Aug 04, 2019

Presented by Melissa Hulbert and Toner Stevenson

On 2 July a total solar eclipse was able to be seen from South America. These are amazing, but short events which attract millions to view, many thousands to travel to from distance places, and sometimes cause havoc at airports and other transport hubs. The experience of being in the shadow of the Moon for a few hours in the Andes with a small group of other passionate ecipse-chasers will be shared  by Melissa Hulbert and Toner Stevenson. The story will begin and end with the journey, which is part of the adventure and include images and anecdotes along the way.

Image of the diamond ring, 2 July 2019: Photo and copyright Melissa Hulbert ©, all rights reserved.

Melissa Hulbert is an astronomer who works for the MAAS at Sydney Observatory and teaches on-line astronomy, astro-photography and CCD Imaging online units of study for Swinburne University, Melbourne. Melissa has now experienced nine total solar eclipses. She has presented at internaitonal solar eclipse and is well known for her photographic expertise and as a science communicator. Melissa is also President of the Australian Society of Geneaologists.

Toner Stevenson is vice president of Sydney City Skywatchers and was previously manager of Sydney Observatory. This is her fifth total solar eclipse. Toner has also worked in other heritage sites as Head of House Museums for Sydney Living Museums and is currently Manager School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry at The University of Sydney. Her Doctoral Thesis researched the women who observed and measured the stars from 1887 to 1971 in Australia.

Date: Monday 5 August

Time: 6:30pm

Place: Sydney Observatory 1002 Upper Fort Street Millers Point Sydney, near The Rocks.

Cost: $2 supper charge for members; $5 non-members.

Jun 30, 2019

Commemorating 50 years since the first Lunar landing

Commemorating 50 years since the first Lunar landing

Apollo 11 : making an exhibition with Sarah Reeves

A new exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum celebrates and investigates the first Moon landing 50 years after the event. Curator Sarah Reeves has been researching the collections and stories, as well as working with interactive designers to create a contemporary reflection of the event and it’s meaning to us then and now. We will gain a unique close and meaningful understanding of her journey.

Dr Sarah Reeves is Assistant Curator (Science) for the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. She holds a Bachelor of Science and a PhD in Astronomy, from the University of Sydney. For her thesis she worked with the ASKAP-FLASH team studying the evolution of galaxies using radio telescopes. Since 2014 she has worked as an astronomy guide at Sydney Observatory, where she enjoys sharing her love of astronomy with the public, and in 2016 took up a position as Assistant Curator (Science) at MAAS, where she has worked on a wide range of science exhibitions for both adults and children. She also coordinates, and writes regularly for, the Museum’s Inside the Collection blog.

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On display at the Powerhouse Museum, and featuring over 200 objects,  Apollo 11 commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the Moon landing. Named after the spaceflight that was the first to land astronauts on the Moon’s surface in 1969, the exhibition explores this defining moment in history, its lasting impact on science, society and design, and the crucial role Australia played in transmitting the famous footage.

Of course you will be keen to book tickets to see Apollo 11 - before or after Dr Reeves presentation at Sydney Observatory.

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Date: Monday 1 July

Time: 6:30pm

Place: Sydney Observatory 1003 Upper Fort Street Millers Point Sydney (near The Rocks)

Cost: Members contribute $2 towards supper and non-members $5. 

Jun 02, 2019

Presented by Kerrie Dougherty: historian, curator and author

Fifty years ago NASA launched Apollo 11 - the first mission to land on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969 whilst Michael Collins remained in orbit around the Moon. Those who were alive will remember where they were precisely when the first images of that landing were beamed onto our television screens.  This presentation will focus on the Australian space tracking role in Apollo and particularly the television broadcast of Apollo 11. The photograph on this page shows Neil Armstrong servicing the Lunar Module, Credit: NASA.

Kerrie Dougherty is one of Australia's foremost experts on the history of Space technology. She is a space historian, curator and writer and a lecturer in the Space Humanities department of the International Space University. Kerrie is a Member of the International Academy of Astronautics, serving on its History of Astronautics Committee, and also serves on the International Astronautical Federation's Space Education and Outreach Committee and its Space Societies and Museums Committee. Kerrie has a special interest in the history of Australian space activities, which is the focus of her PhD research.

