sydney observatory teachers notes 2012

7/31/2019 Sydney Observatory Teachers Notes 2012

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WHAT WE OFFER FOR YOUR CLASS

Sydney Observatory oers educational tours

both day and night. Daytime tours can be booked

Monday to Friday during school terms or up to

80 students starting at 10.00 am or 12.00 noon.

Weekend tours can be arranged or country

schools. Night tour session times vary throughout

the year depending on daylight saving and start at

6.15 pm or 8.15 pm (except December and January

which start at 8.30 pm).

Each 90-minute day tour can be tailored to your

students needs and is guided by an astronomy

educator. See page 17 for booking details.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Astronomy tour (see page 7 for details)

Touroftheastronomyinstrumentsondisplay

in the Observatory

3-DSpaceTheatre Planetarium

Telescopeviewing

Weather tour (see page 9 for details)

VisittheObserving the weatherinteractive and

historic exhibition at the Observatory

DatacollectionusingObservatoryequipment

3-DSpaceTheatre

VisittonearbyBureauofMeteorology

instrument lawn

AlsoavailablearejointvisitswiththePowerhouse

Museum, IMAX, Sydney Learning Adventures,

Australian National Maritime Museum (see page 5

for details).

3-D Space Theatre (see page 11 for details)

Providinganamazing3-Dspaceexperience,the

3-D theatre technology was developed in

Australia by the Centre or Astrophysics and

Supercomputing at the Swinburne Institute o

TechnologyinMelbourneandshowsshortlmson the solar system, space exploration and

cosmology.

Planetarium

Thisisanastronomerledexperienceinacosyplanetarium.Thestareldcylinderusedincludes

an extraordinarily precise depiction o the Milky

Way based on the beautiul all-sky panoramas

created by astrophotographer Dr Axel Mellinger.

Telescopes (see page 13 for details)

TheObservatoryhastwofunctioningtelescope

domes.Theoldersouthdomenowhousesthe

oldest working telescope in Australia, a 290 mm or

11.5inchrefractingtelescope.Thenorthdome

houses a 400 mm computer controlled SchmidtCassegrain refecting telescope and a Coronado

Solar telescope or sae viewing o the Sun during

the day.

IN THESE NOTES YOU WILL FIND

Curriculumlinkspage2

Jointdiscountvisitspage5

Observatoryoorplanspage6

Astronomytourspage7

Weathertourspage9 3-DSpaceTheatrepage11

Backgroundinformationpage13

Astronomyresourcespage15

School visits

TEACHERS NOTES

SolarSystemMontage.PhotocourtesyGetty.


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SYDNEYOBSERVATORYTEACHERSNOTES2

Theastronomyandmeteorologyexhibitionscan

be easily integrated into content strands, units o

work or areas o teaching and learning in the

ollowing syllabus areas:

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY(YEARS K6)

Built environments (Stage 2 and 3)

buildingsandthespaceswithinandsurrounding

these buildings, eg homes, schools, community

acilities and actories, parks and gardens.

naturalenvironmentsthathavebeenmodied

to suit particular needs, eg land cleared or

arming and altered waterways

servicesprovidedtocommunities,egelectricity,water, etc

Inormation and communications (Stage 2 and 3)

thenatureofcommunications

methodsofcommunicatingbetweenindividuals,

groups and communities, eg personal

conversation, telephones, satellite link-ups

changestoinformationandcommunication

technology over time.

Physical phenomena (Stage 2 and 3) relationshipsbetweentime,spaceand

movement

sourcesofenergy

lightandsomeofitscharacteristics

heatandsomeofitscharacteristics

Earth and its surroundings (Stage 1, 2 and 3)

thesolarsystem,planets,Earth,Moonandstars

aspectsofthephysicalenvironment,egthe

Earths crust, its oceans and atmosphere

naturalchangesthatoccur,suchassoilerosion,

volcanic eruption, climatic changes and

movement o water

thepassingoftimeandthenaturaleventsthat

make people aware o this passing, eg daily

cycles, lunar cycles and seasons

thevarietyandcharacteristicsofnaturally

occurring materials

themethodspeopleusetoobtainandprocess

materials

themethodspeopleusetomanagenatural

resources

limitationstoresourcesavailableonEarth

renewableresources.

Suggested units o work:

Stage1HotorCold,APlaceinTime

Stage2KeepinTouch,CyclesinourWorld

Stage3OutinSpace,WhatstheWeather

HUMAN SOCIETY AND ITSENVIRONMENT HSIE (K6)

Stage 2

Change and Continuity, Signifcant Events and

People

CCS2.1Describeseventsandactionsrelatedto

theBritishcolonisationofAustraliaand

assesseschangesandconsequences.

Change and Continuity Time and Change

CCS2.2Explainschangesinthecommunityand

amily lie and evaluates the eects o these on

dierent individuals, groups and

environments.

Environments, Patterns o Place and Location

ENS2.5Describesplacesinthelocalareaand

other parts o Australia and explains their

signicance.

