Bathurst Observatory Research Facility in Bathurst, New South Wales | Education

Bathurst Observatory Research Facility

Locality: Bathurst, New South Wales

Address: 6 Priors Lane, Billywillinga 2795 Bathurst, NSW, Australia

Website: https://bathurstobservatory.com.au

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• Landmark & historical place
• Museum
• Science museum

25.01.2022 I recently imaged a nebula known as "The Prawn Nebula" (IC4628). See if you can make out the prawn shape! The next live chat is Tuesday evening (28th), details below. I have had a few people ask about when will be the working bee to get the museum shed completed. I have to admit, with the lockdown, work has stopped. I still have a half built shed! Work will resume as soon as I can. I am also hoping that if restrictions ease soon, we can offer tours again. Topic: Live Chat wi...th Bathurst Observatory Time: Apr 28, 2020 08:00 PM Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney Join Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/75476270175 Meeting ID: 754 7627 0175

24.01.2022 I havent imaged a whole view of the Moon for some time. So...here is the almost full Moon on the evening of the 6th May. I will be doing another live chat this Friday the 8th at 7:00pm. It will be a part 2 of the buying a telescope guide. I might also talk about the comet if there is time as well. Feel free to drop questions via messenger if there is a topic you want for a future talk. Here are the live chat details.. Time: May 8, 2020 07:00 PM Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney... Join Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76138845365 Meeting ID: 761 3884 5365

24.01.2022 Friday evening the 29th May, I have been out imaging the moon!

22.01.2022 Side on Spiral galaxy NGC 4565!!!! Low in the north for us in Australia. Imaged with the research telescope. I have had a look at available dates (assuming no lockdowns) for August and it looks like I have the following still free..... 7th and 8th 14th... and now only 22nd left They fill up fast and I assume some of these will go within minutes of me posting!!! Send an email or message if interested. Tours this time of year are 7:30, however, if there is a huge demand for a certain night, I will add another later tour.

22.01.2022 Two comets and an exploding star in a distant galaxy! I had a busy imaging night on the evening of the 11th May. The brighter of the comets is U6 Lemmon. It shows a faint tail as well. The fainter comet is F3 Neowise. Though pretty much a green blob at present, Neowise is expected to brighten rapidly over coming weeks. It may be visible to the eye in a month or so. The other object of interest is a supernova (exploding star) in the spiral galaxy M61. I have posted two images..., one of the galaxy itself, the other with two green marks. The exploding star is at the intersection of the markers. Even though the exploding star looks about the same brightness as the other stars nearby in the image, these other stars belong to our own galaxy. The exploding star is some 50 million light years further away within the spiral galaxy. It is outshining all other stars in its galaxy (it should be about the same brightness as the ghostly spiral arms!). In other news, I am evaluating if the easing of restrictions means that I can re-open for family group tours as of Friday the 15th May. I will post information once it is clarified.

21.01.2022 Remember my zoom chats? They are making a comeback!!!!! I plan to offer one as early as next week. The first will be more a forum for those just starting out in astronomy!!! More details and meeting link very soon.! In the meantime... I had a clear night on the 3rd and thought I would again capture Mars and Jupiter. The atmosphere was very turbulent, and hence the images are a little 'fuzzy', but still nice to be in the observatory!

21.01.2022 Comet Neowise on the evening of the 5th August. The straight tail is the ion (gas) tail, while the broad fan like tail is the dust (small rocky particles) tail. This image was taken just after dark (and before the moon rose). There has been such a demand for tours that I will check my schedule over the next few days and see if I can offer a few more tour time options. Covid has reduced the number of people I can take, but opening more tour times might allow more people to be able to visit.

20.01.2022 At last! I've been able to schedule our next available tours! Due to daylight savings and later sunsets, tours for these dates are at 8:45pm. I am hoping restrictions are looking like they are easing and that I may be able to offer more places on tours very soon. The available dates are: 16th and 17th October and 23rd and 24th October.... Hurry as the last tours filled within a day! November dates released very soon. In the meantime, the special planet only viewing tours proved very popular and I might open a few more of these shorter tours if anyone want to be on a waiting list. These views of the planets Mars Jupiter and Saturn were taken on the night of the 2nd Of October (just after the tour!)

20.01.2022 It was a very still night on the 31st of July. This allowed some really nice views of the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn.

19.01.2022 Something special for Mothers Day. There is a nice pass of the ISS tonight the 10th of May for eastern NSW. The space station will pass from the SW at 6:13 pm. It reaches its highest point in the SE at 6:16pm before fading low in the NE at 6:19pm.

19.01.2022 A single 6s image of comet Neowise in the NW after sunset on the 29th of July. This image was just with a DSLR camera at iso2500 and 50mm lens. The blue sky is due to moonlight!

17.01.2022 For the first time at the new site, I have imaged the sun on the 7th of Nov using our solar telescope equipment. The sun is coming out of solar minimum and today has a very large and complex sunspot group. These complex magnetic systems can erupt with solar flares. I still have to schedule our zoom chat and will post the details soon. I will also have a very exciting announcement coming as well!!!!!

17.01.2022 Remember the large sunspot I imaged a few days ago? The sun has rotated a bit more and the sunspot has also grown larger! It is now fairly complex and poses a threat for some moderate solar flares. I will post the December tour dates tomorrow!!!!!

17.01.2022 Comet U6 Lemmon imaged on the 18th of June. The comet itself is a bit faint to be seen with the eye, but very nice through our imaging telescope! Our comet group has more information, though is located in the western sky after sunset.

16.01.2022 I was able to image both Saturn and Jupiter on the 29th June! (I also imaged the moon, but havent processed those images as yet!)

16.01.2022 I thought I would post an update of how our construction is progressing. We have had a lot of help from Mick at Piper Electrical to install power to the observatory and site. A huge thank you!!! (Give them a call for any local electrical work!!) In the pictures, you can see the observatory is completed, the outdoor viewing area is also pretty much done. The outdoor slab is now available for anyone wishing to book it and bring their own equipment to use (for example those from... Sydney looking for an imaging site!). The museum is getting power installed and will soon have the internal walls completed ready for opening! Still a bit to go and a bit more funding to find, but hopeful I can get it done by the Christmas school holidays. Of note, you may spot the 50 year old telescope sitting upright on the floor of the museum. I am hoping to raise $500 to restore this telescope. The old stable will one day host a covered BBQ area.

15.01.2022 My first image of Mars for this season and Nebula NGC 6334. Imaging conditions were not great for planets, though a little detail, such as a polar cap and surface markings can been seen on Mars. The nebula (NGC 6334) is also known as the Cats Paw! I am pretty heavily booked out at present and over the school holidays. I will announce the available dates for after the school holidays very soon!!!!

15.01.2022 Spiral Galaxy M100. I recently imaged this having not viewed it for some time! Tours are proving popular with most Saturday nights booked to the start of July. Hopefully soon I will be able to increase the amount of visitors I am allowed. Remember tours are also available on Fridays, but I will also soon post the school holiday tour dates!

15.01.2022 I was imaging Jupiter and Saturn on the evening of the 6th of the July. Jupiter in particular shows a few interesting features. The Great Red spot can be seen, as well as the moon Ganymede to the right, Io furthest moon to the left and the moon Europa. Europa is also casting its shadow on the planet! Saturn is always spectacular. Though we are pretty much booked up for the school holidays, I will announce the tour dates for late July/August very soon. Our museum is getting closer as well to completion. Looking forward to fully opening soon!

14.01.2022 Star forming region known as M17 (The Swan Nebula). Hydrogen gas appears pink due to nearby young stars causing it to glow. One of my favourite objects in the sky! As people may be aware, I have been very restricted as to the numbers I have been able to take on tours. However, a solution might be to continue with the tours but do them outside of the observatory dome, in the open, using one of our other telescopes. This telescope would be the same size, same views as the one inside the observatory, however being outside, enables me to double the numbers I can take per tour. With the planets at their best over the next couple of months, this could be a good option. Thoughts?

