Dear Observers,
Got the following comments from Paul Shallow about the "old days" at Linden Observatory, which I thought might interest you in light of our discussion with WSAAG about access:
"I did get your mail regarding planning meetings at Linden Observatory with the WSAAG.
I wonder if you are aware that the first time that location was used was by myself and the Rev Warwick Thomas in the year 19?? with help from the Rev Bob Evans and his wife. The first official meeting was quite a large affair with the attendance of Alan Vaughn from Macquarie Uni with an expensive Refractor telescope and we had conducted tours of the Ken Beams old Telescope and the extensive Tool Rooms and down the hill side to see the Mirror grinding room, set in a cave like room to give even temperatures.
We, Warwick & myself, in fact were possibly the last of NSAS to stay there over a few days in that A frame attic bed room and in the Sun room, with super views of the ???? Valley below in the Dusk and Dawn light and I remember the light from Venus was so bright that it awoke me too early, even after the long night of Observing.
Later on, and this shold give you a date as a guide, 1997 ? we went there, after a talk by Alan? Hale at Springwood, about the Comet Hale-Bopp and hopeful viewing of the last of that Comet in the western sky , by Alan? Hale which was unfortunatly aborted due to the tall trees to the West of Linden. This site was also used quite extensivly by our former member Ken Peterson who was taking images but found the headlights of the General public who were paying to come, becoming a real nuisance for long exposures.
To demonstrate the seeing, Warwick claims that by using Bob Evan’s Charts of some distant Galaxys, he was able to see 15th Mag stars !!!!!!!!!! through his 6" Newtonian and I know by the ‘ proof in the Pudding’ that I was able to image the Galaxy M83 . by handqguiding over 5 mins through my finderscope on the Galaxy itself.
Ken also took some quite stunning images over the period of time he used that location.
This was in the " days of the Female Mad Monk" resident in the caretakers house, but thats another long story !!!!!!!!!!
BUT over a period of time and visits some very nice images were obtained by all of us all including Ron Washington who showed me just how to image Eta Carinae in a very dark sky. "
Best Regards,
Bob Fuller
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