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They operate their 'Open Nights' public observatory tours on a regular basis. School groups and general public tours a speciality. They are also dedicated to meteorite research, and the meteorite collection is open by request. The observatory is likely to move to a new location soon, see web site for any changes.
Address: 624 Limekilns Road, Bathurst NSW 2795Back to Contents
"The complex is located 35km southwest of Canberra (Tourist Drive 5) and is a major link in NASA's Deep Space Network. Tidbinbilla sends and receives radio signals from distant spacecraft as they explore our Solar System and beyond. The centrepiece is the 70-metre antenna, the largest in Australia. The Visitor Centre incorporates audio/visual presentations, exhibits, models and images from the spacecraft. A highlight is an actual Moon rock. The MoonRock Cafe and giftshop is available for meals and souvenirs.
Address: Discovery Drive (off Paddy's River Rd), TidbinbillaBack to Contents
This observatory is operated by the Astronomical Society of NSW. It is located on Bowen Mountain near North Richmond (northwest of Sydney). It houses a 40cm Dobsonian telescope. Due to a lack of local light pollution, the observatory enjoys the darkest sky in the Sydney region and is open on Saturday nights nearest to Last Quarter Moon. Visitors most welcome.
Address: Burralow Fire Trail, Bowen MountainBack to Contents
The famous Parkes observatory, 'The Dish', is located 20km north of Parkes (just off the Newell Highway). This landmark radio telescope is 50 years old, but still considered to be one of the best single dish radio telescopes in the world. As well as a great view of the telescope, the visitors centre has displays, audiovisual and 3D presentations. There is also the Dish Cafe and a picnic area with free gas barbecues. Souvenirs and educational material are available.
Address: CSIRO Parkes radio telescope, Newell Hwy (PO Box 276), Parkes NSW 2870Back to Contents
The observatory is located on Observatory Road (off the road to Mt. McDonald) Darby Falls, Cowra.
Address: 23 Observatory Road, Darbys Falls, NSW 2793Back to Contents
Dubbo's 'Star Attraction' is located next to the world renowned Western Plains Zoo. Stage one of the observatory is running, which includes viewing the night sky through three 300mm Schmidt Cassegrain telescopes and large binoculars. There is a well-stocked gift shop and cafe. An eighteen hole mini-golf course with an astronomical theme is open during the day.
Address: 17L Camp Rd (PO Box 308) Dubbo NSW 2830Back to Contents
The observatory is operated by the Sutherland Astronomical Society (SAS) in Sydney. The building houses 41cm and 35cm telescopes. Visitors are welcome any Thursday night, with guest speakers on the 1st Thursday of the month. The society also run regular open nights for the general public.
Address: Cnr Green Point & Caravan Head Roads, Oyster Bay (PO Box 31, Sutherland NSW 1499)Back to Contents
Located on the border of the Central Coast and Lower Hunter, the centre is no more than two hours from most Sydney and Newcastle suburbs. Bookings are essential. Koolang staff have also developed curriculum and theme based presentations to cover all school levels K-12.
Address: Great North Road, Bucketty NSWBack to Contents
WSAAG (Western Sydney Amateur Astronomy Group) holds observing Nights at Linden Observatory. These are usually held on Saturdays closest to the New Moon. Visits by members of the public are welcome but by appointment only. Dates and details can be obtained by visiting the WSAAG Web site.
Address: 105 Glossop Road, Linden NSW 2778Back to Contents
Located on the Macquarie University campus at North Ryde, this observatory is open to the public on Friday nights unless raining from March to November inclusive. Astronomy students will guide you with a range of telescopes. Bookings are essential by email or phone.
Address: Macquarie University via Culloden RdBack to Contents
The oldest fully operational research observatory in Australia, Mt Stromlo Observatory (along with its sister observatory at Siding Spring) is part of the Australian National University's Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics. Once housing telescopes dating back to 1868, Mt Stromlo Observatory was devastated by the fire storms of 18 January 2003. Although Mt Stromlo Observatory no longer has any operating research telescopes, the School has built another telescope (Skymapper) at Siding Spring which will replace much of its lost capabilities.
Address: 15 minutes from Canberra City, Mt Stromlo Observatory, off Cotter Road, Weston Creek, ACT (On Tourist Drive 5)Back to Contents
This facility, operated by the Port Macquarie Astronomical Association Inc., is situated in Rotary Park (opposite Town Beach) Port Macquarie.