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She is the author of several books and articles on space history, including Australia in Space, published in 2017. This popular history tells the story of Australia’s involvement with space activities, from the earliest rocketeers to the latest satellite projects. http://atfpress.com/product/space-in-australia/

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The presentation starts at 6:30pm. Seating is limited and there is a charge to cover the cost of a light supper – $2 for members; $5 for non-members. Bookings are not required. 

Location: Sydney Observatory, 1002 Upper Fort Street Millers Point, Sydney

Mar 03, 2019

Presented by Dr Nick Lomb

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) celebrates its centenary this year. In this talk we will look at what the Union does and how it was formed plus why and how Australia joined it not once but twice. The main emphasis will be on the two IAU General Assemblies held in Australia, in 1973 and 2003, the organisers of both of which faced drastic and unforeseen difficulties. We will finish by looking at the tumultuous events of the 2006 General Assembly in Prague that demoted Pluto to dwarf planet status.

Bio: For most of his career Nick worked at Sydney Observatory, Australia’s oldest extant observatory. In 2009, on moving to Melbourne, he left full time work there after 30 years, but continues to prepare the annual Australasian Sky Guide each year. Other books include Transit of Venus: 1631 to the present, published in 2011.

Time: 6:30pm sharp!

Date: Monday 4th March 2019

Cost: $2members, $5 non-members supper charge

Location: Sydney Observatory, 1003 Upper Fort Street, Millers Point The Rocks

Accessibility: there are stairs

Feb 03, 2019

Presented by Lesa Moore, Astronomer

Life is all-pervasive on Earth, existing in many extreme environments, but what is life? This talk will review our definitions of life, explore its history and versatility on Earth, and discuss possible criteria for identifying "other" forms of life. The potential for discovering evidence of life elsewhere in the Solar System will be examined. Finally, Lesa will discuss the likelihood and means of finding life in systems beyond the Solar System. 

Bio: Lesa Moore has been an enthusiastic amateur astronomer since 1986 (the year of Halley's Comet). She has a long history of working in astronomical public outreach, including working at three public-access observatories at various times, including the Macquarie University Observatory, during her time studying for her Master of Philosophy in Astronomy (MPhil, 2008). Lesa was fortunate in spending five years as an enrichment lecturer on cruise ships. She led the Space Odyssey Team (SPOT) at Tara Anglican School for Girls over the winters of 2017 and 2018, and currently serves as treasurer and editor for the Astronomical Society of NSW (ASNSW).

Following the keynote we will hear about activity on our Sun by Monty Leventhal, highlights for 2019 astronomy by Dr Andrew Jacob, and the speakers program for 2019 by Toner Stevenson.

Date: 4 February 2019

Time: 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Place: Sydney Observatory Discovery Room

Accessibility is unfortunately limited due to a set of stairs. 

A light supper is provided: Members $2, non-members $5 to cover direct costs. Please note non-members are expected to join Sydney City Skywatchers on the third attendance.

Dec 02, 2018

3 December - bookings essential! PLEASE NOTE: There is no meeting in December at Sydney Observatory due to the Christmas Party.

Our 2019 program, held at Sydney Observatory at 6:30pm, begins on Monday 4 February with a presentation about astrobiology by Lesa Moore. Lesa is an astronomer, educator, committee member of the Astronomical Society of NSW and regular keynote on Cruise ship programs. Her presentation will be followed by a run-through of the astronomical events for 2019.

On 4 March Emeritus Professor Nick Lomb joins us from Melbourne. Nick will take us on a journey through astronomers past and present relevance with the centenary of the International Astronomical Union. As a member of the IAU Nick voted on Pluto's exclusion from the Solar System.  

We will be honing our telescope use and viewing skills on 1 April.

On Monday 6 May award winning Canadian author, Joan Galat http://www.joangalat.com/, will present topical astronomical phenomenon. Then on 3 June Space Historian, Kerrie Dougherty, will prepare us for the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing. 

Our events are held the first Monday of the Month and start promptly at 6:30pm. We have limited seating and Members are given preference. Non-members can attend twice - and are expected to join for the modest annual fee on the third time. A modest supper charge covers the refreshments making the evening a social gathering and perking up those who come directly from work.

