Helena Observatory (re)build

[KathyNS]

It is time to start my thread on the (re)build of the Helena Observatory. It was formerly the Hall's Harbour Observatory, and before that the Baie Ste. Marie Observatory. It has done a lot of travelling! The building was delivered to our new address on July 17th. It is currently sitting on blocks, awaiting site preparation.

Today, I broke ground for the new site. It is the most level ground I could find on the lot. In the photo, the near-right corner is the high point, and the far-left corner is the low point. The height difference is about 45 cm or 18". roughly the height of one of the green corner stakes. So, my work today was to cut into the high side and move the dirt to the low side to get it roughly level. The ground is very hard and rocky, but I got the bulk of the work done today.

I will rent an auger to drill for the pier footing. The square pad will be framed in pressure-treated lumber and filled with class-A gravel, the stuff that is self-compacting. The pad is 12'x12', for the building that is 10'x10'. I will place patio paving blocks at the four corners of the building's footprint, and then hire a crane to come and move the building onto the pavers.

The pier footing will be poured before the building is moved, but it will only come up to a couple of inches above the gravel pad, so it won't interfere with the building move. The actual pier is my good old plywood pier that has done well for me over the past 10 years. I will install it on the footing from inside the building.

I need to order the J-bolts for the pier so that I have them on site in time for the concrete pour.

The view in the photo is towards the south-east. I have never had such a low skyline before. It is doubly nice that the best skyline is south-ish. And the town that we are on the outskirts of is behind the hill that is behind the camera, so a lot of the light pollution is blocked.

[Bigzmey]

Looks like a nice location. I hope your rebuild goes smoothly.

[Graeme1858]

The view in the photo is towards the south-east. I have never had such a low skyline before. It is doubly nice that the best skyline is south-ish. And the town that we are on the outskirts of is behind the hill that is behind the camera, so a lot of the light pollution is blocked.

The new place looks ideal Kathy.

I look forward to keeping up with the progress.

Graeme

[SkyHiker]

Very nice. I love how you keep using that plywood pier. It makes me laugh about how everyone else worries about metal piers or concrete with rebar, and a rat hole of screws on top that will just add flexure. If all you have to worry about is a pier footing, it gets so much easier.

[messier 111]

Hello Kathy,
I was wondering if you are talking about
the island?
Hope you are well with your health?
I wish you that this new place will bring black and clear skies.
have fun.

[KathyNS]

Hello Kathy,
I was wondering if you are talking about
the island?
Hope you are well with your health?
I wish you that this new place will bring black and clear skies.
have fun.

I am not sure what island you mean, but regardless, the answer is no. We are on the mainland.

My lungs never fully recovered from the pneumonia I had last year, so my stamina is poor. But my respirologist said my recovery was "remarkable" considering how bad it was, so I won't complain. Thanks for asking.

[messier 111]

Hello Kathy,
I was wondering if you are talking about
the island?
Hope you are well with your health?
I wish you that this new place will bring black and clear skies.
have fun.

I am not sure what island you mean, but regardless, the answer is no. We are on the mainland.

My lungs never fully recovered from the pneumonia I had last year, so my stamina is poor. But my respirologist said my recovery was "remarkable" considering how bad it was, so I won't complain. Thanks for asking.

I asked for the island, because there is an island with that name near pubnico.

[KathyNS]

I asked for the island, because there is an island with that name near pubnico.

I can't find a Helena Island near the Pubnicos. There is one in Dartmouth. But the Helena in the name is "Helena Handbasket", a commentary on the social and political state of the world.

[starfield]

What a beautiful site with a nice clear horizon. Good luck.

[helicon]

Looks like a perfect new site.

Good luck with all of the required work Kathy.

[Gordon]

You need to get a bunch of the "I've been to" stickers for the side of it!!
Congrats on the move and looking forward to the continued saga of the build.

[jrkirkham]

It looks like a great location. I like the low southernish horizon. It makes me curious as to what other buildings, light sources, etc. you may have to contend with. Are the skies dark? How long will it take you to get it up and running> When does cold weather hit in your area?