Stage 3

Change and Continuity Cultures Signifcant

Events and People.

CCS3.1Explainsthesignicanceofparticular

people, groups, places, actions and events in

the past in developing Australian identities

and heritage.

Change and Continuity Cultures Cultural

Diversity. CUS3.4Examineshowcultureschangethrough

interactions with other cultures and the

environment.

MATHEMATICS (K0)

Early Stage 1 Measurement: Time

Describethedurationofeventsusingeveryday

language

Sequenceeventsintime

Namedaysoftheweekandseasons

CURRICULUM LINKS


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Stage 1 Measurement: Time

Useinformalunitstomeasureandcompare

the duration o events

Nameandorderthemonthsandseasonsof

the year

Identifythedayanddateonacalendar


Recognisethecoordinatedmovementsofthe

hands on a clock

Readandrecordtimeusingdigitalandanalog

notation

Convertbetweenunitsoftime

Readandinterpretsimpletimetables,

timelines and calendars


Convertbetweenam/pmnotationand24-hour

time ComparevarioustimezonesinAustralia,

including during daylight saving

Drawandinterpretatimelineusingascale

Usetimetablesinvolving24-hourtime


Performoperationsinvolvingtimeunits

Useinternationaltimezonestocomparetimes

Interpretavarietyoftablesandchartsrelated

to time

Stage 4 Data: Data

Draw,readandinterpretgraphs(line,sector,

travel, step, conversion, divided bar, dot plots

and stem-and-lea plots), tables and charts

Distinguishbetweentypesofvariablesusedin

graphs

Identifymisrepresentationofdataingraphs

Stage 2 Space and Geometry: Positions

DeterminethedirectionsN,S,EandW;NE,

NW, SE and SW, given one o the directions Describethelocationofanobjectonasimple

map using coordinates or directions

SCIENCE (710)

Outcome4.1Identieshistoricalexamples

ofhowscienticknowledgehaschanged

peoples understanding o the world

Outcome5.1Explainshowsocialfactors

infuence the development and acceptance o

scienticideas

Outcome4.2Usesexamplestoillustrate

how models, theories and laws contribute to an

understanding o phenomena

Outcome5.2Describestheprocessesthat

are applied to test and validate models,

theories and laws

Outcome4.4Identieschoicesmadeby

peoplewithregardtoscienticdevelopments

Outcome5.4Discussesscienticevidence

supporting dierent viewpoints

Outcome4.6Identiesanddescribes

energy changes and the action o orces in

common situations

Outcome5.6Appliesmodels,theoriesand

laws to situations involving energy, orce and

motion

Outcome4.9Describesthedynamic

structure o Earth and its relationship to other

parts o our solar system and the universe

Outcome5.9Relatesthedevelopmentof

the universe and the dynamic structure o

Earth to models, theories and laws and the

infuence o time

Outcome4.12Identies,usingexamples,

common simple devices and explains why they

are used

Outcome5.12Relatestheinteractions

involved in using some common technologies

totheirunderlyingscienticprinciples

Outcome4.13Clariesthepurposeofan

investigation and, with guidance, produces a

plan to investigate a problem

Outcome5.13Identiesaproblemand

independently produces an appropriate

investigation plan

Outcome4.15Usesgivencriteriatogather

rst-handdata

Outcome5.15Gathersrst-handdata

accurately

Outcome4.16Accessesinformationfrom

identiedsecondarysources

Outcome5.16Accessesinformationfroma

wide variety o secondary sources

Outcome4.22Undertakesavarietyof

individual and team tasks with guidance

Outcome5.22Plans,implementsand

evaluates the eectiveness o a variety o tasks

independently and as a team member


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GEOGRAPHY (710)

Focus Area 4G1 Investigating the World

readsynopticcharts

Focus Area 5A1 Investigating Australias Physical

Environments

readandinterpretsynopticcharts

Focus Area E1 Physical Geography

climate

globalcirculation:insolation,pressure,wind,

temperature, rainall

globalclimaticpatterns

factorsaffectingclimate:latitude,altitude,

maritime and continental infuences

climatechange

distinguishbetweenweatherandclimate

explaintheglobalcirculationoftheatmosphere

describeglobalclimaticpatterns

analyseclimatedatafromavarietyofsources

weather

typesofrainfall

factorsaffectingtemperatureandhumidity

extremeweatherevents:droughts,oods,

storms

examineissuesresultingfromclimatechange

collectandrecordweatherdata

describemeteorologicalprocesses

createamultimediapresentationassessingthe

impacts o an extreme weather event on a

community

PHYSICS

8.5 The Cosmic Engine

1. Our Sun is just one star in the galaxy and ours

isjustonegalaxyintheUniverse

2. TherstminutesoftheUniversereleased

energy which changed to matter orming stars

and galaxies3. Stars have a limited lie span and may

explode to orm supernovas

4. TheSunisatypicalstar,emitting

electromagnetic radiation and particles that

infuence the Earth.

