General News
17 September, 2024
A night under the stars
More than 32 stargazers belonging to Brisbane Amateur Astronomy Enthusiasts camped out at Irongate recently to explore and photograph the wonders of the night sky.
This is the time first time the group had visited the area, members being hosted by Ken Edwards and Ruth Ashburner-Gorse at Fig Tree Country Retreat, Irongate.
The group usually attends the annual ‘Queensland Astrofest’ held at Camp Duckadang, however this year, the event was cancelled.
Dennis Mellican, an astrophotographer, had visited Fig Tree Country Retreat before, and suggested it to the group as an alternate destination.
Down the centre of the property is an airstrip, and the flat area on top of the hill became the perfect set-up for the stargazers and their “astro-cool” technology.
The group of enthusiasts is made up of different levels, from beginner to advanced, who ultimately share a passion for the night sky.
“It’s a vast range of people you meet doing this,” one of the enthusiasts said.
“But everyone is so encouraging, and always impressed with what each other does.”
There are two main types of astronomy enthusiasts in the group: those who enjoy photographing the night sky, and those for whom it is only a visual experience, looking through a telescope.
Members travelled from as far as Rockhampton and Kingscliff to enjoy the weekend, under the stars at Irongate.
One astronomy enthusiast, Jim, said a telescope is a window into the past.
“We’re looking at something 160,000 light years away, so when that light left there, the dinosaurs were walking on the earth.
“The comprehension of distance is mind blowing.
“There’s so many beautiful objects in the sky at night,” Jim said.
“You’d be amazed at how stunning they are.”
The largest piece of equipment on site was a
28-inch telescope.
With such a large tube, a step ladder was needed to view the eyepiece which is located at the end of the telescope tube.
“We try to get out to dark spots, which is why we chose Fig Tree,” Mr Mellican said.
They use the Bortle Scale to classify the night sky’s brightness.
Mr Mellican said Fig Tree is about a 2 on the Bortle Scale, in comparison to the middle of Brisbane city which would be a Bortle 9.
One particular enthusiast, Dan, lives in Brisbane city and operates his telescope from his apartment balcony.
“At home you can only see a certain amount of stars, the bright, bright ones, that’s it,” he said.
“You come out here, and you go, hang on a minute, where’s that star gone?
“It took me half an hour last night just to find it because it’s so dark out here.
“It’s very rewarding.”
Creating Fig Tree Country Retreat has been a labour of love for Mr Edwards and
Ms Ashburner-Gorse, who cleared a lot of scrub and rock when they first bought the property.
The Retreat is used as a wedding venue, for weekend escapes, glamping, and the airstrip makes it an ideal place for fly in-fly out stays.
“We’re all about community,” Ms Ashburner-Gorse said.
“We want to put Pittsworth on our little map.”
The Retreat accommodation includes the homestead, the hangar studio apartment, and the glamping silo.
Mr Edwards and Ms Ashburner-Gorse are also excited to announce the launch of their new stargazing two-storey silo at the end of the month.
Ms Ashburner-Gorse said if you open the hatch at the top of the silo you can see the Milky Way.
According to the Brisbane Amateur Astronomy Enthusiasts, interest in astronomy has grown substantially since the Covid-19 pandemic.
“More people are getting into it,” Mr Mellican said.
The group is already considering returning to Irongate for another weekend of stargazing in the near future.
“There’s already talk about doing it again, even quarterly,” he said.
