BATHURST OBSERVATORY
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Last Updated 22nd August 2010Bathurst Observatory Research Facility, Bathurst NSW Australia.Please read our news page for latest information on what is happening at the observatory.Bathurst Observatory Research Facility is an observatory site primarily for research and study. Open Nights Star Tours. Upcoming Tours (Each starts at 7:30 pm, bookings essential) (Note due to Research and Other Commitments, the September tours will limited but will be as follows) September 17th and 18th (Highlight is the Moon and Jupiter) (Note that if there is a large enough group (6 or more), I may be able to run mid week tours, or other dates as requested!) Cost will be a Gold coin donation per person!!!! (School Groups welcome!) Tour bookings and enquires, phone 02 6337 3988, or email using the link below. How to find us? See Location description below! Why "Open Nights"? We used to do tours using an observatory dome. However, we found that the dome itself blocked out most of the night sky! Our visitors wanted to view through a telescope but be able to see and hear about the wonders of the night sky at the same time. We particularly had many visitors from urban areas wanting to see a nice dark country sky full of stars. The solution, remove the dome! So now we set up the public telescope as nature wanted us to, on cleared ground, under the wonder of the Southern stars. The feedback we have been getting about our "Open Nights" has been very positive so these tours will continue. About Our Tours. Our tours are conducted with the only guide with over ten years educational astronomy experience and currently studying a Bachelor of Education! Tours require bookings and are weather dependent. (We can't see stars through clouds!) Tour duration is about 1 hour, depending on time of year. We are located about 6 kilometres from Bathurst, so our skies are dark and full of stars! Coming soon, the planetarium, bigger and better than before! We cater for all school astronomy and space excursions, as well as general public telescope tours of the night sky.
The Milky Way stretches overhead in this view taken at the Bathurst Observatory Research Facility on the 11th August 2007. The Bathurst Observatory Research Facility (Research and Meteorite Related Enquires and Public Viewing Nights)The Bathurst Observatory Research Facility, located on the current site on Limekilns Road north east of Bathurst. At the research site, we study, comets, asteroids, variable stars, meteors and meteorites. For research related enquires phone (02) 6337 3988. There are some tours under an open sky (no dome to spoil the views!!!!!) and these are run on either a Friday or Saturday night. Dates will be posted in advance, bookings essential!!!!! Also, to all those school groups that have missed my tours, call or email and we can arrange a date and time to suit. We also welcome any enquires or questions you may have on Astronomy, Space or meteorite related matters. You may also, by prior arrangement, book to come and view the meteorites and mineral and fossil display that we have at the research site. Our news page is regularly updated, so have a look for the latest news about the observatory.
Our History
The observatory was built in 1999 and officially opened in July 2000. Our visitors centre was opened in January 2001 housing our mineral fossil and space display. Our radio telescope was installed early in 2002. The observatory was built privately using our own funds as an educational and tourist facility for the region. Bathurst Observatory Research Facility is a designated optical observatory, DO 3-31. We closed for public tours for a while, but are back with a better and more interactive program. We now offer our "open nights" program. The observatory is planning another major expansion, including internet accessible telescopes and larger research telescopes. LOCATIONTravelling from Sydney
you enter Bathurst and on your right you will pass the Gold panner motor
inn with the big Gold panner man near the road. Keep travelling and you
get to a set of lights. Go straight through the lights and take the next
right turn about 50 metres past the lights. (There is a sign pointing to
the Sheep and Cattle drome) (if you get to another set of lights, you
missed the turn). Follow up this street until you get to the top. In front
are the Kelso little shops. Turn right. You will pass Kelso High further
along. Keep on driving along this road, you will follow this road for
about 6km. It becomes increasingly rural. The road will become an 80 zone
then a 100 zone further along. The tar is a bit broken up and needs repair
so be careful. Once in the 100 zone you
will eventually pass Koonong place on your left. Keep going straight,
though our turn is now only a few hundred metres from Koonong. On your
right, not far now is a big lime green sign saying Bathurst Sheep and
Cattle Drome. Turn right into this road, immediately passing two world war
1 guns and over the small dirt bridge. Follow this road and over the cattle grid. Follow this road (about 1.5 k) until you reach another gate. It will either be open, in which case drive on through, or closed and say "Park closed today", in which case open the gate drive through and close it again. Once through the gate you see all the buildings in front of you. There are some sleepers on the ground to control erosion and turn right immediately past the sleepers onto the dirt road. This dirt road goes up behind the buildings staying to the right of them. Follow this dirt road, past the house like building and it will sweep to the left. I will be at the end of this road and pointing to where to park.
The Map above shows you how to get to the Cattle Drome. When you arrive at the Cattle Drome car park, follow the map below!
CONTACT US
Our Details are as follows Bathurst Observatory
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