Observatory Specifications
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Supplier
Model Material : Dome : Base Date errected Size : Diameter : Height : Wall height : Slot width Dome rotation Slot opening / closing Electrics : Lights : Power sockets : Power to equipment Pier Furniture Horizon Sky conditions |
Technical Innovations Inc. Maryland, USA
Home-Dome HD-10 Fibreglass Vinyl covered reinforced concrete 1997 10 feet 8 feet 3 feet 3 feet Manual 2 white lights and 2 red lights 16 (you can never have enough!) Via under-floor conduits and hollow pier Steel pipe with welded bottom and top flanges bolted to concrete base 3 drawer toolbox-type storage cabinet on castors Table 3 ft x 1 ft 8 inches Rotating office armchair Being surrounded by trees and the house the viewing horizon is restricted but not above the all important 2 airmass line (approximately 30 degrees in altitude). This restricted view does mean that objects in the southern sky that should be circumpolar are in fact only visible when they are at least 25 degrees above the horizon. In the north, the Ring Nebula can be seen briefly between treetops but Vega is always below the tree line. For a suburban location the sky conditions are generally quite good. Because the observatory is located to the north of Sydney the skyglow immediately above the city to the south can be a problem depending on atmospheric conditions. Nevertheless on good nights the Magellanic Clouds are easy naked eye objects and the Milky Way is usually quite prominent. Sky conditions to the east, north and west are comparatively very good. |