[KathyNS]

It looks like a great location. I like the low southernish horizon. It makes me curious as to what other buildings, light sources, etc. you may have to contend with. Are the skies dark? How long will it take you to get it up and running> When does cold weather hit in your area?

The view to the west is blocked by the house, which is two stories high relative to the observatory's location, and by trees. So eastern elongations of Mercury are pretty much out of the question. The hillside slopes up to the northwest, and there is a house at the top. The neighbour down the hill to the south is currently screened by trees, but that will change in the fall. Those are the most likely sources of nearby light pollution. We are 3 km from the centre of the nearest town. However, it is screened by the hill, so there is not much of a light dome. The commercial centre 5 km away produces a bigger light dome in the northeast, but it's not too bad. That delicious southerly view should be pretty much light-free. There is nothing in that direction for 100 km.

The weather starts getting cold usually around mid-October. I hope to have it up and running by then.

An update about the construction: I levelled the survey string and then measured down to ground level. My "eyeball level" with shovel and rake turned out to be pretty accurate. So the next step is to get lumber for the gravel forms and to start drilling the hole for the pier foundation.

[SkySurfer]

Bravo Kathy! Looks like a fun project on a fantastic site.
Best wishes for good weather to expedite construction and many clear nights to enjoy it when your done.

[jrkirkham]

It looks like a great location. I like the low southernish horizon. It makes me curious as to what other buildings, light sources, etc. you may have to contend with. Are the skies dark? How long will it take you to get it up and running> When does cold weather hit in your area?

The view to the west is blocked by the house, which is two stories high relative to the observatory's location, and by trees. So eastern elongations of Mercury are pretty much out of the question. The hillside slopes up to the northwest, and there is a house at the top. The neighbour down the hill to the south is currently screened by trees, but that will change in the fall. Those are the most likely sources of nearby light pollution. We are 3 km from the centre of the nearest town. However, it is screened by the hill, so there is not much of a light dome. The commercial centre 5 km away produces a bigger light dome in the northeast, but it's not too bad. That delicious southerly view should be pretty much light-free. There is nothing in that direction for 100 km.

The weather starts getting cold usually around mid-October. I hope to have it up and running by then.

An update about the construction: I levelled the survey string and then measured down to ground level. My "eyeball level" with shovel and rake turned out to be pretty accurate. So the next step is to get lumber for the gravel forms and to start drilling the hole for the pier foundation.

If you have clear skies from Polaris to the Southern horizon with a mostly clear Eastern view past zenith it sounds like a great place for observing. I'll be looking forward to reading about your progress.

[bobharmony]

Nice start and a great looking location, Kathy. I am a bit envious of the low southern horizon. A LOT of tress would need to fall over for me to get that kind of views. Looks like you have a great start on the re-install.

Bob

[KathyNS]

I did some heavy labour today, getting the pad ready. I constructed a retaining wall for the gravel fill that the building will sit on. There was some pickaxe work to trench the boards into the slope. And the 12-foot 2x8s are some heavy! I was totally wiped by the time I finished. But it is done, and the frame is straight and level.

[Lady Fraktor]

Good luck with the prep and re-commissioning Kathy.

[KathyNS]

In the last month, I have been concertrating on unpacking miscellaneous household stuff. That has advanced to the point where I can get back to work on the observatory.

Today, I rented a power auger and had the hole for my pier foundation drilled. It is 12" in diameter. The plan was to go four feet deep, but we were lucky to get down three feet. There was lots of shale ledge to go through, and the auger kept getting stalled, although it did eventually punch through. Realistically, although four feet is the code depth for foundations, the ground never freezes that deep here, at least not in recent memory. Most builders are happy with three feet.

The auger drifted a bit after we started the hole, so it didn't quite end up centred. However, I was still able to set my surface form very close to where I wanted it. The rebar is in, so the next step is mixing and pouring the cement. I am going to try to get it done tomorrow morning, because it is supposed to get hot in the afternoon.

[StarBru]

Looks like a great site and your efforts look great as well! Looking forward to seeing your progress!