Do you feel like you didn’t get to as many events as you wanted to this National Science Week? Well you can fix that.

While Science Week is officially over for another year, Mount Stromlo Observatory is stretching out the fun with their public astronomy night on Friday 5 September.

Come along for some stargazing, and learn about the science behind the Observatory.

Join astronomers from the Observatory – including Professor Brian Schmidt – as they introduce you to some of the many projects Mount Stromlo has been involved in over the years.

Once talks have finish, come outside and try some astronomy of your own as you are guided through an evening of stargazing. With the aid of the Canberra Astronomical Society, use a range of telescopes to explore the night sky.

See the rings of Saturn, craters on the Moon, and beautiful nebulae and star clusters. In between, make use of the panoramic view of the sky for some naked-eye observing and try to pick out your favourite constellations.

Mount Stromlo has played a pivotal role in Australian astronomy. Starting as a single telescope in 1911, by 2002 it became one of the great observatories of the world.

Over its 100 years of service, the Observatory has been involved in a variety of projects. These include designing optical munitions during the Second World War, and Professor Brian Schmidt’s Nobel Prize winning work on dark energy and the expanding universe

Although since the damage of the 2003 bushfires none of Mount Stromlo’s large telescopes have been used for observations, the observatory still plays an active role today.

The weather will be cold, so don’t forget to bring plenty of layers. If the sky is overcast on the night, the stargazing will be cancelled, but the talks will still go ahead.

Details

When: Friday 5 September 2014, 7pm to 9pm

Where: Mt Stromlo Observatory, Scope Café
Stromlo Road, Western Creek, ACT 2611

Cost: Free

Other: Wheelchair access

Guest blog post by Lousie Caldwell. Image by Associate Professor Paul Francis.