Oct 02, 2018

Adriano Massatani presents the golden rules of astrophotography

Nowadays, with an amateur telescope and the latest CMOS camera sensors, it is possible to capture high resolution images that were unimaginable until a few years ago. However, it is necessary to follow some golden rules in order push the equipment at its limit: good optics collimation, correct magnification, specific post processing programs and the use of the technique of the lucky imaging for “freezing” the atmospheric turbulence. As result, it is possible to achieve images with a resolution of 0.5” that is equal to the size of a golf ball 17km away.

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Adriano Massatani is an aerospace engineer who is currently working as service department manager at Tasco, the importer of SkyWatcher and Meade telescopes. His passion for astronomy began when he was  9 years old, when the comet Hale-Bopp shined in the Northern Hemisphere in the spring of 1997. Since then, he follows and photographs astronomical events around the world. His personal website is www.myaussesky.com.

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Date: Wednesday 6 October

Time: 6:30pm

Place: Sydney Observatory

Cost: $2 members. $5 non-members includes supper

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Sep 02, 2018

Aina Musaeva discusses her research into one of the mysteries of our cosmos

Aina Musaeva is a graduate student at the University of Sydney, studying black holes via their X-ray and radio emission during the day. She also worked at Sydney Observatory at night until a couple of months ago and is now working as a data scientist at KPMG. 

With telescopes we can observe matter falling into stellar-mass black holes (weighing a few times the mass of our Sun; formed when a massive star dies) and supermassive black holes (weighing more than a million times the mass of out Sun; lurking at the centres of many large galaxies, including our own Milky Way). But what happened to the black holes between these two mass extremes? Does nature not form them, or are they just hard to find? Come to Aina's talk to find out the answer and much more!

This is one of two special talks for the September meeting

Date: Mon 3 September

Time: 6:30pm (please arrive on time)

Place: Sydney Observatory Discovery Room

Cost: $2 contribution from members, and $5 from non-members. You can attend 32 talks as a non-member, after which we ask you to join our active astronomy society. 

Sep 02, 2018

Preserving the night sky with Marnie Ogg

Marnie's drive and enthusiasm have been borne for a stellar career. She started at the grassroots of the travel industry building her own successful travel company, taking people around the world to visit places of scientific interest. She managed Sydney Observatory before devoting her time to one of her passions: preserving the night sky. Thanks largely to Marnie's unrelenting efforts, in July 2016 the Warrumbungle National Park was designated a Dark Sky Park - the first in Australia. Since then she has spent her time educating the public of this globally expanding movement, re-engaging people with the natural heritage of the night sky and reducing the impacts of lighting pollution. Join her as she shares with you some of the highlights of Australia's Dark Sky Park

This is one of two special talks this evening.

Date: Mon 3 September

Time: 6:30pm (please arrive on time)

Place: Sydney Observatory Discovery Room

Cost: $2 contribution from members, and $5 from non-members. You can attend 32 talks as a non-member, after which we ask you to join our active astronomy society. 

Aug 07, 2018

Framing the space debate in Australia

ACSER was founded in 2010 and is currently operating two satellites in orbit. Professor Andrew Dempster will discuss the current activities of the centre, from cubesats to off-earth mining, and framing the space debate in Australia.

Professor Andrew Dempster is Director of the Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research (ACSER) in the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). He has a BE and MEngSc from UNSW and a PhD from the University of Cambridge in efficient circuits for signal processing arithmetic. He was system engineer and project manager for the first GPS receiver developed in Australia in the late 80s and has been involved in satellite navigation ever since. His current research interests are in satellite navigation receiver design and signal processing, areas where he has six patents, and new location technologies. He is leading the development of space engineering research at ACSER.

Time: 6:30pm ( presentations start promptly)

Date: Monday 6 August 2018

Place: Sydney Observatory, 1003 Upper Fort Street Millers Point (near Wynyard or Circular Quay)

Cost: $2 members supper contribution, $5 non-members.

Jul 01, 2018

Stuart Ryder, Astronomy Australia Ltd

n 2017 the Australian government entered into a 10 year Strategic Partnership with the European Southern Observatory (ESO). This partnership allows Australian astronomers full access to the ESO facilities of the La Silla and Paranal Observatories in Chile. In this presentation Dr Stuart Ryder will give an overview of the extensive suite of ESO facilities, as well as Australian-led concepts for new instruments on the ESO Very Large Telescope. He will explain the significant opportunities Australia will have to develop and deploy new instrumentation on ESO telescopes.