9.2 Space

1. TheEarthhasagravitationaleldthatexertsa

orce on objects both on it and around it

3. TheSolarSystemisheldtogetherbygravity

4. Current and emerging understanding about

time and space has been dependent upon

earlier models o the transmission o light

9.7 Option Astrophysics

1. Our understanding o celestial objects

depends upon observations made rom Earth

or rom space near the Earth

2. Careul measurement o a celestial objects

position in the sky (astrometry) may be used

to determine its distance

3. Spectroscopy is a vital tool or astronomers

and provides a wealth o inormation

4. Photometricmeasurementscanbeusedfor

determining distance and comparing objects

5. Thestudyorbinaryandvariablestarsreveals

inormation about stars

6. Stars evolve and eventually die

SENIOR SCIENCE

9.9 Option Space Science1. While the atmosphere has limits there is no

such thing as empty space

2. Thestrengthofgravityvariesatdifferent

points in space

3. Space stations and probes provide

inormation about our solar system, galaxy and

deep space

AstronomerHALenehanusingthetransitcircleatSydney

Observatory19071908.


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Joint, discounted visits can be arranged with the

PowerhouseMuseum,IMAX,SydneyLearning

Adventures and Australian National Maritime

Museum.Visitingschoolgroupscantake

advantage o the Observatorys maximum groupofsizeofabout60byorganisinganexcursionof

120 students where one group o 60 visits Sydney

Observatory and the other group o 60 visits another

venue.Thetwogroupsthenswapvenues.

For all the learning programs and partnerships,

see www.sydneyobservatory.com.

POWERHOUSE MUSEUM

VisitthePowerhouseMuseumexhibitionsEcoLogic: creating a sustainable future, Space or

Pathways to space and then visit Sydney

Observatory.

Totalcost:$15perstudent(dayvisit:$9

Observatoryand$7Powerhouse).

Contact:PowerhouseMuseum,ph(02)92170222

or email [email protected]

www.powerhousemuseum.com

Sydney Observatory ph (02) 9921 3485

IMAX

VisitIMAXtoviewtheshowsHubble 3-D (rom

May 2010) orSpace station 3-D (terms 1 and 2 only)

andthenanObservatory3-DSpaceTheatreand

telescope viewing.

Totalcost:$18.50(dayvisit:$9Observatoryand

$9.50IMAX)/$20.50perstudent(nightvisit:$11

Observatoryand$9.50IMAX).

IMAXTheatreSydneyph(02)[email protected];www.imax.com.au


SYDNEY LEARNING ADVENTURES

VisitSydneyLearningAdventuresinTheRocksfor

theprimaryprogramHMSDiscoveryorthe

secondaryprogramRocksDreamingthenatourof

an astronomy or weather ully guided experience

attheObservatory.TheRocksDreamingtour

includesthePlanetarium,Cadi Eora Birrung

exhibition and (sae) telescope viewing o the Sun.

HMSDiscoverytotalcost:$19(dayvisit:$9

Observatoryand$10SydneyLearningAdventures)

RocksDreamingtotalcost:$23.40(dayvisit:$9

Observatoryand$14.40SydneyLearningAdventures)

Contact: Sydney Learning Adventures,

ph (02) 9240 8552 or email [email protected]


AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL MARITIMEMUSEUM

A ull day program on weather is available with a

combined Australian National Maritime Museum(ANMM) package,Ways of watching weather

Totalcost:$17(dayvisit:$9Observatoryand$8

ANMM)

Contact: ANMM, ph (02) 92983655 or email

[email protected]


Earnshaw520chronometer,madeabout17901801.

JOINT DISCOUNT VISITS WITH SYDNEY OBSERVATORY PARTNERS
http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/http://www.imax.com.au/http://www.imax.com.au/http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/


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TOILETS(outside)

EMERGENCYEXIT

GROUND FLOOR

EMERGENCYEXIT

Planetarium(occasional sessions)

ENTRY/EXIT

EMERGENCYEXIT

Lectureroom

1

2

3

4

5 WHEELCHAIR/GROUPENTRY

FIRST FLOOR6

7 8

9

10

Balcony

Russellroom

SYDNEY OBSERVATORY FLOOR PLANS


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The90-minutetourisguidedbyanastronomy

educator and includes a tour through some o

Observatory displays, an awesome 3-D Space

Theatreexperience,alookatthenightskyinour

Planetariumandviewingthroughatelescope(weather permitting). During the day students can

safelyviewtheMoon,Venus,brightstarsthrough

a large telescope as well as the Sun using a

special (sae) solar telescope. At the end o the

visit each teacher will receive an up to date set o

Solar System notes or use at school.

ASTRONOMY INSTRUMENTS TOUR

Room 1 Watchers o a dierent sky

Find out what makes the southern sky specialand meet some o the astronomers and

explorers who have observed the night sky.

