The Bathurst Observatory Research Facility has recently moved location. We are in the process of building the Meteorite Museum shed. The Meteorite Museum will provide a space to display our meteorite, public education and video conferences into schools.
Bathurst Observatory Research Facility, Australia, has one of the only public displays of meteorites in NSW west of Sydney in our Meteorite Museum. We have over 200 specimens to be displayed, ranging from witnessed falls to historical pieces. You will be able to come and see our display of space models, minerals, fossils and meteorites.
Approval for the stage 1 components of the project have been obtained from Bathurst Regional Council.
The funding goal is to reach $45,000 which will cover the cost of concrete slab, the cost of the shed and construction.
CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT OUR PROJECT
Plan of the Meteorite Museum shed.
Museum site pegged and ready to go.
The meteorite museum aligns with the observatory’s work on asteroid, comet and other astronomical research as well as public education and outreach.
We also study meteorites as part of our research goals, and have published a number of papers about meteorites.
We can also offer some services to meteorite collectors and researches wishing to display their specimens.
Some meteorites from the Bathurst Observatory collection
Some of our displays below.
General space image from our observatory
ABOUT US
The Observatory is currently privately owned and had operated at its old site on Limekilns Road, Bathurst since July 2000. In 2018, it was decided that the observatory should relocate to a much better site due to housing and other development at our previous site. Light pollution from developments would have rendered the old site impractical for further astronomy. As such, the old site has been sold and we have purchased a new site, further from Bathurst (at Billywillinga), which has much better observing sites, not only for tourism, but for research and professional/amateur astronomers as well. We aim to provide multiple viewing experiences rather than one off options, to encourage multiple visitation.
The observatory is only one of its type in the region and will offer experiences and tour options no similar facility will offer. Its location and night activities will ensure overnight stays within the region or at our guest cottage.
TIME FRAME
The new observatory still in the construction and planning stage though will operate from late 2019, early 2020. A key goal is planning and ensuring the new site is developed to meet identified needs. This will ensure its adaptability now and into the future. However, current Bathurst Observatory telescopes are now being relocated to the new site, as well as the meteorite research collection and much more!
Some key aspects of the initial timeline;
* Relocation of the public outreach and imaging telescope with the observatory’s iconic dome.
* Set up of the public viewing telescopes and area.
* Construction of the meteorite research building (with displays)
* Availability of sites for setting up your own equipment
* Opening of the guest accommodation and planetarium in stage 2
The Bathurst Observatory’s iconic dome, soon to relocate to the new site. It houses our research and imaging telescope
Future stage 2 items for inclusion will be approval additional cabins and telescope sites as demand increases.
Note the planetarium is a fully modern computerised system and has an advantage in that it is portable and can be taken to schools, community events, as well as serve at the observatory site. It does not require an additional building, though provides an all-weather option for tours.
FURTHER INFORMATION
For more information about Bathurst Observatory Research Facility please visit our website at: https://bathurstobservatory.com.au/
and our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/BathurstObservatory/
Galaxy season. With the milky way getting lower in the west of an evening, now is the time to turn the telescope beyond our galaxy and view distant ones, Like NGC 253, the Sculptor Galaxy. I hope to back on my feet for tour ASAP, and getting physio to speed that along. This image of NGC 253 was taken last year, but today I got around to tweaking it. ... See MoreSee Less
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Tours should be available again as soon as full moon has past (sadly this rules out the long weekend). Saturn will be a highlight of tours in coming months! I’ll post next tour dates just after the long weekend! PS on the mend after my recent incident, thank you for the messages. ... See MoreSee Less
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I seen a meteor or comet tonight just before 9pm at Burraga it was green it had a long tail at first I thought it was a car speeding through a paddock beside me and then continued on toward the arkstone area
Thanks to everyone for the support after an unexpected brief stint in the hospital. I am on the mend and hope to back on deck imaging the comet and doing tours as soon as my doctor gives me the ok!! ... See MoreSee Less
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Keep well Ray. Bathurst Legend
Through high cloud moving in from the west, and hence the hazy look. Here is comet Swan25B on the evening of the 15th in twilight, before blocked by cloud. The bright star is Spica in Virgo. ... See MoreSee Less
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Found it
Nice capture, I moved my scope location in the backyard to get away from the house blocking the view today, sunset and ☁️☁️☁️🙄
Swan25B on the evening of the 14th Sept. The comet does appear a bit brighter and a disconnection event in the ion tail, not far along from the coma. Bathurst Observatory Research Facility ... See MoreSee Less
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Can you post with a ra and dec please as I tried to find it tonight and couldn’t any help Would be appreciated
Image of newly discovered comet temporarily known as SWAN25B on the evening of the 13th September. Nice long ion tail! I could see the coma but not the tail in binoculars as well. Image with a 6inch scope. ... See MoreSee Less
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How long after sunset did U get the photo
Love your work capturing it for us to see!! How absolutely exciting!!
👏
New Comet alert! New found comet, bright enough to image, below Mars and Spica, evening sky. Co-ords for the evening of 13th Sept....
RA 13 13 01.7 DEC -09 45 35 mag ~8 Temp name is SWAN25B
Please note: The comet is TOO FAINT to see without telescope or binoculars. Comets do not streak across the sky, but only slowly change position when observed night to night. This comet is also low in evening twilight, which will make it a bit hard to image as well. There will be updates on prospects for this object in coming days. ... See MoreSee Less
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Oh cool!! That's interesting to come across!!
It was a very early start, and I was very lucky to have a clear patch of sky for most of the lunar eclipse on the 8th of September. These are a selection of images taken from 3:30am until 4:30am using a small telescope. Next lunar eclipse is March 3 next year, and at a more convenient time! ... See MoreSee Less
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Don't forget to sign.
Thankyou so much for sharing this
Gorgeous capture….
Great photos and I saw some good ones from Tasmania too. Very grateful for being able to see them ..
Yes I like this, pretty special
I got the Moon rising but that was it, Nice captures 👍
www.aph.gov.au/e-petitions/petition/EN7346
👍👌😎😎😎😎😎
Brilliant 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
Some from Townsville Qld
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A rare fine day on the 31st August allowed me to image the sun. The large sunspot group numbered 4197 unleashed a large solar flare that may produce aurora on late on the 2nd September. The sun certainly looks crowded with sunspots at present. As it was a clear night too, I also imaged the Moon!
The one to mark your calendar for is the total lunar eclipse in early hours of the 8th of September. The times here are for eastern Australia. The Moon will start to enter Earth’s umbral shadow at 2:27 am and be totally in the shadow at 3:31 am (getting lower in the west). It will take on the copper colour that a total eclipse is famous for and mid eclipse occurs at 4:11 am! The Moon will remain eclipsed until 4:53am, when it starts to leave Earths shadow. By the time it fully leaves Earth’s shadow it will be pretty much on the western horizon for eastern Australia.
Tours will recommence once the run of cloudy weather goes away for a weekend!!! Did you know that there has not been a clear weekend for some 10 weeks!!! Sometimes I want to give away doing tours as a result. ... See MoreSee Less
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Please save our night sky by signing ADSA petition. www.aph.gov.au/e-petitions/petition/EN7346