Stuart Ryder has been recently appointed as Program Manager with Astronomy Australia Ltd, located at Macquarie University office. He is also adjunct Professor with the Dept of Physics & Astronomy at Macquarie University where he pursues his research interests, which include the evolution and dynamics of spiral galaxies, as well as the deaths of massive stars in supernova explosions, with his role in the discovery of radio jets emitted as a star is ripped apart by a super-massive black hole receiving recent media attention.

Dr Ryder has been pivotal in the development of astronomy in Australia, previously heading the International Telescopes Support Office at the Australian Astronomical Observatory in Sydney. In 2016 he flew on NASA's Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). He gained his Doctorate from the Australian National University, and has held postdoctoral research positions at the University of Alabama, UNSW, and the UK Infrared Telescope.

Date: Monday 2 July 2018

Time: 6:30pm - 8:30pm (talks start promptly at 6:30)

Place: Sydney Observatory Discovery Room

Cost: Free to members with $2 contribution for supper, $5 for non-members.

Jun 03, 2018

The thrill of observing the night sky

eff Portelli is a highly experienced observer who has been observing the night sky for decades. He has built his own observatory, has been an astronomy guide and educator at Sydney Observatory and led tours to the vineyards of Mudgee on 'astronomy in the winery' tours. 

During this presentation we will learn about Jeff's experiences and gain insights into his methods and technologies. This is very timely after our recent telescope viewing night and as we move into an even more interesting winter night sky observing period.

Date: Monday 4 June 2018

Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm. 

Location: Sydney Observatory Discovery Room

Members are asked to contribute $2 towards supper and $5 for non-members.

Non-members are welcome.

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May 06, 2018

Observing the night sky with telescopes and binoculars

On a beautiful clear night 23 Skywatchers members and guests gathered with telescopes and binoculars at Sydney Observatory. Vice presidents Toner and Andrew introduced us to the evening with an acknowledgement of Gadigal People as the first watchers of the night sky from this location, and a laser pointer-led voyage across the night sky. 

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There were many different types of telescopes and it was fascinating to see Jupiter and its Moons; the great Orion Nebula, Venus; the Jewel Box and the Southern Cross amongst other objects. Barry Ion took some photos which give a good indication of the atmosphere of the evening.

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Thank you all 

Apr 03, 2018

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Mathematician and curious minded astronomy enthusiast, Dr Ben Livson, will mediate this session where we ask and try to answer questions about astronomy. With astronomer Dr Andrew Jacob on the brains trust and a participating audience, we will have some success at exploring what is known in a field where there are regularly new discoveries and revelations that change previously accepted knowledge.

If you find a trip to Mars or establishing whether other life exists in our Universe fascinating topics then this is an opportunity to satisfy your curiousity, or at least explore the big questions scientists are trying to answer. (Image is an artists impression of a Mars return landing , copyright NASA/JPL)

Date: Wednesday 4 April 2018

Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm. 

Location: Sydney Observatory Discovery Room

Members are asked to contribute $2 towards supper and $5 for non-members.

Non-members are welcome.

Mar 04, 2018

A practical astronomy presentation and workshop

All too often we try to enthuse people by talking about science but don’t do it. In astronomy we use telescopes a lot, but often just to observe and sometimes, time. What if we could do some science using a telescope and a little bit of extra hardware to work out the distances to the stars? One of the newest education programs at Sydney Observatory gives Stage 6 learners an opportunity to plan and conduct basic astronomical spectroscopy. By capturing some stellar video we can use the spectra of stars to determine their surface temperature and therefore spectral class in order to calculate its distance. Would you like to know more?

Come along and hear Geoff Wyatt, Science Education Program Producer for the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences as he talks about getting people to do science by looking for the secrets in starlight, no previous experience is required!

Feb 01, 2018

Professor Iver Cairns (University of Sydney) will discuss the recent launch and operation of the new Australian built satellite INSPIRE-2 cubesat.

Professor Iver Cairns (University of Sydney) has been a major part of the exciting and collaborative project to launch an Australian built research satellite called INSPIRE-2 / AU03 cubesat into space.  INSPIRE-2 and its fellow Australian QB50 cubesats are the 1st Australian satellites launched from the ISS, the 1st Australian-built satellites in space in 15 years, only the 4th to 6th Australian-built spacecraft to fly in space.

