Crago Observatory
Crago Observatory is the ASNSW's "local" dark sky observing site at Bowen Mountain, near North Richmond, about an hour's drive North-West of Sydney.
Set on 4 acres (1.6 hectares) of Crown Land surrounded by National Park, Crago Observatory provides ASNSW members with a surprisingly dark sky observing site, only a short distance from Sydney and at a location easily accessible to most members.
Facilities at Crago Observatory
Crago Observatory consists of a large rotating dome housing a high class 16 /7 Dobsonian Telescope, fitted with
Argo Navis and
ServoCAT as well as a wide range of eyepieces and star charts available for use with the telescope.
The ground floor of the observatory contains basic cooking facilities and limited seating.
Around the base of the observatory, a large cleared area provides ample space for members and visitors to set up their own telescopes.
Accreditation For Use of the Society's Facilities
As some damage has occurred to equipment in the past, a system of
accreditation has been implemented for the use of some facilities outside of normal scheduled observing sessions, and only accredited members may use these facilities at these times, unless accompanied by an accredited member.
Members wishing to gain accreditation for the use of any of these facilities are invited to Email Us for further details and to book a time and date for an accreditation session. There is a separate accreditation process involved for each of the Society's facilities, including the Wiruna Property, the 17˝" Telescope at Wiruna, and the 16" Telescope and dome at Crago Observatory.
Weather Forecast Links
Yahoo! Weather Service for Richmond or Penrith
WeatherZone Forecast for Bowen Mountain, NSW
OzForecast.com Weather Forecast for Bowen Mountain, NSW
7Timer! AstroWeather Panel for Crago Observatory, Bowen Mountain, NSW
Crago Observatory Statistics
| Latitude : | 33° 33' 50" S |
| Longitude: | 150° 37' 15" E |
| Altitude : | 469m (1560') |
Scheduled Observing Sessions at Crago Observatory for 2011
| 28 January 2012 |
18 February 2012 |
17 March 2012 |
| 14 April 2012 |
12 May 2012 |
16 June 2012 |
| 14 July 2012 |
11 August 2012 |
8 September 2012 |
| 6 October 2012 |
3 November 2012 |
8 December 2012 |
How to get to Crago Observatory
The observatory is located about 100m past the fire trail at the northern end of Lieutenant Bowen Rd, Bowen Mountain, near North Richmond. All current Sydney Street directories now include this portion and are quite easy to follow.
A Location Map and detailed description of Bowen Mountain / Crago Observatory is now available here, however anyone unsure can contact Adrian Saw on (02) 4572 1568 who lives nearby, for further directions.