Some o the things you will see:

BrisbanestelescopeusedatGovernor

ThomasBrisbanesobservatorytoobserve

Enckes Comet in 1822

RepeatingcircleusedatParramatta

Observatory in the 1820s to measure angles

between stars

ApollofeedhornreceivedthehistorictelevisionimagesofNeilArmstrongsrst

ootsteps on the Moon in 1969 or a broadcast

watched by millions on Earth

Room 2 Knowing the time and fnding the way

Thisroomlooksattheinstrumentsusedby

Matthew Flinders to chart the Australian coastline

in the early 1800s.


Earnshaw520chronometeroneofthevechronometers used on Flinders voyage around

Australia and the only one still working at the

end o the journey

Earnshawastronomicalclockthishighly

accurateclockbuiltin1791wasusedby

Flinders to check the timekeeping o the

chronometers on his ship

SextantnavigatorslikeFlindersuseda

sextant to determine both the time and the

latitude

Room 3 Transit circle: the biggest clock in the

world

Thisroomisthehomeofthetransitcircle,a

telescope which was used to determine the exact

time, the positions o stars and the geographicalcoordinates o the Observatory.


Transitcircleaspecialtelescopethatonly

moves north and south and used the regular

daily spin o the Earth to determine the time

Chronographamachineusedtorecordthe

transit circle observations

Pendulumclockpurchasedin1860,thisisa

highly accurate astronomical regulator clock

Room 4 Planets and stars o the southern sky

Explore the solar system and discover the

constellations!DidyouknowthatPlutoisno

longer considered a planet? In 2006, astronomers

reclassiedtheice-coveredspherebydubbingit

a dwar planet.


SouthernCross3-Dmodelpeerthroughthe

eyepiece and see how the stars on the

Australian fag are really distributed in space.

Solarsystemmodels(orreries)watchayear

go by and discover why we have seasons, why

the Moon shows phases and how eclipses

occur..

Room 5 Cadi Eora Birrung: under the Sydney

stars

AboriginalpeoplewereAustraliasrst

astronomers and have watched the southern sky

formorethan50,000years.Thestarswereused

as a calendar, or navigation by land and sea and

toconveylawstofuturegenerations.Thisroom

looks at some o the Indigenous Dreaming stories

about the dierent constellations.

Room 6 Transit o Venus:

ThetransitofVenusisofspecialinterestto

Australians. Captain James Cook travelled to

TahititoobserveVenuspassinginfrontofthe

Sunin1769andonhisreturnvoyagemappedthe

east coast o Australia. Australia is in a prime

locationtoobservethenexttransitofVenusin

2012.

ASTRONOMY TOURS


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Thephotoheliographatelescopefor

photographing the Sun and one o only hal a

dozensuchinstrumentsintheworld

Thephotographicrevolverdesignedforuse

with the photoheliograph and the orerunner o

the movie camera.

THE TIME BALL TOWER

ThetimeballatopSydneyObservatorydropped

forthersttimeon5June1858,alerting

SydneysidersandshipsintheHarbourofthe

exacttime.Todaythetimekeepingtradition

continues, with Observatory sta dropping the

timeballdailyat1.00pm.Timemeasurement

and communication to shipping were vital

components o astronomical work dating back tothe20,000prizepromisedundertheLongitude

Actof1714tosolvetheproblemofdetermining

position at sea.

3-D SPACE THEATRE ANDTELESCOPE DOMES

Ater exploring the displays inside the

Observatory,experiencetheamazing3-DSpace

Theatreandtelescopeviewing(weather

permitting). In the day time students can view theMoon,Venus,brightstarsthroughalarge

telescope as well as saely view the Sun using a

special solar telescope.

PLANETARIUM

Thedigitallyproducedstareldsimulatesthe

night sky at any time, season or location on earth.

Over 3000 stars are projected to a limiting

magnitude o 5.5 with the brightest stars

individually lensed to produce intense pinpointimages. Star locations are accurate to within 1

minute o right ascension and 6 minutes o

declination.Betelgeuse,Rigel,Antares,Spica,

Arcturus,CapellaandPolluxappearinfullcolour.

Twelveaperaturesshowthepositionofthesun

throughouttheyear.ThePlanetariumissuitable

or students rom primary and high school and

includes both Indigenous stories and traditional

western mythology.

Sydney Observatory time ball.

Sunshineorsolarrecorder,madeabout18921905.

ViewofObservatoryHillandSydneyHarbourBridgefrom

Sydney Observatory.


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DevelopedwiththesupportoftheBureauof

Meteorology, this 90 minute program consists o

our key areas:

1. Observing the weatherexhibition and weatherwheel activities conducted by Observatory

sta. Exhibition sections include:

Whatwastheweatheronyourbirthday?

interactive

Tippingbucketraingaugeinteractive

Makeacloudinteractive

Historicanemometers,barometers,sun

gauge,andAustraliasrstweathermap

displays

2. Datacollectionusingourequipmentsupervised by Observatory sta.

Dont orget a pencil!