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Nov 05, 2017

Melissa Hulbert presents her experience of eight total solar eclipses

Travelling to watch eclipses is also a chance to immerse yourself in the culture of the country you’re visiting. Melissa Hulbert will talk about the recent ‘Great American Eclipse’, some of the other interesting places she has observed eclipses from and some of the fascinating cultural highlights she as experienced. Melissa has successfully led three total solar eclipse tours all over the world and has been to 8 totalities, witnessing them all and loves sharing the wonder and awe of this amazing natural phenomenon. She is a keen astrophotographer and has imaged all 8 eclipses with great success.

Melissa Hulbert works at Sydney Observatory and is also a casual instructor with Swinburne University’s Online Astronomy Course. She has worked in print media and in 2000 she was part of the ‘Science in the Pub’ team that won an Australian Eureka Award for Science Promotion.

This presentation is on Monday 6 November, 6:30pm. 

All are welcome. There is a charge to cover the cost of a light supper – $2 for members; $5 for non-members. Bookings are not required.

Disabled Access: Please see Sydney Observatory website because there is a telescope and dome designed to cater for all accessibility requirements. Unfortunately, the Discovery Room where we meet has stairs.

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Oct 03, 2017

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Toner Stevenson’s doctoral thesis examined Australia’s participation in observing, photographing, measuring, calculating and cataloguing thousands of stars for the Astrographic Catalogue and Carte du Ciel from 1887. Dr Stevenson will discuss her primary research and the evidence she used to examine the role of women in astronomy in Australia, from as early as 1890, and the broader social significance of these women as individuals and as a group. In particular she will present Mary Emma Greayer, Prudence Valentine Williams, Muriel Heagney, Ida Dorothy Digby and Charlotte Emily Peel as notable in astronomy, gender workplace relations and the women’s equal rights movement. The presentation will include a short visit to Sydney Observatory’s East Dome exhibition.

Toner Stevenson was previously Manager Sydney Observatory for twelve years. She was the project director for the East Dome and Bringing the Collection Home initiatives which involved the design and construction of a new accessible telescope dome for Sydney Observatory and the display of significant instruments and the original dome used for the Astrographic Catalogue project.  In 2016 Toner was awarded a doctorate in social sciences by the University of Sydney. Dr Stevenson is currently acting Director Curatorial and Museums for Sydney Living Museums. She is passionate about heritage sites and their relevance to our understanding of history, observing astronomical events and she continues to research the role of women in the history of astronomy.

This presentation is on Wednesday 4th October. All are welcome. The presentation will start at approximately 7pm following a short AGM, all members are requested to attend. There is a charge to cover the cost of a light supper – $2 for members; $5 for non-members. Bookings are not required.

Disabled Access: Please see Sydney Observatory website because there is a telescope and dome designed to cater for all accessibility requirements. Unfortunately, the Discovery Room where we meet has stairs.

Location: Sydney Observatory, 1002 Upper Fort Street Millers Point, Sydney

04 October 2017

Time: 6:30pm until 8:30pm

Sep 03, 2017

Alan Plummer

he universe is a dangerous place. In this talk Alan Plummer will demonstrate that the observation of variable stars is an exciting endeavour which goes right to the heart of the most extreme star systems in the universe: Violently unstable supergiants, binary systems that regularly explode, X-ray binaries powered by accretion – a process vastly more energetic than hydrogen fusion, aged red giants slowly shaking themselves apart, and more. Amateur and professional astronomers routinely collaborate in the study of these systems. In fact, there has never been more for the amateur to do than today. Only the most basic equipment is required, no PhD, and a dark sky, though desirable, is not essential. Only commitment. 

A musician by trade, with a lifelong interest in astronomy, Alan joined the Sydney City Skywatchers - then the BAA NSW branch – in 2001. The words of Dr Wayne Orchiston, ‘you’ll get more from your hobby if you undertake a commitment’, proved pivotal. 16 years and 55,000 variable star observations later Alan is a contributing editor to Australian Sky and Telescope, published in Astronomy and Astrophysics,Astronomical Journal, and elsewhere.

There is a charge to cover the cost of a light supper – $2 for members; $5 for non-members. Bookings are not required.

