar Telescope (PST)
    • 7-21mm Orion Explorer II Zoom Eyepiece (30-43° / 19-57×)
    • <1.0 Ångstrom bandbass Hydrogen-alpha (Hα)
    • iOptron SmartStar Cube Alt/Az GoTo tracking mount
    • iOptron GoToNova hand-controller
    • Tuning mechanism for Doppler shifts and contrast adjustment
    • Sol Ranger solar finder
    • One ordinary, middle-aged star located at the centre of our solar system (only available during daylight hours, sorry)
    • Available by special request only

  • Trico Machine Sky Window (reflecting Binocular Mount)
    • Ergonomic Viewing: Allows observers to look down into binoculars (similar to looking into a microscope) rather than tilting your head back toward the sky.
    • Pivoting Front-Surface Mirror: A twist of a control adjusts the angle, letting you scan anywhere from the horizon to the zenith without moving your head or the binoculars.
    • Mounting Options: Features a plate with seven 1/4-20 tapped mounting holes on the bottom, allowing it to attach to a standard camera tripod or sit flat on a table.
    • Tabletop Use: When used on a table, soft rubber conical feet (plus optional plastic slide caps) let you smoothly pan across the southern night sky while resting your arms and holding star charts.
    • You are welcome to BYO favourite binoculars - compatible with most quality binoculars - or use our included 10x35 binoculars
    • Available by special request only

  • SunSpotter Solar Projection Telescope
    • A wooden, folded-Keplerian refractor telescope projecting a safe, magnified image of the Sun onto a white viewing screen
    • Available by special request only

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


Shared Access to all OzSky Telescopes

Folks often ask how each of the telescopes will be "allocated" during the OzSky "Classic" 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 "Classic" 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 "Classic" Site Co-ordinates

-31.27°S | 149.19°E

The co-ordinates of the OzSky "Classic" Star Safari observing site are precisely: -31.27° S, 149.19° E.

Google Maps View.

The street address of the observing site is:
Warrumbungles Mountain Motel
882 Timor Road
Coonabarabran NSW 2357
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 "Classic" Star Safari is to take advantage of the sheer darkness and the amazing skies we have to offer.

The night skies at OzSky "Classic" are usually in the range of SQM 21.4–21.9 mag/arcsec˛ (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 "Classic" 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 7:00pm and 5:00am.

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 "Classic".

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 such as kindles, smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc being used on the main observing field or around the imaging field.

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 2027 OzSky "Classic" Star Safari (or a future OzSky event), please let them know about this unique observing opportunity.


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