Address: PO Box 1453, Port Macquarie NSW 2444Back to Contents
In addition to providing very comfortable accommodation in a self contained five bedroom homestead or a two bedroom cabin, Ryder Homestead enjoys very dark country skies for star gazing - BYO telescope. They are located 30 minutes north of Bathurst.
Address: 130 Thompson St, Wattle Flat NSW 2795Back to Contents
Siding Spring Observatory is currently home to fifteen telescopes, domes and enclosures. The operational telescopes include Australia's two largest optical telescopes - 3.9 m Anglo-Australian Telescope and the ANU 2.3 m Advanced Technology Telescope. There are telescopes operated or owned by a number of different educational and research institutions, including the Australian Astronomical Observatory, Australian National University as well as the UNSW. The Uppsala telescope, jointly operated by ANU and University of Arizona, operates as the southern partner in the Catalina Sky Survey funded by JPL NASA. There are telescopes operated by the University of Seoul, South Korea as well as the Faulkes South Telescope, operated by Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network. The Australian National University's robotic survey telescope Skymapper was officially opened in May 2009 and the newest telescopes on the Mountain include the HAT-South Project, a set of eight 0.18 m astrographs being used to search for transiting planets and the Solaris telescopes operated by the Polish Academy of Science. There are more telescopes coming here over the next 18 months. Siding Spring nestles into the Warrumbungles at the entrance to the national park, 30 minutes west of Coonabarabran. The Visitor's Centre includes a cafe serving light meals, morning and afternoon teas, souvenir shop and astronomy exhibition. From the Visitor's Centre, there is access to the viewing gallery for the 3.9m Anglo Australian Telescope. The Exploratory offers hands on displays, videos and much more. Special tours with an astronomer of the site can be organised on request for school and other groups. An open day is generally held in late October in conjunction with the Warrumbungle Festival of the Stars.
Address: Observatory Rd, Coonabarabran NSW 2357Back to Contents
Australia's most popular public observatory is situated near The Rocks on Observatory Hill, overlooking Sydney Harbour. It offers a 3-D Space Theatre and telescope tours, fascinating historic and interactive displays and night telescope tours (which include stargazing through the observatory's telescopes). There is also a mini-planetarium on offer during wet weather. Day tours include the 3-D Space Theatre, a dome tour and solar viewing (weather permitting). Sydney Observatory is part of the Powerhouse Museum.
Address: Watson Road, Observatory Hill, The Rocks SydneyBack to Contents
The Australia Telescope operates in the radio region of the spectrum. It uses high technology to combine the signals from a number of dishes, to obtain the performance of a single theoretical dish a number of kilometres in diameter. The Compact Array is located at CSIRO's Paul Wild Observatory near Narrabri. It consists of six 22m dishes, five of which are spaced along a 3km track with the sixth a further 3km to the west. From the visitor's centre there are great views of the dishes, displays and video presentations.
Address: 1828 Yarrie Lake Road, Narrabri NSW 2390Back to Contents
The UWS Penrith Observatory is open to the public and runs public astronomy evenings, school and group programs. A visit can include listening to fascinating lectures on various aspects of astronomy and viewing through fully computerised telescopes. You can also come and listen to special lectures given by some of Australia's eminent and internationally recognised astronomers, physicists and engineers.
Hours: See web site for details.Back to Contents
The observatory is located at Coonabarabran and is open to the public for night viewing through a number of telescopes. Visitors are encouraged to bring SLR cameras (Canon, Nikon, Pentax) to take astrophotographs of star clusters, nebulae & galaxies. The observatory can be hired by the more serious amateur astronomer to take advantage of the 20 inch telescope and CCD for astrophotography and photometry. There are piers available for Meade and Celestron telescopes that amateurs wish to bring along. The site also hosts remote observatories utilised by our Northern Hemisphere cousins.
Address: 841 Timor Rd, Coonabarabran NSW 2357Back to Contents
Operated by the University of Wollongong, this public science centre includes a planetarium (BlueScope Steel Planetarium), observatory, laser light shows, extensive interactive exhibits, demonstration theatre (Illawarra Coal Science Theatre), and a gift and resource shop. The Planetarium has a Zeiss ZKP3 star projector, laser projector and a state of the art full-dome projection system. The observatory houses a high quality computer controlled telescope which is used to observe the Sun and stars. The Science Shop has one of the most extensive ranges of science educational materials in Australia, including telescopes.
Address: Science Centre, Innovation Campus, 60 Squires Way, North Wollongong 2500Back to Contents
The observatory, situated approximately 6 km south of Bundaberg, is operated by The Bundaberg Astronomical Society. The 6 metre dome houses a 480mm Newtonian telescope and a 12 inch Meade ACF telescope with CCD imaging using an ST8E. The observatory opens to the public on Friday nights. Midweek opening also arranged for large groups.