Disabled Access: Please see Sydney Observatory website because there is a telescope and dome designed to cater for all accessibility requirements. Unfortunately, the Discovery Room where we meet has stairs.

Location: Sydney Observatory, 1002 Upper Fort Street Millers Point, Sydney

04 September 2017

Time: 6:30pm until 8:30pm

Aug 06, 2017

Dr. Sarah Reeves

In this talk, you will get an overview of how astronomers think galaxies like our Milky Way form (and what its future is). I’ll discuss how astronomers go about studying the growth and evolution of galaxies over billions of years – including some of the latest research being done right here in Australia. In particular, you will learn about how radio telescopes can help us to understand how galaxies evolve, and how the recently completed ASKAP telescope in Western Australia will change our view of the sky and our understanding of the Universe.

Sarah Reeves is a science curator at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (Powerhouse Museum). She completed her Bachelor of Science at the University of Sydney in 2009, and her PhD in Astronomy in 2016. For her thesis she worked with the ASKAP-FLASH team, preparing to use Australia’s newest and most powerful radio telescope to study the evolution of galaxies. While studying she also began working as a tour guide of Sydney Observatory (something she continues today), where she loves sharing her knowledge of astronomy with the public and showing people the night sky. Her passion for science communication led her to the Museum, where she is able to share her enthusiasm about science with a much wider audience, through the Museum’s collection and exhibitions.

There is a charge to cover the cost of a light supper – $2 for members; $5 for non-members. Bookings are not required.

Disabled Access: Please see Sydney Observatory website because there is a telescope and dome designed to cater for all accessibility requirements. Unfortunately, the Discovery Room where we meet has stairs.

Location: Sydney Observatory, 1002 Upper Fort Street Millers Point, Sydney

07 August 2017

Time: 6:30pm until 8:30pm

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Jul 02, 2017

Professor Dean Rickles, University of Sydney

Quantum Gravity is a field of theoretical physics that seeks to describe gravity according to the principles of quantum mechanics, and where quantum effects cannot be ignored.

The current understanding of gravity is based on Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity, which is formulated within the framework of classical physics. On the other hand, the non-gravitational forces are described within the framework of quantum mechanics, a radically different formalism for describing physical phenomena based on the wave-like nature of matter. The necessity of a quantum mechanical description of gravity is sometimes said to follow from the (alleged) fact that one cannot consistently couple a classical system to a quantum one. This is false as is shown, for example, by Wald's explicit construction of a consistent semi-classical theory.

While a quantum theory of gravity may be needed in order to reconcile general relativity with the principles of quantum mechanics, difficulties arise when one attempts to apply the usual prescriptions of quantum field theory to the force of gravity via graviton bosons. The problem is that the theory one gets in this way is not re-normalisable and therefore cannot be used to make meaningful physical predictions. As a result, theorists have taken up more radical approaches to the problem of quantum gravity, the most popular approaches being string theory and loop quantum gravity.

There is a charge to cover the cost of a light supper – $2 for members; $5 for non-members. Bookings are not required.

Disabled Access: Please see Sydney Observatory website because there is a telescope and dome designed to cater for all accessibility requirements. Unfortunately the Discovery Room where we meet has stairs.

Location: Sydney Observatory, 1002 Upper Fort Street Millers Point, Sydney

03 July 2017

Time: 6:30pm until 8:30pm

Jun 04, 2017

Professor Dick Hunsted, University Of Sydney

Professor Hunstead researches astronomy and teaches physics to students at the University of Sydney, his career spans over 4 decades and he is currently Director of the Molonglo Radio telescope:

"I was lucky to join the university just at the time radio astronomy was an up-and-coming science, which offered a different way of viewing the cosmos. It was a thrill during my PhD to work with the Mills Cross radio telescope, then one of the newest instruments to change the face of the discipline."

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He has made several important discoveries and published over 200 articles, with quasars, black holes, galaxy formation and evolution just some of his areas of interest and is a member and former head of the Sydney Institute for Astronomy (SIfA). The minor planet 171429 Hunstead is named in his honour. Richard is also a long-time supporter of Sydney Observatory.

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There is a charge to cover the cost of a light supper – $2 for members; $5 for non-members. Bookings are not required.

