Bathurst Observatory Research Facility
Bathurst NSW Australia
Please like our Facebook page for latest news and images!
https://www.facebook.com/BathurstObservatory/
Bathurst Observatory Research Facility is an observatory site primarily for education, research and study, though we do offer general public viewing nights.
Open Nights Star Tours Available Now (conditions and limits apply)
Bookings will be essential for all tours.
(All tours subject to weather)
Tours are underway at the new site. The site is not complete yet, however, are able to offer tours to help complete other facilities.
Tours will be generally be available most Friday and Saturday nights.
No tours in the week of Full Moon
Please note that the main telescope is pretty big and requires use of a small stepladder for viewing. Please advise if you would have difficulties with steps and we can set up a different telescope.
* There may be some mid week research nights where tours are not available.
Reduced Tours Prices for groups
Costs :
As the site is not yet complete with all facilities, we are asking for donation towards completion (an amount you think is fair for the tour and my time).
(Note: we have NO credit card facilities)
Tour bookings and Enquiries, phone (0427292214 Please leave a message as we screen out spam calls), or email us. (Email is by far the best way to get us, if you don’t get a reply it means you have us blocked!!! Please change your settings!).
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.
Our FaceBook page https://www.facebook.com/BathurstObservatory/ is regularly updated, so have a look for the latest news and images from the observatory.
Keep up to date with our latest News.
Please Subscribe to our Newsletter.
We value your privacy and do not share your information.
As of the 12th January, comet G3 Atlas is currently passing by the sun and brightening rapidly. If it survives its close approach to the sun this coming week, it may be a very nice object low in the WSW sky later in January.
The comet reaches perihelion (closest point to the sun) around Jan 13. At this point it may be in the negative magnitudes, similar but not as bright as Atlas A3 was. As of today, (12th) best viewed then on SOHO LASCO C3 web site. Perihelion takes it inside the orbit of Mercury, so hoping it is not a fragile comet. Assuming it survives, after perihelion it will be low in the WSW in evening twilight from about January 18th and best viewed from the Southern Hemisphere (another good one for Aussies!). Stellarium puts it at a conservative mag 5, but predictions from Sky and Telescope say it may be as bright as say Mag 1-ish. It will rapidly fade (faster than A3 did) and be somewhat lost to other than telescopes from about the 26th of Jan or so. The finder chart is for around 9:00pm (AEDT) around the 22nd of January. Note it isn't going to get much higher in the sky than this!!!
So perhaps not as bright as Atlas A3, but there is some chatter about it displaying a fairly nice tail for that week in January 18th to 23rd ish. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Looking forward to another comet in the sky🙂 I can't find comet G3 Atlas in Stellarium, i have updated it with the solar system editor (comet) but no comet G3 Atlas ???? Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?
out of curiosity, this G3 comet visible outside of using telescope etc etc, cause I can see a light seems to slow for light aircraft or a convectional star?
There is a bit of a fake story doing the social media rounds at present about an alignment of the planets on the 25th of January. Not actually true. The true part in that during most of January and into February, most of the planets are visible in the evening skies. But this is not a true alignment and there is nothing special about the date of the 25th!! One exciting true thing is a possible bright comet low in the west from about the 18th for about a week. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Thank you. There has been some fairly detailed info about the "alignment". Good to get clarity.
Thank you so much for putting this up. I thought that it was happening now i know that it is fake
There is a very important event occurring on the 22nd of January 2025 that is more important and NOT fake news. This is the 53rd time it has happened.
I have managed to find a week where I am free (in this very busy time of the year, sorry). There will be tours available 6th through to the 10th of January. Bookings essential! Now I know people do like bringing young kids along, but note tours this time of year are very late, due to daylight saving and late sunset times, so likely not the best time of year for the younger generation. Tours start at 9:30pm!
Note too, there is currently an issue with the web site and email not working, so bookings will have to be made by sending a message. All tours are weather dependent and sadly cancelled if it is too cloudy. ... See MoreSee Less
www.facebook.com
Send a message to learn moreComment on Facebook
In a bit of a surprise, the was a major Auroral storm on the evening of the 1st of January. Two major solar eruptions occurred one after another and combined to send particles towards Earth. There was a lot of auroral activity, particularly near midnight and easily seen with the eye. Sadly, a lot of satellites too!
Generally aurora most often occur after solar flares in spring and autumn, so a summer one is a surprise and likely an indication of how strong the solar flares were! There is a possibility some activity may continue into the 2nd. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Why sadly with the satellites? Did it knock out anything important?
If the activity does continue, when would be the best time to see it?
Great capture, awesome beams.
Appreciate if you can share the location to watch the lights tonight in blue mountain✨🪷
Great shots.
Absolutely stunning! 🩷
That explaines what I was noticing whilst imaging on NYE. Ta buddy. Cheers, Baz.
Absolutely beautiful 😍 🤩
Kristy Wallace Brooke Bateup see you don’t even have to leave home
Peter Buckley
Hayley Jane Nielsen
Michael Delarue
View more comments
Watch THIS Space (January 25)
A new year and perhaps a new comet to start the year. Comet Atlas G3 may become visible low in the western evening sky from about January 19th until the 25th or so. This comet likely will not be a great as Atlas A3 was in 2024, but if all goes well, it may show a nice tail during its brief appearance. I will post information and finder chart mid January.
Jupiter is now a very prominent evening object in the north eastern sky. If you got a telescope for Christmas, try turning it on this planet. You will see its four brightest moons and also the cloud bands.
Venus is still obvious in the western sky, though it reached it’s highest point in the sky and will now get a bit lower in the sky as the month progresses.
There are a few telescope highlights in the eastern sky as well. The Orion Nebula (M42) would be one of the more popular targets and a good one to try your astrophotography skills. If you are a bit more advanced in your photography, try for the horsehead nebula as I did in the image attached. I captured this on Christmas night.
Tours will also resume from the second week of January, with likely more tours available mid week rather than weekends (as I still catch up with family). Tours are later this time of the year as well at 9:30pm due to the late sunsets. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Brooke Coolidge
Thor's Helmet Nebula (NGC 2359), imaged on the 22nd December. Having a bit of time with family over the next week for Christmas and New Year, so will post the Watch This Space for January and the tour dates once the new year has started! ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Have a very happy Xmas and lots of fun with your family.
I realised I had not imaged planets for some time. I also have been doing routine repairs in the observatory and wanted to test things. So on the evening of the 16th of December, I imaged bright Venus, in the west after sunset (showing an almost half phase), Saturn higher in the west with the rings very narrow this year, and Jupiter, still low in the east at the time. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Good to see the planets aligning 🌕🪐🌟
It is quite beautiful.
Before some media hype takes over... Yes the Geminid meteor shower occurs over this weekend. Though it is 'generally' best seen from after 1:00 am until dawn from the 14th until the 15th (best nights), this year it does coincide with an almost full moon which will greatly impact upon the number of meteors seen. Though a couple of brighter meteors might be seen, I know I will give this year a miss. ... See MoreSee Less
www.facebook.com
Send a message to learn moreComment on Facebook
was out this morning after moonset (2.50am)--- saw eight in the hour I was out there. Moon sets later tomorrow morning (approx 5am)...... so the window is only small if you don't want moonglow to ruin your chances. 🙂
Adam Rogers
Sonya Mason
Galaxy M33 (The Triangulum Galaxy) is located about 2.7 million light years away from own own galaxy. It is a bit smaller than the Milky Way galaxy but it is lovely loose spiral. Certainly one of the great things to image! ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook