What is StarFest?

StarFest is the weekend extravaganza of events hosted by Siding Spring Observatory during Festival of the Stars. For more information on the full month of events go to the Festival of the Stars website.

StarFest includes the popular Bok Lecture, the exciting Science in the Pub and the full array of Open Day activities that occur on top of Siding Spring Observatory. This year introduces a special evening event at Milroy Observatory with special guest speakers Prof Brian Schmidt (Nobel prize laureate) and Dr David Malin (world famous astrophotographer). Come and enjoy an evening of wine, canapes and star viewings.

If you want to know more about StarFest events as details are announces then please like us on Facebook!

Happy Birthday SSO

Siding Spring Observatory (SSO) celebrates not one, but three significant anniversaries in 2014. In 1964 SSO was established with the opening of the ANU 40 inch Telescope marking its 50th anniversary, the Anglo-Australian Telescope, Australia’s largest optical telescope will celebrate its 40th anniversary and the ANU 2.3m Advance Technology Telescope will celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Taking its first images 12 February 1964, the ANU 40inch Telescope was the first telescope constructed at Siding Spring Observatory. The telescope was designed for photography and became renowned for its research into the structure of the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds.

Ten years and eight months later, 16 October 1974 HRH Prince Charles and the then Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam officially opened the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT). Operated by the Australian Astronomical Observatory as part of the Department of Industry of the Federal government, the AAT continues to provide one of the most productive, world-class optical and infrared observing facilities.

To mark these three significant anniversaries, the SSO astronomical institutions join under the banner of StarFest for a very special long weekend in October.