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  Welcome to Frog Rock Observatory cyber-space

 - A privately owned astronomical observatory located outside of  Mudgee , NSW, Australia.
   Longitude 149deg 39.76' E Latitude 32deg 27.35' S Altitude 508 metres   MPC Obs Code E11.

Messier 20, the 'Trifid' nebula in Sagittarius. GSTAR-EX - 31.5cm f/4.5 - LRGB - 11 July 2007 My primary interest is  astro-imaging .
From 1982 to 1995 I imaged with conventional 35mm and hypersensitised fast films.  More about my journey here .
From 2006 I have been using a  GSTAR-EX integrating CCD video camera  for deep sky and planetary imaging, asteroid astrometry and occultations.

Visit the Yahoo! forum for  GSTAR-EX users .

 - Sincere thanks to long time friend,  Rob McNaught  for giving the name "Quirk" to a
   main belt asteroid he discovered.  Details of Asteroid 18376 Quirk (1991 SQ) .

 - Rob has posters and prints of his
   famous comet C/2006 P1 for sale
Spectacular Comet McNaught prints by the discoverer    Comet McNaught   
  Posters and Prints  

 - Another great mate of mine, Steve Massey  has experience and a real passion for
   astronomy and the cyber world, with this knowledge, he has started an online astronomy
   business...  myAstroShop .
   Steve personally tests all the gear he supplies, so he can give you first hand knowledge
   of how the equipment he sells actually performs.
   He is a very affable bloke, so give him a yell (or just send an email).

For quality telescopes, binoculars and astronomical accessories.
 
 
 

ALL OPTICS
Binoculars, Spotting Scopes, Range Finders, GPS and Cameras 

Atlas of the Southern Night Sky   Steve Massey and I have co-authored a book,
   Atlas of the Southern Night Sky .
  It is written for amateur astronomers in the
  southern hemisphere.
  Available in all good book stores from Aug 2007.
  Steve and I have just finished another book, Deep-Sky Video Astronomy .
  It is part of the Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series
  published by  Springer .  Available from from April 2009.
Deep-Sky Video Astronomy

  
Visit Mudgee Astronomical Observatory 

 

  

Visitors in the Mudgee area who want to look at the stars
  for real, can arrange viewing at Mudgee Observatory 
  Owners John and Patti Vetter.  
 961 Old Grattai Road Mudgee, NSW  
Bookings essential Ph: 02 6373 3431

Galaxy NGC 253 in Sculptor. GSTAR-EX - 31.5cm f/4.5 - LRGB - 11 August 2007

 

SpaceInfo.com.au
For all the latest
 Space News

 
To see and discuss all things astronomical,
have a browse around this Australian based forum
IceInSpace - Ausy Astronomy Forum
 I'm currently a member of the
 Central West Astronomical Society (CWAS)

 Every year they hold the popular
 CWAS Astrofest which includes the
 David Malin Awards.

Central West Astronomical Society
 

  StJAGs  

Our local astronomy   
 group in Mudgee. 

StJAGs Astronomy Group Mudgee NSW

New astronomy 
group in QLD   

 Hervey Bay   
 Astronomy Group 

Hervey Bay Astronomy Group QLD
 
  Kyodai Mahjongg tilesets  My other website is dedicated to the patience game  Kyodai Mahjongg 

 
This website hosted by  

"Authority can lie but nature does not" R.P.Feynman
 

  2009 is the 'International Year
 of Astronomy'
,
if you get the chance, celebrate...
go out and look through a telescope.

 
  What's New

 Full list of GSTAR-EX images in 
 order of posting to this website.  

- 20090605
  Another Pluto observation
- 20090430
  TNO Quaoar
- 20090421
  Virgo Flasher
- 20090419
  UKS 1 globular cluster
- 20090219
  Comet Lulin
- 20090208
  Fun 3D image
- 20081201
  Smiley face in the evening sky
- 20081117
  Evening planetary grouping
- 20081027
  20 cm binocular telescope
- 20080927
  Comet d'Arrest passing IC 5148
- 20080923
  Comet McNaught 2008A1
- 20080911
  ISS passes over Mudgee
 
- 2008 July 16
 Apologies to anyone visiting this site
 from 12-16th July 2008. Somehow, a
 malicious java script code was
 embedded in every html page on my
 web server.
 This has now been removed and
 measures taken so that it won't
 re-occur.
 To those pathetic low-lifes out there
 ruining the internet... IHYGCAFD!

- 2008 June 06
  Asteroid occultations 
- 2008 May 06
  Asteroid 18376 Quirk
- 2008 Jan 01
  Comet Tuttle near M33
- 2007 Nov 21
  Comet Holmes from Mudgee
- 2007 Oct 26
  2007 Orionid meteor shower
- 2007 Sep 29
  Kapteyn's Star 1 year apart
- 2007 Sep 14
  Confirmation of SN in NGC 5530
- 2007 July 26
  Venus imaged through 1 micron filter
- 2007 May 05
  Homunculus Nebula re-imaged
- 2007 Mar 28
  Comet Lovejoy new Aussie discovery
- 2007 Feb 09
  Comet McNaught images...
- 2006 Oct 05
  Imaged Pluto and Eris over 3 nights.
 

Galaxy NGC 5128 in Centaurus. GSTAR-EX - 31.5cm f/4.5 - LRGB - 04 July 2007

 Interesting Links

 -  Tornados in Australia 
 -  Mars, Venus, Mercury 
 -  Buying Star Names 
 -  Buying a Telescope 
 -  Siding Spring Survey 

 

Cometary Globule 4 in Puppis. GSTAR-EX - 31.5cm f/4.5 - LRGB - 9, 10 March 2008

 

Website created 2nd August 1999 Last updated 27th June 2009
            

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