As well as viewing the telescope there is a dedicated visitors centre with a high-definition 3D cinema.Īfterwards, you will check into The Aberdeen Hotel in the small Victorian city of Dubbo. More recently, it has worked with the CDSCC in receiving data from Voyager 2. It’s ideally suited for finding pulsars and has discovered more than half of the known 2000 pulsars. Despite its age, it is constantly being upgraded and is now 10,000 times more sensitive than when it was first commissioned. The 64-metre radio telescope has been in operation for over 60 years and one of the largest single-dish telescopes in the southern hemisphere dedicated to astronomy. Plus, they have a small meteor museum with over 200 specimens.Īfterwards, there is a group dinner where you can discuss today's stargazing.ĭAY 4: PARKES RADIO TELESCOPE AND DUBBO OBSERVATORYįrom Bathurst, you will drive west to Parkes Observatory and its radio telescope, famous for its role in the NASA Apollo 11 mission. The facility specialises in asteroid and comet research. Using their telescopes and the naked eye, Abigail and the sites resident astronomer will help you explore the sky. It’s Australia’s oldest inland city.Īfter checking in to the Heritage Inn and an afternoon at leisure you will enjoy a stargazing session at the Bathurst Observatory Research Facility. Today you will travel north to Bathurst, a small city with a rich heritage, several museums and old-world charm. You will overnight at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.ĭAY 3: BATHURST OBSERVATORY RESEARCH FACILITY In the late afternoon, you will take a 45-minute drive to the city of Canberra, which was recently judged to be the most sustainable city in the world based on several criteria including energy sources, public transport, green space and air quality. The observatory is the headquarters of the Australia National University Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, a world-respected community of researchers exploring the heavens. You will be given a private group presentation in the site museum as well enjoying the impressive views of the antennas around the complex.Īfterwards, you will visit the Mount Strolmo Observatory for a guided session on indigenous astronomy with a First Nations astrophysicist. The site includes DSS-46, the antenna that brought back the historic first images of Neil Armstrong stepping on the moon in 1969. This network of antennas supports interplanetary spacecraft missions including NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. An active satellite communication station with five large antennas called Deep Space Stations (DSS).
Throughout the tour, Abigail will give briefings and informal lectures in the evenings, during the coach journeys and whilst walking around the many amazing sites on the tour.ĭAY 2: CANBERRA DEEP SPACE COMMUNICATION COMPLEX (CDSCC)Īfter an early breakfast, you will board your comfortable coach and journey southwest through the outback to the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex. Afterwards, you will share a meal together. Where she will outline the tour ahead and introduce a talk from a local guest speaker on the history and future of astronomy in Australia.
BEST TELESCOPE FOR ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY PLUS
Plus explore the geological marvels of Warrumbungle National Park, and the vibrant cities of Sydney and Canberra.ĭAY 1: ARRIVE IN SYDNEY, MEET ABIGAIL BEALL AND GUEST LECTUREĪfter checking into the Vibe Hotel in the centre of Sydney there will be a welcome meeting hosted by accompanying expert Abigail Beall. Plus, guided stargazing and astrophotography with local expert astronomers at three sites including Sydney Observatory’s historic 19th-century telescope.Įnjoy historic and atmospheric outback towns which offer access to some of the darkest skies. Visit the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex, Parkes Observatory and the isolated Australia Telescope Compact Array. Accompanied throughout by New Scientist writer and astronomer Abigail Beall on this 8-day tour from Sydney across New South Wales. Discover why Australia has played such an important role in radio astronomy and NASA missions by visiting its famous telescopes and observatories, while enjoying stargazing at the southern hemisphere’s celestial wonders.
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