Temperature

Barometricpressure

Wetanddrytemperaturetocalculate

relative humidity

Windspeed

Theultra-violetindex

Rainfall

3. 3-DSpaceTheatrepresentationExtreme

places, which describes extreme weather

conditions throughout the Solar System,

includingthesurfacesofVenusandMarsalong

withtheicydepthsofthefrozenmoonof

Jupiter, Europa.

4. AvisittothenearbyBureauofMeteorology

instrumentlawn.Thissignicanthistoricsiteis

still one o the prime locations or the remote

collectionofweatherdatafortheBureau.

Instruments include:

Stevensonscreenfortemperatureand

humidity measurements

Pluviographsforrainfall

Raingaugeforrainfall

Tippingbucketraingaugeforrainfall

Each teacher will receive at the end o the visit a

copy o the bookStormy weathercourtesy o the

BureauofMeteorologyandSydneyObservatory.

OBSERVING THE WEATHEREXHIBITION

Room 7 Observing the weather: measuring and

orecastingWhen the Observatory opened in 1858, its

astronomers began recording Sydneys rainall

andtemperature.Thisroomdisplaysthemany

instruments that have measured the weather over

the many years since that time.


Laserceilometeramoderninstrumentused

to measure the height o clouds.

NewmanandBrosmercurybarometeran

instrument used at the Observatory in the late

1800s to measure atmospheric pressure.

Room 8 Observing the weather: surviving the

extremes

An exhibition looking at 150 years o Sydneys

weather. Find out about the heatwave o 1939, the

foods o 1984 and the hailstorm o 1999.


Cloudmakerlearnaboutdifferenttypesof

clouds through an interactive touch screen. I

you spot white puy rolls on a humid morning,expect these altocumulus clouds to bring rain

in the aternoon

Room 9 Russell Room

HCRussellwasanimportantpioneerof

photographyandasignicantastronomerwho

lived and worked at the Observatory between

1870and1905.


Historicastronomical,weatherandfamilyphotographs

Stunningviewsofthecity,HarbourBridge,the

time ball tower and fagsta rom the balcony.

Theagstaffiesavarietyofmeteorological,

astronomical and ceremonial fags that change

on a daily basis. A fag decoder is available or

50centsorasadownloadablePDFlefrom

the Observatorys website.

The time ball tower

A wind vane on the tower shows the direction

rom where the wind is coming and the fagsta

signals which way it is going.

WEATHER TOURS


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DATA COLLECTION

In the ground o the Observatory students will

use instruments to measure temperature,

barometric pressure, wet and dry temperature to

calculate relative humidity, wind speed, the

ultra-violet index and rainall

3-D SPACE THEATRE

Ater exploring the displays inside the Observatory,

experiencetheamazing3-DSpaceTheatre.

BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY LAWN

Only 50 metres rom the Observatory this lawn

housesmanyinstrumentsuseddailybytheBOM

to produce comprehensive weather reports or

Sydney. Instruments include:

Pluviographsnolongerusedbutthey

measured the amount o rainall over a certain

time.

Traditional 203 mm (or 8 inch) rain gauges

usedasbackups.Rainfallsintoafunneland

collects in a graduated measuring cylinder.

Tipping Bucket Rain Gauge (TBRG)asrain,or

precipitation alls into the unnel it drips into oneo two very careully calibrated buckets balanced

onapivot(likeaseesaw).Thetopbucketisheld

inplacebyamagnetuntilithaslledtothe

calibrated amount (usually approximately 0.2 mm

ofrain).Whenthebuckethaslledtothis

amount, the weight o the bucket is enough to

break ree o the magnet, causing the bucket to

tip. When the bucket tips, it triggers an electronic

switch. A computer counts the number o tips and

calculates the rainall in millimetres.

The instrument shelter orStevenson screen

the shelter contains several thermometers.

Typically,minimumtemperaturesoccurjust

beore dawn and maximum temperatures

typically beore 3.00 pm.

Westpac barometerthoughnotpartofthe

Bureaulawnthegeneralregiondoesprovidea

good view o the nearby Westpac building which

incorporatesabarometer.Theeighthorizontal

lights indicate the barometric pressure rom 990

hPato1025hPain5hPaincrements.

TheWestpacbuildingbarometer.

TheBureauofMeteorologylawn.


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The3-DTheatrehastheabilitytoshowawide

variety o astronomical and space related

materials relevant to the NSW primary and

secondarycurricula.Thisincludes3-Dmoviesand a selection o interactive experiences

delivered by our trained astronomy educators.

Presentationsinthe3-DTheatrecanbetailored

to meet student needs and the topics being

studied i prior notice is given.

Pleasefeelfreetoconsultwithourstafffor

selection recommendations.

MARS - NEW 3D MOVIE

Throughincrediblydetailed

terrain models and high-

resolution stereo

photographs rom key NASA

missions, we join the search

forsignsoflifeontheRed

Planet.Marsistheclosest

thing to going there yoursel.

