The penthouse itself is a handy source of equity in the Hong Kong property market, Ng says. Rising wealth, it seems, has not been all bad for astronomy in Hong Kong. But using the telescopes is another matter. According to the Royal Observatory Hong Kong, the skies are cloudy for an average of two-thirds of the time. Comet Hyakutake was visible for a grand total of two hours last spring.
Amateurs often travel to rural areas, or abroad.
Three members of the society went to northern China for the solar eclipse in March. Forty flew to India and another 15 to Thailand for the October 1995 eclipse. The nearby provinces of China are especially popular destinations. Travel to China poses no problem for Hong Kong residents, he says. The 450-member Hong Kong Astronomical Society, founded in 1970, is the oldest and largest of four amateur clubs in Hong Kong.