| Information for amateur astronomers |
A 360-degree view from your observing spot
Twinstar Guesthouse & Observatory is bed and breakfast accommodation with an in-house observatory. We
introduce our guests to the beautiful night sky from our observatory (night sky tour) on every clear night. The night
sky tour is geared towards guests who have never looked through a large telescope or those with limited
observing experience.
Our location, however, are suited to amateur astronomers, too, who want to enjoy observing under dark rural
skies. The 18-inch (46cm) telescope is used for the night sky tour and not available for guest use, but a 10-inch
Dobsonian and 10cm binoculars are available free of charge for all-night observing.
If you are interested in astrophotography or CCD imaging, we recommend the following privately-owned
observatories. These observatories are well equipped for astro-imaging.
Springbrook Observatory Maidenwell Observatory
Observing conditions
Generally, the limiting magnitude at the zenith ranges from 6.0 to 6.5 and there is no serious light pllution.
However, during the soccer season (March to October), the nearby soccer field will turn on their lights twice or
three times a week and the southeastern sky become less than perfect. As these lights will be turned off by
10.30 pm at the latest, all-night observing will not be affected.
Ballandean Village is situated at the highlands 700 to 1000 metres above sea level and 170 km inland. As a
result, humidity is much lower and the number of observable nights is greater than the coastal areas. On clear
mid-winter nights the temperature falls very quickly overnight (down to -7 or -8 degrees) and this may cause
condensation on mirrors or lenses. Under these conditions, you may need a special heating device or hair dryer
to continue observing overnight.
Return to Night Sky Tour
Twinstar Guesthouse & Observatory is bed and breakfast accommodation with an in-house observatory. We
introduce our guests to the beautiful night sky from our observatory (night sky tour) on every clear night. The night
sky tour is geared towards guests who have never looked through a large telescope or those with limited
observing experience.
Our location, however, are suited to amateur astronomers, too, who want to enjoy observing under dark rural
skies. The 18-inch (46cm) telescope is used for the night sky tour and not available for guest use, but a 10-inch
Dobsonian and 10cm binoculars are available free of charge for all-night observing.
If you are interested in astrophotography or CCD imaging, we recommend the following privately-owned
observatories. These observatories are well equipped for astro-imaging.
Springbrook Observatory Maidenwell Observatory
Observing conditions
Generally, the limiting magnitude at the zenith ranges from 6.0 to 6.5 and there is no serious light pllution.
However, during the soccer season (March to October), the nearby soccer field will turn on their lights twice or
three times a week and the southeastern sky become less than perfect. As these lights will be turned off by
10.30 pm at the latest, all-night observing will not be affected.
Ballandean Village is situated at the highlands 700 to 1000 metres above sea level and 170 km inland. As a
result, humidity is much lower and the number of observable nights is greater than the coastal areas. On clear
mid-winter nights the temperature falls very quickly overnight (down to -7 or -8 degrees) and this may cause
condensation on mirrors or lenses. Under these conditions, you may need a special heating device or hair dryer
to continue observing overnight.
Return to Night Sky Tour