Duration: 9 minutes

EXTREME PLACES

From the indescribable

heatofVenussurface,to

the raging dust-storms o

Mars and the violence o Io,

experience what it takes

to survive in the extremes

climates o our Solar

System.

Duration: 13 minutes

BIGGER-THAN-BIG

What is big? Is the Sun big?

WhataboutBetelgeusewhich

is 1000 times larger than the

Sun? Discover just how big

theUniversereallyis.

Duration: 7 minutes

DETECTIVE

Its a race to solve a case rom

outer space! Join young

reporterPennyandprivateinvestigator Sam Charleston

to research the acts behind a

video o an alien attack.


THE LITTLE THINGS

Comets,asteroidsandKuiper

Beltobjects!Thisisthestory

oftheamazinglittlethingsin

the solar system and the

incredible space missions

that have visited them.


OUR SUN: WHAT A STAR!

Haveyouwonderedwhere

theSuncamefrom?Howit

creates energy? And what its

ultimate ate is? Learn all

about our nearest, and most

important, star.


ELYSIUM 7

Hoponboardthefuturistic

touristshipElysium7and

take a 3-D journey to Mars,

with surace eatures based

on data rom NASAs Mars

GlobalSurveyorspacecraft.

Duration: 9 minutes

AFTER STARS

A red supergiant star is

abouttoenditslifebut

when the star explodes will it

produce a black hole or a

pulsar? Join an alien

reporter, scientist and the

robotWLR-309tondout.


3-D SPACE THEATRE AND INTERACTIVES


12/17


EINSTEINS UNIVERSE

RealisingEinsteinsUniverse.Ajourneyintothe

universe Einstein envisaged almost 100 years

ago.Today,modernsupercomputersenable

scientists to visualise the most wondrous

astronomical objects, unlock their secrets and

allow everyone to comprehend the naturalbeautyofEinsteinsUniverse.

Duration: 9 minutes

During your visit our astronomy educators will

also use the 3-D interactives to demonstrate and

explain topics relevant to your needs including

the latest astronomical developments. For

primary level students, we can ocus on the solar

system, asteroids, space exploration,

constellationsorseasons,whilewithyears11/12

we can explore more advanced topics like theevolution o stars.

Earthbydayseenfromspace.Imagebasedonsatellitedata,createdbyRetoStcklifortheNASAGSFCEarthObservatory.

Examples o the types o topics covered by the

3-Dinteractives;

SolarSystem

Asteroids

ExplorationofMarsincludingPhoenix

EarthandMoon

SaturnandCassini

SunandSolarFlares

TransitofVenus

Scaleofthesolarsystem

Extra-solarPlanets

DwarfPlanets

Stars

LightandSpectra

SpaceProbes,Lofar,andHubble

Pulsars

Galaxies

MilkyWaymodel

Galaxyinteraction

Universe

LargescalestructuresoftheUniverse


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TELESCOPES

(fromtheGreek,tele ar and, skopein to look or

see;, teleskopos ar-seeing)

Therearemanydifferenttypesoftelescope.

SomeliketheHubbleandKeplerareinspace,

whileothersliketheParkesRadioTelescope

dont look at objects but rather listen to their

radio noise.

As ar as most people are concerned there are

twomaintypesofopticaltelescopes.Thosethat

use lenses to magniy are called reractors and

those that use mirrors to collect light are called

refectors.

Theinventoroftherefractorwasprobablythe

DutchopticianHansLippersheyalthoughothers

claimed to have made the same invention at the

time.

RefractorsliketheoneinSydneyObservatorys

south dome have at the ront o the tube a convex

glass lens that is thicker in the middle than at its

edge. As light rom distant objects passes through

the lens it bends or reracts more at the edge o

the lens than light passing through the centre. At

just the right distance rom the lens the light

comes to a ocus where the image is created.

Anotherlenscalledtheeyepiecemagniesthe

image.

Early reractors had problems as the images were

not always sharp or the right colour because

dierent colours bent dierently as they passed

throughthemainlens.Thedevelopmentofachromatic lenses made up o two pieces o glass

each with a dierent density solved the problem.

WhereasGalileostelescopeshadmagnications

o 8x up to 20x the Observatorys reractor works

at about 80x making objects look 80 times closer

or80timesbigger.However,allrefractorsdo

somethingunusualtotheview.Usethelightpath

above and try to work out what it is?

ReectingtelescopesliketheoneinSydney

Observatorys north dome work by bouncing light

offacombinationofcurvedandatmirrors.The

main mirror usually has a cross-section in the

shape o a parabola or sphere.

SirIsaacNewtoniscreditedwiththerstworking

refector in 1668. It was designed to overcome the

colour problems associated with early reractors.

As light enters the telescope tube it bounces o

the curved primary mirror. A smaller secondary

mirror angled at 45 degrees is placed in the light

path beore the ocus point and aims the light out

o the side o the tube. An eyepiece is then used

to magniy the image.