14.01.2022 I piggybacked the camera on the side of the telescope for this image of the Large Magellanic Galaxy. It was imaged on Monday night in preparation for a talk I gave this week. Plus..... It is on again!!! A chat about astronomy, aimed at beginners, will occur on the 18th of November at 7:30pm. Details below Topic: Astronomy Chat... Time: Nov 18, 2020 07:30 PM Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney Join Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/73255622377 Meeting ID: 732 5562 2377 Passcode: M1P9Yx

12.01.2022 The Pleiades cluster imaged at the observatory on the 4th of December. Now very prominent after sunset in the N.E sky, this cluster is great in binoculars or even just to spy with your eyes. I still have a bit of room on some tour nights before Christmas. I still have to plan the January tours soon.! Still awaiting the ok to announce some exciting news as well.

12.01.2022 A recent image from the new site of Galaxy NGC 5128. This strange galaxy is approximately 13 million light years away from our own Milky Way galaxy. It has a dark dust lane across the middle due to a recent merger with a smaller spiral galaxy. Dont forget I schedule regular live chats on Friday evenings at 7:00 pm. I will post a link later in the week to the next one!

12.01.2022 Though the Moon will be brightening and the comet fading rapidly, comet Neowise will be in Coma from this week low in the north western sky after sunset. It will become more visible each night as it gains altitude across the southern skies. The finder chart below is for about the 30th. Leo is to the left and Bootes to the right (Coma just above the comet). The comet is now reported at mag 4.5, so you would need a dark sky to see it visually and by weeks end maybe mag 5, at which point it becomes mainly an object requiring optical aid. Remember too the moon is increasing brightness so it may make the comet a more difficult object. I will be posting more information and updates on the Australian Comet and Asteroid Group page during the week.

12.01.2022 Mars is still looking good, though now Earth and Mars are drawing away from each other. I should have the November tours organised this weekend and will post available dates. Again, I hope I can offer some shorter planet viewing tours as well mid week. This image of Mars was taken on the 14th October.

12.01.2022 The tourists on the 14th were treated to some fantastic views of the planets under still skies. Mars in particular is interesting. A dust storm has started and filling the Vallis with dust. (note the brighter area and line in the middle). The little ice cap is also well seen. Jupiter and Saturn also display some nice detail.

12.01.2022 There is a comet currently visible (just) in the morning sky before dawn. It is comet Swan (C/2020 F8 Swan). I was able to capture this image of the comet in twilight before dawn on the 4th of May using the research telescope. It shows quite a complex ion tail! It is a little hazy as I imaged this fairly low to the horizon. I have also added a finder chart if you want to try and see the comet yourself. It will be visible low in the east from around 4:00am until dawn until th...e moon interferes (too bright) later in the week. Please note... It will not look like the image I took! The comet is still faint and the image was taken with a large telescope. However, I was able to pick up the head (coma) of the comet with my eye (just) from my dark sky location, though it was easier to pick up as a faint hazy blob in binoculars. Good luck! If you cant see the comet, keep an eye out for the Eta Aquarid meteor show instead. There will be a few meteors in the morning sky this week as well! See more

11.01.2022 A big thank you to Tim Parker Constructions for helping put the walls on our museum shed! Due to the shutdown, we have not been able to do any of the site works until now. A bit more work, like the roof and internal walls to go! As you can see, the observatory itself is finished (and taking those images you like), plus that slab in the foreground is ready for tours or for those wishing to bring their own gear along to use!!!

11.01.2022 Comet Neowise on the 30th July. This image is affected by moonlight creating a bright background. The comet continues to fade as it moves away from both Earth and the sun. By the end of next week, you will need a good telescope to find it. It is also interesting that this was taken with my cheapest telescope!! The telescope is an 80mm diameter, 400mm focal length scope designed for guiding. However, I gave it a run for imaging tonight.

11.01.2022 As the Moon images proved popular, I was out again on the 31st May and took a couple more (mainly to see if Id fixed the dome closing mechanism... nope). Many people have asked when will we reopen for tours? Well I am pleased to say we can open again for limited tours (family groups of up to 5) from the 12th of June. Not everything is complete at our new site yet, but getting tours underway if a great step towards being able to complete our facilities!

11.01.2022 Galaxy NGC 4945 is located not far from the Southern Cross, but not often imaged as there are much more dazzling deep sky things nearby as well. However, I do like the contrast with the colour of this galaxy and the stars of our own galaxy in the foreground. It is about 12 million light years beyond our Milkyway galaxy. The Premier announced travel to our region can resume as of the 1st of June!!! As such I will re-open for limited tours likely then. Tours will be still limit...ed as I have not finished all the facilities (like our museum and amenities) and will still have social distancing measures in place. Keep an eye out for my post soon, once I plan the dates! Remember too, the weekly live chat is now on a Sunday, ready for re-opening nights generally on a Friday and Saturday. It will be great to re-open, as that will enable me to be able to finish off those facilities I havent been able to fund or complete during the shutdown.

09.01.2022 I have scheduled another live chat for Sunday 24th! Details below. It now looks like we can reopen for groups of up to 5 people (family groups) as of the 1st of June. However, this will not include the June long weekend. I also recently imaged spiral galaxy M83. All I can say is how awesome is this galaxy! It is prominent in our southern skies this time of year! Live chat details....... Topic: Live Chat with Bathurst Observatory Time: May 24, 2020 07:00 PM Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney Join Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/77661532628 Meeting ID: 776 6153 2628 Password: 9hb1KU

08.01.2022 Are you like me and have a particular interest in comets and asteroids? I have created a separate group for amateurs, imagers, or anyone particularly interested in these objects to share images and information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/Auscometandasteroid/

08.01.2022 My first rough image of Jupiter from the new site (before the cloud came over!). 26th June. Both Jupiter and Saturn will be at their best during July/August this year. For those wanting a tour, I am booked out during the holidays, though waiting to hear if distancing measures will be relaxed so I can increase how many people I can take on tours and then offer more places.

07.01.2022 While out imaging planets on the 29th of June, I also captured a few of the moon. The third image includes the large fault line known as the straight wall. I am still taking a waiting list for those hoping for a tour over the school holidays. At present I am booked out, but if I am allowed to increase numbers if distancing measures change, I will take more people!

07.01.2022 Just a couple of images from the ISS pass on the 10th May. Taken with one of the observatory telescopes.

07.01.2022 The Eagle Nebula (M16) I imaged last week! A place where young stars are being formed from hydrogen gas and dust within the Milky Way. The hydrogen gas emits a pinkish glow!

07.01.2022 Nebula M21, know as the Trifid Nebula . It has to be one of the most colourful contrasts in our region of the galaxy. The blue is starlight being reflected on the hydrogen gas and dust, while the pink is light being emitted by glowing gas. Mixed in with both are thicker and darker lanes of gas and dust.

07.01.2022 Sometimes, all you need to take images of the Milky Way is DSLR camera and a tripod. These images were taken on the 6th of September from the observatory. I will be planning the October tours very soon!!!

07.01.2022 The view of the Moon I imaged last week proved very popular. So I decided to to image the whole moon again on the evening of the 25th. In other great news, the easing of Covid restrictions means I am able to offer more places for tours again. I will post the December tour dates this weekend, plus as promised, the new mid week tour dates!!! A few interesting things too during December, such as the Geminid meteor shower and Jupiter and Saturn converging in the sky!

06.01.2022 The sun is waking up from solar minimum!!! A few sunspots (magnetic storms) are appearing. The large sunspot rotating into view could easily fit Earth inside it! These sunspots can erupt in solar flares that can knock out power grids and satellites around Earth. This image was taken with a new made solar filter designed for the research telescope. It allows me to image the sun safely without damage to equipment. Please don't view the sun unless you have the correct equipment!

06.01.2022 A clear night, so I took advantage of having the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn in the sky! 26th of August. I will post availability for September tours very soon. I will offer small groups inside the observatory for up to 5 or outside (same size telescope as in the observatory) for up to ten people. As I say, details soon!