Address: PO Box 4221, South Bundaberg Qld 4670Back to Contents
The public observatory is located on Cunnamulla Rd, near the Charleville airport. The Centre includes an observatory for night viewing of the stars and planets. During the day, a theatre presentation, seven interactive displays and two mini talks - an update on the latest discoveries in the Solar System and a meteorite talk where the collection is taken out of the cabinet for you to hold. Special programmes arranged for groups and schools. Sun viewing is also available through the telescopes (bookings essential).
Address: PO Box 681, Charleville 4470Back to Contents
This public observatory operates on bookings only. One hour day shows in the 70 seat Star Theatre are generally held at 2pm subject to a minium booked number of four persons. On sunny days, see a live colour image of the Sun in Hydrogen Alpha light projected from a Solarmax 60 telescope and a colour Stellacam II onto a giant screen inside. Various audio/visual clips of the Solar System and Universe also selectively shown. At night, be guided around the night skies by the astronomer with his registered green laser as he points out various constellations and stars, before viewing the Cosmos through one of the three Meade LX200 GPS 14 inch telescopes. The observing deck can seat up to 40 people in comfort. We are located on a disused sports field in the heart of Maidenwell - 30km east of the Bunya Mountains, 2.5 hours drive northwest of Brisbane and 40km south of Kingaroy. The observatory is also fully equipped with special audio/visual equipment for schools and social groups. They have full wheelchair access to all facilities. Free camping on grounds and hired on-site camp kitchen available for schools and community groups.
Address: Main Rd, Maidenwell Qld 4615Back to Contents
Springbrook National Park is high in the McPherson Range, and the Observatory is located 700m above sea level away from light pollution. The drive from Surfers Paradise is only 45 minutes. This National Park is World Heritage Listed, with fabulous short and long bush walks. There are four major waterfalls, and views from 1000m into the caldera to Mt. Warning, and the coast. Holiday accommodation is available on the mountain for up to 10, or a single or couple on site at the Observatory. Bookings at our office number for overnight or longer, for those who would like to visit the Observatory at night and bush walk during the day.
The observatory is open to the general public, astronomical groups, schools, and researchers by appointment. This facility houses a number of telescopes for night time viewing. A Colorado telescope for daytime solar prominence observation and sunspot viewing. Remote viewing is now available using a C14 with an Apogee U9000.
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This world class planetarium is located in the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha, at Toowong in Brisbane. Programs presented in the Cosmic Skydome have various themes and are projected onto the interior of a 12.5m dome. All shows include a current night sky tour recreated in the Skydome. During 2010, the Planetarium's Skydome underwent a major upgrade to make it one of most advanced digital planetariums in the Southern Hemisphere and further upgrades are planned in 2012/13. The display areas contain astronomical and space items, while short videos and space news updates run in two small theatres. The shop has a wide range of astronomical and educational products, as well as souvenirs. The Planetarium observatory has a variety of telescopes and sessions must be pre-booked. School shows are also available during weekdays and are available to the public on a space-available basis.
Address: Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha, Mt Coot-tha Rd, Toowong Qld 4066Back to Contents
Located in the heart of the northern Flinders Ranges, Arkaroola have a total of eleven Advanced Ecotourism accredited products including Ridgetop, Astronomy and Waterholes tours. There are also many guided and unguided bushwalks. They have three astronomical observatories offering two Celestron 360mm and three Meade Maksutov-Cassegrain computer assisted telescopes. There are also spare piers and wedges suitable for BYO telescopes and astrophotography/CCD equipment.
Address: Private Bag 106, Port Augusta SA 5710Back to Contents
The Heights School Observatory is located at the Heights School, Modbury Heights, Adelaide. It was formed primarily for students of the school with an interest in astronomy, but anyone is encouraged to join. There are two main telescopes and a classroom. During the day solar observations are made.
Address: Brunel Drive, Modbury HeightsBack to Contents
Owned and operated by the Astronomical Society of South Australia (ASSA), the observatory is located in the small town of Stockport (6km north-east of Hamley Bridge) approximately 80km north of Adelaide. It provides a convenient astronomical facility away from the light pollution which surrounds Adelaide. Public star parties are held at Stockport in February, May, August and November. See web site for details.