Forthesamesizeoftelescope,reectorsare

much cheaper to make and can be built too much

largerscales.Theytoosufferproblemsandbend

under there own weight when around 5m in

diameter. All modern large telescopes are a

modiedversionofNewtonsdesignandmany

use multiple small mirrors instead on one largeone.Themagnicationofthemirrortelescopein

theObservatorysnorthdomeisaround160x.The

HubbleSpaceTelescopeisavariationof

Newtons original design.

SIZE AND DISTANCES IN ASTRONOMY

ItisdifculttounderstandhowbigtheUniverse

is.Sizeisrelativesothatachipmayseemhuge

to an ant and an elephant at the Zoo may seem

hugetoachild.TheEarthsdiameteris12,700

km and it can take up to 20 hours to fy hal way

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

objective lens

eyepiece

flat secondary

mirror

concave primary mirror

eyepiece


14/17


around in a commercial aeroplane rom Australia

to London, or example. Imagine fying to the Sun

which is a staggering 150 million km away! It is

also 114 times wider than the Earth but that is

airly average compared with other stars.

ThenextcloseststartotheSunisabout40,000

billion km away. Space becomes so large that

distances measured in km become meaningless

rowsofzeros.Asaresultotherlargerunitsof

distanceareused.Thelightyearistheonemost

commonly used in popular books and is simply

the distance that light travels in one year in the

vacuumofspace.Toworkitoutinkmmultiply

the speed o light in a vacuum, which is 300,000

km every second multiplied by the number o

secondsinayear.Thisworksouttoberoughly

9500billionkmor1x1015m.Thecentreofthe

Milky Way galaxy is about 33,000 light years away

and the nearest observable galaxy, the Large

Magellanic Cloud, is about 160,000 light years

away.

Astronomers use a slightly larger unit called the

parsec or the even larger units, Mega parsec

(Mpc)andGigaparsec(Gpc).Withadenition

based on the geometry o the Earths orbit around

theSun,theparsecisequalto3.26lightyears

and so a Mega parsec is 3.26 million light years

whileaGigaparsec3.26billionlightyears.

TheobservableUniversehasaradiusofabout4.2

Gpc!Spaceisreallyreallybig!

ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION ANDTHE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TELESCOPES

ThevisiblelightthatGalileoobservedthrough

his telescope 400 years ago represents only a

raction o the actual spectrum o light that we

today know radiates across the universe. Moderntelescopes on Earth and in space allow us to

detect electromagnetic radiation beyond the kind

that we can identiy with the human eye.

Electromagnetic radiation or light is a orm o

energy which travels through space as waves o

electricandmagneticelds.Electromagnetic

spectrum (see the illustration below) is the range

ofallpossiblewavelengthsorfrequenciesof

electromagnetic radiation.

Objects such as planets, asteroids, comets and

stars emit light o dierent wavelengths or

frequencies.Visibleoropticallight(red,orange,

yellow, green, blue and violet) that human eyes

can see only represents a small part o the whole

electromagnetic spectrum. It is only relatively

recently in human history that scientists have

been able to explore and study wavelengths

beyond the visible light spectrum, through the

useoftelescopes.Theillustrationbelowhighlights the types o telescopes used in

astronomy today, both in space and on the

ground. All o these allow views o the sky that

Galileo,backin1609,couldneverhaveimagined.

Utilisingdifferenttypesoflighttoexaminethe

cosmos provides us with a more complete

understandingoftheUniverse.

Isaac Newtons telescope.


15/17


FollowusonFacebookorTwitter#sydneyobs

2012 Australian Sky

Guidethecelestial

equivalentofastreet

directory! Compact,

easy to use and

reliable, this popular

guide contains

everything you need to

know about the

southern night sky with

monthly star maps,

diagrams and details o

all the years exciting celestial events.

Wherever you are in Australia, easy calculations

allow you to determine

when the Sun, Moon and planets will rise

and set throughout the year. Available rom

large bookstores and online at

http://from.ph/8r

SolarSystemGuide,SydneyObservatorya

quickonlineoverviewofoursolarsystem

http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/

education/solar-system-guide/

SydneyObservatoryNewsandBlogndout

about the latest news and astronomy viewsrom the Sydney Observatory team


observations-blog/

MonthlySkyGuides,SydneyObservatory

learnaboutthestars,constellationsand

planets visible in the evening night sky rom

Sydney, with monthly star charts


category/astronomy/monthly-sky-guides/

SpaceWeatherthelatestinformationontheSuns weather.

www.spaceweather.com

TheAngloAustralianObservatory

Astronomical and astrophysical links and images

http://www.aao.gov.au/about/abouttheaao.html

AstronomyPictureoftheDay.Thegreatest

astronomical images rom around the world

with a simple explanation.

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/

NASAforEducators.NASAsEducation

Materials Finder will help teachers locate

resources that can be used in the classroom.

