Barrenjoey Lighthouse Astromeet

With Astro seaosn well and truly underway, join us for another Astromeet, this time visiting the epic Barrenjoey Lighthouse atop the headland in Palm Beach. Part of Kurin-Gai Chase National Park, weather permitting, this will be an incredible evening capturing not just the more commonly known images from in front of the lighthouse, but we will also explore other areas nearby seeking out those unique and rarely seen compositions. 

While on site, I will go through some basics about safety, etiquette, how to find the Milky Way, how to capture it, how to look for a unique composition and some advanced capture techniques. We will also cover some basic astroscape lighting, and how to manage to harsh lighting projected by the new LED system in the lighthouse itself.

We will shoot the Milky Way and Star Trails through to sunrise. 

Take Note, that NSW National Parks and Wildlife are currently planning to begin renting the Keepers Cottages next to the lighthouse in the next few years, at which time access to the headland at night will likely be closed off, and so these next couple of years may be the last opportunity to really explore and capture stunning nightscapes of the Barrenjoey Headland.

NOTE: The meeting time is 11:00PM on Saturday evening and we will shoot through to early Sunday morning.

Meeting Time: Saturday 18th March 2023, 11:00PM 

Galactic Core Visible - 11:04 til 05:38 

Sunrise - 07:01 

Weather Dependent - This is a Weather Dependent event. If heavy rain or storms are forecast we will cancel or postpone the event to a later date. We will still run the event if it is cloudy, as we can have some light painting fun around the Lighthouse and surrounding headland if the skies fail to clear for us. 

Parking - Once you turn into Governor Philip Car Park at Palm Beach, park at the northern most end on the Pittwater side, near the amenities block. Use this pin to navigate to the meeting spot.

https://goo.gl/maps/nrtCqrCHCxwAPKfi9

• Night shooting safety
• Locating the Milky Way
• Quick Milky Way settings
• Focusing in the dark
• Night shooting etiquette
• Looking for the Unique
• Managing Lens Fog

• MOST IMPORTANT - Working Headlamp or torch (no mobile phone torches please!)
• A camera with Manual controls and interchangeable lenses
• Lenses suitable for astrophotography (between 12mm & 24mm preferably with f/2.8 or faster)
• Remote shutter for camera
• Sturdy Tripod
• A small towel to cover your camera
• Warm Layered clothing, beanie or other warm headwear, and warm socks/shoes or boots
• Firm and grippy footwear is strongly recommended as we will be traversing rocky cliff tops along the coastline.