05.01.2022 We had a lovely tour night on the 28th August (I hope my guests liked their evening!) Things have been booking fast and all I have now are .... and the 7th, 8th and 10th of October at 8:45pm (AEDST)... Remember there are two tour options. There is inside the observatory with a limit of 5 people or our outside option (using the same size telescope as inside the observatory) for up to 10 people. (All tours subject to covid)

05.01.2022 Time to schedule November tour dates (with the accompanying picture of the Helix nebula recently imaged). Bookings required for all tours and tours for November dates will be at 8:45 pm. Message or email for a booking. Still no set tour price, just pay whatever you think is fair. Tour dates for November are;... 6th and 7th 13th and 14th 20th and 21st. Note that places fill very quickly due to my current limitations on numbers. I may also offer on short notice, some special half hour mid week planet only viewing tours as well. Feel free to register an interest in these and I will see my availability.

04.01.2022 Ive been out imaging Saturn and Jupiter again! I imaged Jupiter over an hour and will make a bit of a movie showing the rotation of the planet and post it in a few days. There are a few other bits of news as well! Firstly, I have commenced an initial chat group for a local astronomy club! Here is a link..... https://www.facebook.com/groups/bathurstastro Also for those wishing to come and stay nearby, we have teamed up with a guest house less than 1km from the observatory!!!...! It means that if you are an astronomer wishing to use our site for imaging or observing and want to bring your own equipment for example, you will be able to book the guest house and a place at the observatory! Lastly, we are watching the Covid situation and though we have already restricted bookings, hoping that we do not have cancel or change bookings. It will be something we will be monitoring.

04.01.2022 Recent wet weather has made it hard to do both tours and imaging. However, I was able to image nebula M27 a week or so ago. M27 is an example of a dying star. This star is blowing away its outer layers in a giant gas bubble! The colours are due to gasses such as oxygen and hydrogen. I still have a couple of November tour places left! message for info.

04.01.2022 As we have been booked out for our normal tours over the school holidays, I decided to add some special tours over the long weekend (Friday to Monday). These will be shorter tours where we will look at the planets in the sky at present (Saturn, Jupiter and Mars!). These tours will be 1/2 hour duration and be available for bookings only (so get in early). Tours will start at 8:45pm prior to daylight savings and 9:30pm after daylight savings starts. and are of course weather dependent. Either email or message for bookings, places due to Covid are very limited!

03.01.2022 Latest image of comet Neowise from the 13th of August. The comet continues to fade as it moves further from Earth and the Sun. Note it still displays a straight ion tail and broad dust tail. Rain forecast in the next few days will hamper my attempts of further images.

01.01.2022 Yes! we will reopen for limited tours (with a few conditions) from the 12th of June!!! Tours will be at 7:30pm and require a booking. They will be limited to single family groups of up to 5 people (for social distance rules). To book or make enquires, email [email protected] and I will reply with details etc of the tour. I generally reply to email of an evening. The image is part of the Rho Ophiuchi nebula complex. The blue colour is light from the stars reflecting off the gas and dust (that will one day form future stars) in this region of the milky way. I love the eerie nature of this region of space!

01.01.2022 I was able to capture my latest image of comet U6 Lemmon on the evening of the 15th May. The tail has developed some more and the comet itself a bit brighter. I also imaged the Leo triplet of galaxies. These three galaxies are around 35million light years away. Due to other commitments and in preparation for opening again for tours soon, I have moved our weekly live chat to a Sunday evening. Details below.... Topic: Live Chat with Bathurst Observatory Time: May 17, 2020 07:00 PM Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney Join Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/77789755769 Meeting ID: 777 8975 5769 Password: 5SrmbJ

01.01.2022 The Andromeda Galaxy (around 2 million light years away). It is very low in our evening northern sky this time of year. It is so low that the lower shutter of the observatory blocks out some of the image (why it is darker on the right). 9:30 pm Tour Dates for December!!!! Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th. Tuesday the 8th through to Saturday the 12th.... Tuesday the 15th through to Saturday the 19th And Tuesday the 22nd and Wednesday the 23rd are also available. I then have a break until new year. The facility is still not yet complete. I do not have our museum nor amenities block completed (there are no toilets yet!). As I am still completing some facilities, I do not have a set price, just pay whatever you think is fair on the night (no credit card facilities yet either!). Bookings are essential.

01.01.2022 There was a good pass over eastern NSW of the International Space Station around 6:20 on the evening of the 8th of September. I used one of the observatory telescopes to capture these close up images!