Successful Event on 27/11/2021!

Wombats SA’s Moorunde Wildlife Reserve is inside the River Murray – Dark Sky Reserve
and to take advantage of that we are holding a stargazing evening at Moorunde Wildlife Reserve!

We are excited that astronomer Joe Grida has agreed to lead this stargazing excursion at Moorunde Wildlife Reserve on Saturday evening, 27 November 2021 from 7:00pm.

We begin with an exploration of the 5-day old crescent Moon. Locate the Apollo 11 landing site.
Then visit the giant planet Jupiter and its swirling clouds and watch the dance of its Galilean Moons, before heading to Saturn and its awesome system of rings.
Then a laser pointer guided starwalk, before travelling millions of light years to a galaxy far far away.

If you arrive earlier, while you are waiting for darkness to fall, there might be a chance to find wombats emerging from warrens for their night time activities.

This a regular volunteer day for Wombats SA, so you are welcome to arrive earlier by arrangement and help out while finding out more about Moorunde Wildlife Reserve.

The River Murray Dark Sky Reserve spans 3250 square kilometres in South Australia. This makes it the fifth largest dark sky reserve in our part of the world.
Being only 100 kms from a major city – Adelaide, it is quite accessible to many South Australians.

Here is a map of the reserve showing how Moorunde fits into this area.

 

Event Details:

• Attendees had a good time on 27/11/2021!
  Contact Peter by email below to get on the Reserves List for next time!
• Ticket Fee: $27.46 per Adult to help with maintenance and enhancements of our Wildlife Reserves. (Incl, $2.46 Eventbrite Fee and GST)
  (Children 10-17 can attend free with adults by pre-arrangement, bearing in mind the late night, cold temperatures and basic site conditions.)
• Register and Pay on Eventbrite with this link
• Your host is Wombats SA committee member Peter Clements.
  If you have any questions, call Peter:  0417 881 658 or Email: peterrclements@gmail.com
  
• It will be held at our Moorunde Wildlife Reserve a few KM West of Blanchetown.
  Some of the access tracks are rough so be prepared for that and get there in daylight.
  We will send you a clear map with the best directions and access route.
• Please arrive mid- afternoon at latest. This is to give you time to set up camp and to find the telescope area while still daylight.
• As this is a late night activity, it would be advisable for participants to camp overnight (BYO tent or van etc) at the reserve.
  We do not recommend driving home late at night as kangaroos abound.
  If you plan to return home that evening there will be a small number leaving and we will have a guide to show the way.
• Nights are cool and usually clear, so be prepared with warm gear.
  We often have a lovely campfire to sit around, chat and warm up.
• BYO meals and drinks. We have two gas fired barbecues which can be used to cook meals. Please try to finish in time for the telescope session to commence.
• At the campsite, we have plastic stacker chairs and tables in a spacious meeting shed.
  The shed has an effective fire and 12V lighting
• You can roll out a swag and sleep under the stars or inside the shed, pitch your own tent or pull in with a caravan (Tracks are quite bumpy, so beware).
  We can accommodate a limited number on the floor in our meeting shed.
  Check in advance.
• There is a long drop toilet with hand washing facilities and a shower shed, especially useful if you have a solar shower bag (or other) to hang.
• Plenty of pure rainwater is available.
• Bring Binoculars or telescope if you have one, camera, etc.
• For good astronomical viewing it is requested that you use only red light torches once out in the telescope viewing area in order to prevent retina burnout and to dark adapt the eyes.
  An ordinary torch with a red film is OK, but it must dim the torch well.
• If the sky is overcast we often go spotlighting to show you some of the wildlife that can be to be found on the reserve (places limited).
• For more information: Email Peter Clements at peterrclements@gmail.com or phone 0417 881 658.

 

Here is the star chart for November 27 2021 provided by Joe Grida of Astronomical Society of SA (ASSA)