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		Southern Galactic
Remote Sites

Welcome to Southern Galactic

An International Astronomy Community. A global membership of professional and advanced astronomers, scientists, astrophotographers and science writers.

Southern Galactic Site Operations

Southern Galactic Telescope Hosting Australia operates two seperate remote telescope hosting locations. Our Head Office including Site 1 is located in the highlands of Central Victoria. Our second premium site is situated in the Northern Flinders Ranges 600 km north of Adelaide. Both locations are under the full administrative control of Southern Galactic Telescope Hosting Services Australia. The combination of these two localities enables Southern Galactic to exclusively offer our users a unique selection between the best seeing and the best value sites within the most superior facilities available in Australia.

Southern Galactic Site 1 / Cobaw Plateau

Site Coordinates

Latitude: 37°12'46.51"S
Longitude: 144°37'41.03"E
Elevation: 610 Meters

Climate Data

Rainfall: 680mm (annum)
Temp Ranges:-2 to 40° C
Mag Deviation: 11.133°
Cobaw Plateau Weather Stats.

Main Building Positions

Pier 1 - Taken.

Pier 2 - Taken.

Pier 3 - Taken.

Pier 4 - Available.

Pier 5 - Taken.

Pier 6 - Available.

Pier 7 - Available.

Pier 8 - Available.

Pier 9 - Taken.

Outside Roll Off Positions. Now Taking Orders.

Pod 1 - Taken.

Pod 2 - Taken.

Pod 3 - Available.

Pod 4 - Available.

Pod 5 - Available.

Pod 6 - Available.

Pod 7 - Available.

Pod 8 - Available.

Southern Galactic Telescope Hosting Australia Head Office is located within the predominantly rural based Macedon Ranges Shire and is surrounded by large land holdings of 500 hectares or more. The area is also recognized as an important water recharge resource and is protected from vegetation removal, mineral exploration and extraction as well as any further residential development on sites of less than 40 hectares in area. Being on the northern face of the Great Dividing Range, the more stable and dryer weather patterns provide a better quality sky with far less light pollution, atmospheric aberration and particulate air matter as would normally be encountered further to the south. Further north, large rural regional cities such as Bendigo, Castlemaine, Heathcote, Nagambie and Shepparton and Ballarat create light pollution problems for astronomers seeking dark skies as they head towards central or western Victoria. This is not the case at Site 1 because of its unique location and topographical locality.

For an overlay map of Southern galactics Site 1 location showing Light Pollution Levels and Index: See our Light Pollution Index page.

Southern Galactic Site 2 / Mount Spriggina

Site Coordinates

Latitude: 30°18'49.06"S
Longitude: 139°19' 05.45"E
Elevation: 425 Meters

Climate Data

Rainfall: 215mm (annum)
Temp Ranges: 6 to 36° C
Mag Deviation: 5.498°
Mount Spriggina Weather Stats.

Mount Spriggina Positions.

Lot 1 - Taken.

Lot 2 - Taken.

Lot 3 - Available.

Lot 4 - Available.

Lot 5 - Available.

Lot 6 - Available.

Southern galactic Site 2 is located atop Mount Spriggina within the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary in the Northern Flinders Ranges of South Australia. The name Spriggina refers to fossil deposits of a genus of flatworms preserved in the ancient strata dating back 800 million years. The species was named in honor of the Sprigg family. Access to the site is available from Adelaide International Airport by Arkaroola Air Services which fly regular routes to the 600 kilometer inland location. The site is ideally positioned several kilometers from other park activities and sits in a secure area well away from park visitors.

The site can be accessed via a newly formed gravel all weather road rising up from the flat plain of the Sanctuary for a distance of 4 kms. Power to the site is provided by twin Caterpillar diesel engine generators outputting Duel Phase and carried from the main power plant at a distance of several kilometers to the north. Power is protected via military grade multiple surge protection units with our own on site lightning arresters. There are 6 other generators available within the power plant as backup units if required. All generators can be run in series for a total output of several gigawatts. There has never been a power outtage recorded due to the amount of backup units in operation.

Arkaroola Village is best described as a small self contained community with workshops and engineering facilities for ongoing maintenence such as welding and machining, fuel service station, accommodation facilities, power generation plant, staff accommodation, communications and eco-tourism. On site staff include maintenence trades persons, service staff, tour guides,astronomy educators and other trained personel.