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Disabled Access: Please see Sydney Observatory website because there is a telescope and dome designed to cater for all accessibility requirements. Unfortunately the Discovery Room where we meet has stairs.

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Location: Sydney Observatory, 1002 Upper Fort Street Millers Point, Sydney

Date: 05 June 2017

Time: 6:30pm until 8:30pm

Apr 30, 2017

Sydney Observatory

This meeting is dedicated to telescope and binocular viewing. All members are welcome. The night will begin with a demonstration of telescopes and we will be getting out our club telescope and, if it is clear, viewing the waxing crescent Moon and Jupiter. If you have a portable telescope please bring it along - this is a really great way to gain new skills and share your knowledge. 

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There is a charge to cover the cost of a light supper – $2 for members; $5 for non-members. Bookings are not required.

Disabled Access: Please see Sydney Observatory website because there is a telescope and dome designed to cater for all accessibility requirements. Unfortunately the Discovery Room where we meet has stairs.

Location: Sydney Observatory, 1002 Upper Fort Street Millers Point, Sydney

Date: Monday 01 May 2017

Time: 6:30pm until 8:30pm

Apr 02, 2017

Robert Fuller, Macquarie University

Sydney City Skywatchers' April meeting and talk will feature a special talk for Astronomers Without Borders Global Astronomy Month by UNSW doctoral student Bob Fuller. With permission from Aboriginal community elders we will investigate an Australian Aboriginal cultural story that seems to describe an extraordinary series of astronomical events occurring at the same time.

Bob Fuller was tertiary educated as an anthropologist/archaeologist, and much later, after retiring, did a research MPhil at Macquarie University, Sydney, on Indigenous astronomy, publishing on the cultural astronomy of the Kamilaroi and Euahlayi peoples of New South Wales.  He is now at the School of Humanities and Languages, University of NSW, and is in the second year of a PhD researching the cultural astronomy of the saltwater Aboriginal peoples of the Australian East Coast.  He has been active in outreach to the Indigenous community through lectures and academic articles, and was the instigator of the successful documentary on Euahlayi astronomy, “Star Stories of the Dreaming”.

We will also hear the March solar activity report from Monty Leventhal OAM, and, if the sky is clear, we will stargaze through binoculars and a telescope in the grounds of Sydney Observatory. A light supper is included in the entry fee.

The cost is $2 for Members and $5 for non-members. Membership of Sydney City Skywatchers is $40 pp. Sydney Observatory hosts Sydney City Skywatchers astronomy club and is a significant heritage, publicly accessible observatory. Photo Les Dalrymple - Bob Fuller in the field.

Disabled Access:  No

Location: Sydney Observatory, 1002 Upper Fort Street Millers Point, Sydney

03 April 2017

Time: 6:30pm until 8:30pm

Mar 05, 2017

Brenan Dew, Sydney Observatory

Traditionally, the importance of astronomy in ancient Egypt has been overlooked, particularly in comparison to Egypt’s neighbours, the Mesopotamians or the later Greeks. This talk will highlight the presence of astronomy within the ancient Egyptian culture, covering topics such as the evidence of observational astronomy, astronomical building alignments, astronomy for the use of calendars, and the interconnection between astronomy and religion.

Brenan has been an astronomy educator at Sydney Observatory since 2014. He received a Bachelor of Ancient History with Honours in 2012, followed by a Bachelor of Science majoring in Astronomy and Astrophysics in 2014. Brenan has since completed a Masters of Research in Egyptology in 2015, and is now embarking on a PhD combining both of his interests, exploring the Egyptian cosmographic landscape. Brenan is a part of the Macquarie Theban Tombs Project which is currently undertaking an archaeological excavation near Luxor, Egypt. Most recently, Brenan accompanied a group of high school students on a two-week Space Academy training course at the United States Space and Rocket Centre in Huntsville Alabama.

Image: A section from the “Book of the Caverns” – a modern title given to one of the ancient cosmographic texts from the New Kingdom, belonging to the tomb of Ramesses V. via Wikimedia Commons

There is a charge to cover the cost of a light supper – $2 for members; $5 for non-members. Bookings are not required.

Disabled Access:  No

Location: Sydney Observatory, 1002 Upper Fort Street Millers Point, Sydney

06 March 2017

Time: 6:30pm until 8:30pm