Address: Observatory Road, Stockport SA 5410Back to Contents
The Adelaide Planetarium is open seven days a week by appointment for group and private bookings. Adult education courses are held throughout the year along with school holiday programs. General public sessions are held on the first and third Saturday of the month at 2:45pm.
Address: University of South Australia, Building P, Mawson Lakes CampusBack to Contents
The Launceston Planetarium is now well established at the Queen Victoria Museum's Inveresk site, having reopened in October 2009. With a new Zeiss ZKP3 star projector in addition to its new digital fulldome projection system, the planetarium has more to offer than ever before.
Address: Queen Victoria Museum, 2 Invermay Road Launceston Tas 7250Back to Contents
The Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing at Swinburne University of Technology is offering public 3D tours through the Universe in the Virtual Reality theatre during school holidays. AstroTour sessions can also be booked for school groups (Years 3-12) throughout the year.
Address: The Virtual Reality theatre is located on the ground floor of the AR building in room AR104, Hawthorn campus, Swinburne University of Technology.Back to Contents
The observatory has several historic telescopes including The Jelbart (a 125mm refractor), the Oddie (a 220 mm Newtonian), the Baker Great Equatorial Telescope (a 650mm Newtonian, commissioned in 1886) and a 300mm Newtonian. The Adcock-Federation telescope (406mm Cassegrain-Springfield) has disabled-access. They are open every Friday and Saturday evening, (some nights during school holidays) other times bookings are required. There are regular events at other times, updates on website. Astrotour 3D Movies are available in conjunction with Swinburne University of Technology.
Address: Cnr of Magpie and Cobden Street, Mount Pleasant, Ballarat EastBack to Contents
Part of the Discovery Science and Technology Centre, shows are presented at 1.30pm daily and 11.30am and 1.30pm on weekends and holidays, as well as being part of a school or group booking on request. The eight metre dome uses a Mirrordome system and has beanbags you can sink into! During school holidays we look at a different aspect of astronomy, whether it be an upcoming event or an object that is visible in the night sky at the time. Questions very welcome!
Address: Discovery Science and Technology CentreBack to Contents
This is Australia's first digital planetarium and is at Scienceworks in Spotswood. The theatre seats 160 and produces shows for all ages. The planetarium is open seven days a week from 10 am and runs special evening sessions in March and August.
Address: 2 Booker St, Spotswood Vic 3015Back to Contents
Victoria's newest public observatory will open for night-time tours in 2012. Inquiries can be made by emailing (see web site for contact). School, scouting and community groups welcome. Open nights to be advertised in the local press.
Address: 430 Paternoster Road Mt Burnett, VicBack to Contents
The historic Old Melbourne Observatory is located in the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. There are a variety of programs run during the year. Bookings are essential, see web site for details. The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne has a visitor centre, function rooms, Observatory Café, Terrace Tearooms and a Gardens Shop.
Address: Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra Vic 3141Back to Contents
The observatory is situated in the Shire of Gingin, an hour north of Perth. Their main instrument is the 25 inch Brodie-Hall telescope. They have five other telescopes ranging from 11" to 16" as well as six pairs of binoculars. Also available for use are the amazing Sky Scouts from Celestron. They specialise in school programs and community groups.
Gingin Observatory shows off Western Australia's most spectacular natural asset - our night sky! This world-class observatory is just far enough away from city lights to offer perfect dark nights for spectacular stargazing! Entertaining stargazing nights are fun and fascinating; enjoyable and enlightening; and easy for everyone to understand!
Stargazing evenings and a variety of special events that feature astronomical highlights are held throughout the year. Stargaze through telescopes to see planets, stars, galaxies and more. Chat with expert astronomers and discover more about the wonders of space!
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Situated in the Darling Ranges about 25km east of Perth CBD, the Perth Observatory is the WA State Government Observatory. Its science programme centres around the automated supernova survey and the gravitational microlensing search for extraterrestrial planets. As a part of its education and outreach commitment, Perth Observatory hosts the very popular public star viewing sessions. To be sure of obtaining a booking you should phone or email some weeks ahead. Places are limited.
If you want to know what objects are to be viewed on a certain night, you can check that out beforehand with a member of the astronomical staff - e.g., Moon, planets, Southern Cross etc. The dedicated viewing area is on a hilltop in state forest, with the major telescope domes all around it.
Daytime guided tours of the Observatory facilities are also available by appointment. These cater mainly to groups of 15 or more such as school groups and seniors excursions. Major items of interest include the history of the Observatory (original Perth Observatory est. 1896) as exemplified by the historical astronomy hardware on display; and the demonstrations of the largest telescopes on site.
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