The Flinders Ranges is South Australia's largest mountain range which starts approximately 200 km north west of Adelaide. The discontinuous ranges stretch for over 430 km from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna. Its most characteristic landmark is Wilpena Pound, a large, sickle-shaped, natural amphitheatre covering nearly 80 square kilometres, containing the range's highest peak, St Mary Peak (1170m), and adjoining the Flinders Ranges National Park.

For further information on the Southern Galactic Site 2 / Mount Spriggina seeing conditions you may download the following report: Seeing Measurements at Freeling Heights and Siding Springs Observatory P.R Wood, A.W Rodgers and K.S.Russell / Mt Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatories; Anglo Australian Observatory. 1994. Pub. Astron. Soc. Aust., 1995, 12, 97-105 - HERE.

A recent Universe Today Feature is also available

along with a full resolution satellite image showing SG Site 2 / Mount Spriggina, Arkaroola Village, Freeling Heights and Arkaroola Air Services - HERE.

The northern ranges host the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary and the Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park. The southern part of the ranges are notable for the Pichi Richi scenic railway and Mount Remarkable National Park. The Flinders Ranges are largely composed of folded and faulted sediments of the Adelaide Geosyncline. This very thick sequence of sediments were deposited in a large basin during the Neoproterozoic on the passive margin of the ancient continent of Rodinia. During the Cambrian, approximately 540 million years ago, the area underwent the Delamerian orogeny where the geosynclinal sequence was folded and faulted into a large mountain range. Since this time the area has undergone erosion resulting in the relatively low ranges today.

Most of the high ground and ridgetops in the Flinders are sequences of quartzites that outcrop along strike. The high walls of Wilpena Pound are formed by the outcropping beds of the eponymous Pound Quartzite in a synclinal structure. The same formation forms many of the other high parts of the Flinders, including the high plateau of the Gammon Ranges and the Heysen Range. Cuesta forms are also very common in the Flinders.

The Ranges are particularly renowned for the Ediacara Hills, north-west of Leigh Creek. This was the site of discovery in 1946 of some of the oldest fossil evidence of animal life. Since then similar fossils have been found in many other parts of the ranges, though their locations are a closely-kept secret due to the risk of sites being desecrated. In 2004 a new geological period, the Ediacaran Period was formed to mark the appearance of Ediacara biota.

Facilities

Although the Southern Galactic Victorian Site is not generally open to the public, the facility does conduct 'Special Workshops' and 'Public Open Weekends' throughout the year. Site 2 is accessable to service staff only however special gatherings and activities are run at certain times of the year by Arkaroola staff. See their website for further details.

Southern Galactic Open Public events are usually announced several months in advance and posted in the Southern Ggalactic Forum under the Macedon Ranges Observatory / Events Section. Visitors must provide advance notification if they are intending to visit the facility outside of these times and will need to sign in before entering the site.

ALL VISITORS SHOULD ARRIVE BEFORE SUNSET if attending an Open Event or Workshop. Please remember to keep speed limits at walking pace only when arriving and to TURN OFF YOUR HEADLIGHTS after sunset. RED COLORED Lighting is mandatory after sunset so as not to affect the night vision of other visitors and astronomers. Once you arrive at the site, you will be shown where to park your vehicle. An introductionary tour of the facilities will follow to help you familiarize yourself with the entire site in case it is your first visit. Authorised astronomers using the main observatory facility must sign in with the Site Director before entering the building.

Astronomers with their own telescopes and equipment using observing fields and Telescope Pads may commence setting up at this time.

Directions

Take the Calder Freeway from Melbourne and take the Heathcote exit on the second left Kyneton Off-Ramp. At the roundabout, turn right along the Redesdale/Heathcote Rd. Once you cross over the Freeway, you'll see Pipers Creek Rd. on your right. Turn right and follow Pipers Creek Rd. Turn left onto the Kyneton-Baynton Rd. Follow this road for 12 Kms and you'll see Prendergasts Lane on your right. Turn right then do a left turn at the roadside letterboxes and continue up along Prendergasts Lane. Follow this road for 3.5 kms till you see Perc-Boyers Lane on your right. Turn right and Southern galactic Site 1 will be on your right hand side. The entrance is signed. (PLEASE NOTE: Although this road is well made and suitable for all vehicles all year round, this is a steep winding gravel road with numerous 'blind spots', tight corners, fallen debris, kangaroos and other hazards.) Please take care while driving.

If you require a MAP to help you, a PDF map showing the entire area may be down-loaded by clicking on the links below. You will require the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the downloaded map. If you don't have the program on your computer, it may be downloaded for free by clicking on the provided link also. For those that have Google Earth, a KMZ link is also provided to show the MRO Location.

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