Club Observing Sites:

Weather Permitting, we hold club observing sessions generally on Friday or Saturday nights. We inform our members of upcoming observing sessions by a mobile phone text.

These club members sessions are held at either of  the clubs observing sites, they are listed below.

2, Loch Gur carpark, Co. Limerick

The club has forged a great working relationship with the heritage center at Loch Gur, they have a car park right by the lake and its a great observing site for a nights viewing. It's an easily accessible site and is sheltered from prevailing winds, the lake provides a stabilizing influence on the atmosphere which aids planetary viewing.

While nearby, only fifteen minutes drive directly south of Limerick, it's a dark site with a solid surface carpark, this site has proven to be safe and convienent and is now the clubs main observing site.

With the history wrapped up in the site, going back over 6 thousand years, its worth a visit to go exploring and treking in daytime.

3, Tountinne Mountain (near Killaloe/Ballina)

This observing site is located very near the summit of a 457 meter high mountain (44% the height of Carrantuohill) . From the summit, you can easily see from Limerick right up to Roscrae and all along Lough Derg, with Ballin/Killaloe been literally below you.
Observing at the summit can be difficult as it can be quiet windy up there, however there is dirt track very near the summit that allows for plenty of parking and room for setting up scopes and is abit more sheltered. 
The view of the sky up there is amazing with a perfect horizon to the south with Keeper hill in the distance, its too far away to block any sky. The summit and observing site are easily accessible using a tarmac road (watch out for the potholes up there!). The only light pollution up there would be from towns and cities 10-20-30 miles away on the horizon. 

This site is best suited to warmer nights and ones with lower winds, the near vertical incline of the road in places would make it lethal in icy/frosty weather. 
For nights with fog at ground level, this site could be option as its summit might be above the fog level. Also, for events where a clear horizon is needed, it would be the place to go.

Mountain		Summit

4, O'Callaghans Strand, Limerick city

The city has revamped the strand walkway in recent years with good safety barriers and footpaths. We use this site for public outreach nights such as for the International Month of Astronomy and International Observe the Moon nights, these are public free events where we bring the clubs telescopes and binoculars for anyone to look through. It is a light polluted site, but is good safe site for the public.

          

We are currently investigating/exploring other observing sites. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to submit them to the observing director, see the contacts section for details.

To see reports on some recent sessions check out the
Observing Sessions thread on the Message Board.

Print out an observing log form in PDF format

  SAC Observing Log