Dear Macquarie University Foundation for Astronomy members,
Happy New Year! I hope you are all having a restful holiday season. I have just returned
from a camping trip were I had the opportunity to see the Magellanic Clouds,
our neighbouring galaxies. When I pointed out the Clouds, my friends were amazed.
They had never seen them before. I was in turn amazed that you can live a whole life
without noticing their eery appearance. I therefore call upon you to make sure that
every time you are at a dark site, you point the Clouds out to all those with you!
On a different note, the Macquarie Astronomy Group is scattered about right now,
mostly enjoying some holiday time. I am myself about to leave for the northern winter,
heading to the American Astronomical Society meeting in Seattle, where about 3000
astronomers gather every year to tell each other of all the wonderful discoveries they have
made. Check out this link, where many announcements are posted as the conference
progresses.
With modern equipment amateur astronomers are taking increasingly spectacular images of the sky. In this exhibition visitors can view the winners and selected entries in an astrophotography competition open to amateur astronomers and photographers from around Australia.
Sydney Observatory is open every night (session times vary) and day (10am to 5pm) except Christmas Day and Good Friday. The links at left have all the information you need to plan your visit. Charges apply to night and day telescope viewing sessions which include visits to the telescope domes, telescope viewing* and 3D space theatre experience – guided and explained by one of the Observatory's astronomy educators.