Special Events for 2008
| Date | Description |
| Thursday 7th February | Partial Solar Eclipse The Moon passes in front of the Sun, but will not cover it completely. It is essential to ONLY view the eclipse using safe professional filters or by projection method. At NO time is it safe to look directly at the Sun - you risk permanent eye damage. Our telescopes will be fitted with safe solar filters for direct viewing. We will also demonstrate projection using binoculars. The eclipse begins at 2:53pm and ends at 4:32pm (Eastern Daylight Saving Time). Viewing from the observatory abandoned due to rain :( See an animation of the eclipse at the HM Nautical Almanac Office Eclipse Page |
| Saturday 15th March | Astronomy Open Night at Macquarie University See displays of telescopes, books, magazines, maps, posters and software. Look through around 20 different telescopes and see the Moon, stars, planets, nebulae and clusters. An illustrated talk will begin at 7.45pm. Further details and costs will be posted here. |
| Monday 14th July | Occultation of Antares by the Moon The bright red star Antares in the constellation of Scorpius disappears behind the Moon at 10:00pm and reappears at 11:01pm (Eastern Standard Time). The Observatory will be open from 8:30pm to 11:30pm. Entry fee is $5 per person. |
| 16th - 17th August | School of Astronomy at Macquarie University Eight lectures by professional astronomers about their current fields of research. See here for more information and a registration form. |
| Saturday 13th September | Open Day at Macquarie University On Open Day our portable Starlab Planetarium operates from 10am to 4pm in the marquee in front of the library. Sessions run about every 20 minutes. Entry is free. |
| Saturday 11th October | Astronomy Open Night at Macquarie University See displays of telescopes, books, magazines, maps, posters and software. Look through around 20 different telescopes and see the Moon, stars, planets, nebulae and clusters. An illustrated talk by Matthew Colless, Director of the Anglo-Austrlian Observatory, will begin at 7.45pm. Details of the talk and costs have been posted here at the Foundation for Astronomy site. A printable notice of the details is available here (Microsoft Word file). |
| Monday 29th December | Occultation of Jupiter by the Moon From Sydney Jupiter disappears shortly before sunset and the event will not by visible from Macquarie University Observatory due to obstruction by trees. |