Astronomy & Astrophysics
Macquarie University Observatory
Observing Status
PHYS178 Observing
Coming soon in second semester.
Public Observing
Decisions about whether observing will go ahead are usually made around 4:30 PM on the day listed. All bookings should be made before 4 PM, when we last check the messages.
Macquarie University Observatory invites you to observe the cosmos with your own eyes. Join professional astronomers, students and trained personnel on Friday nights for a tour of the evening sky. Take a peak through the telescopes after the talk on Open Nights or during the School of Astronomy. Or come to the observatory for project work as part of our undergraduate courses.
History of the Observatory
The Macquarie University Observatory was originally constructed as a research facility but, since 1997, has also been accessible to the public through its Public Observing Program on Friday nights. The Observatory saw a record crowd on the night of 29th August 2003, with 667 visitors attending to observe the Opposition of Mars.
The Observatory was first opened in 1978. The Foundation for Astronomy was established in 1988 by Dr. Alan Vaughan to raise funds for further development of the Observatory, which was moved to its present site adjacent to Culloden Rd in the early 1990s. The second dome, which houses the 16" Meade telescope, was opened by Professor John Loxton on 3rd May 1997. Construction of this dome was funded by the Macquarie University School of Mathematics, Physics, Computing and Electronics and the Foundation for Astronomy.
The Public Observing Program was operated from 1997 until the end of 2001 by a privately-operated business, Southern Skies Mobile Observatory. Since 1st January 2002, the Public Observing Program has been operated by students studying for their BSc (majoring in Astronomy and Astrophysics) or higher degrees. Much of this work is voluntary.
Our Telescopes
The 16" Meade Telescope
The telescope is used for public viewing on Friday nights and is used for group visits and research on other nights of the week.
The 12" Meade GPS Telescope
This telescope is also used on Friday nights, and for group visits.
The 8" Celectron C8
The 8" Dobsonian
The 3.2-metre radio telescope
Teaching Activities
Radio Astronomy
The 3.2-metre radio telescope at the observatory is a small dish, suitable for observing the Sun. With radio astronomy we do not see an image, as with an optical telescope, but can map the signal strength in different directions on the sky. The main purpose of the radio telescope is to educate students in the basics of radio astronomy.
Optical Astronomy
Several of our astronomy units have an observing component, where students visit the observatory at night to observe planets, nebulae and clusters. There is some hope that this program will be expanded in future semesters to also include using the CCD camera for imaging.
Research Activities
Monitoring of Eta Carinae
Eta Carinae is classified as a Luminous Blue Variable (LBV) and shows a periodic dip in magnitude every 5.5 years. Students, as part of a voluntary project, monitor the changes in brightness using CCD imaging equipment at the Observatory.
Honours Research Projects
From time to time, one-year honours projects are conducted at the observatory. Optical astronomical equipment used in conjunction with the telescopes includes: CCD cameras for imaging and photometry; and a single-fibre spectroscope for obtaining object spectra.
Exercitationem
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