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/

index.html

TheNinePlanets.Informationaboutthe

planets and their moons.

http://nineplanets.org/

Exoplanets.Thecompletedatabaseforall

planets discovered beyond the Solar System

so ar.

http://exoplanets.org/

ScaleoftheUniverse.Nasa.Downloadable

pdfle.

http://www.cdscc.nasa.gov/Download/Scale_

Universe.pdf

ScaleoftheUniverseHarvard.

Downloadable activity.

http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/seuforum/mtu/

MTUrealms.pdf

Astronomy:ScienceWithoutLimits.AK12

resource book o ideas or teachers by the

AustralianScienceTeachersAssociation

http://www.asta.edu.au/national_science_

week_2010/2009_asta_national_science_wee_2

http://www.asta.edu.au/

WindowtotheUniverse.TheSquareKilometre

Array. Developed as part o the Questacon-

ScitechSKAEducationprojectforyears910

http://www.asta.edu.au/resources/windows_to_

the_universe

SpaceBasedAstronomyEducatorGuide,

NASA.Unitsofstudythatincludescience

demonstrations, lesson plans and student

sheets on Earths atmosphere, the

electromagnetic spectrum and telescopeshttp://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/

topnav/materials/listbytype/Space.Based.

Astronomy.html

ExploreSpaceandBeyond,ABC.News,quizzes,

games and images on space and astronomy

http://www.abc.net.au/science/

topics/?topic=space

Science&Nature:Space,BBC.General

inormation and news on space and astronomy

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/

ASTRONOMY RESOURCES
http://from.ph/8rhttp://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/education/solar-system-guide/http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/education/solar-system-guide/http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/observations-blog/http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/observations-blog/http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/category/astronomy/monthly-sky-guides/http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/category/astronomy/monthly-sky-guides/http://www.spaceweather.com/http://www.aao.gov.au/about/abouttheaao.htmlhttp://apod.nasa.gov/apod/http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.htmlhttp://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.htmlhttp://nineplanets.org/http://exoplanets.org/http://www.cdscc.nasa.gov/Download/Scale_Universe.pdfhttp://www.cdscc.nasa.gov/Download/Scale_Universe.pdfhttp://www.cfa.harvard.edu/seuforum/mtu/MTUrealms.pdfhttp://www.cfa.harvard.edu/seuforum/mtu/MTUrealms.pdfhttp://www.asta.edu.au/national_science_week_2010/2009_asta_national_science_wee_2http://www.asta.edu.au/national_science_week_2010/2009_asta_national_science_wee_2http://www.asta.edu.au/http://www.asta.edu.au/resources/windows_to_the_universehttp://www.asta.edu.au/resources/windows_to_the_universehttp://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Space.Based.Astronomy.htmlhttp://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Space.Based.Astronomy.htmlhttp://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Space.Based.Astronomy.htmlhttp://www.abc.net.au/science/topics/?topic=spacehttp://www.abc.net.au/science/topics/?topic=spacehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/http://www.abc.net.au/science/topics/?topic=spacehttp://www.abc.net.au/science/topics/?topic=spacehttp://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Space.Based.Astronomy.htmlhttp://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Space.Based.Astronomy.htmlhttp://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Space.Based.Astronomy.htmlhttp://www.asta.edu.au/resources/windows_to_the_universehttp://www.asta.edu.au/resources/windows_to_the_universehttp://www.asta.edu.au/http://www.asta.edu.au/national_science_week_2010/2009_asta_national_science_wee_2http://www.asta.edu.au/national_science_week_2010/2009_asta_national_science_wee_2http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/seuforum/mtu/MTUrealms.pdfhttp://www.cfa.harvard.edu/seuforum/mtu/MTUrealms.pdfhttp://www.cdscc.nasa.gov/Download/Scale_Universe.pdfhttp://www.cdscc.nasa.gov/Download/Scale_Universe.pdfhttp://exoplanets.org/http://nineplanets.org/http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.htmlhttp://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.htmlhttp://apod.nasa.gov/apod/http://www.aao.gov.au/about/abouttheaao.htmlhttp://www.spaceweather.com/http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/category/astronomy/monthly-sky-guides/http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/category/astronomy/monthly-sky-guides/http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/observations-blog/http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/observations-blog/http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/education/solar-system-guide/http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/education/solar-system-guide/http://from.ph/8r


16/17


FREE APPLICATIONS

Celestiaarealtime3-Dspacesimulatorthat

runsonPC,LinuxorMacOS.

http://www.shatters.net/celestia/

GoogleSky.Viewtheskyandexplorethe

universe online.

http://www.google.com/sky/about.html

WEATHER RESOURCES

TheBureauofMeteorologyhasprovidedthe

ollowing list o websites that may be o use prior

and ater the visit.

LatestWarnings.

www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/

SevereThunderstormwarnings.

www.bom.gov.au/catalogue/warnings/GSTW/

graphicalproductsnsw.shtml

AboutWarnings.

www.bom.gov.au/catalogue/warnings/

LatestWeatherChart.

www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/nmoc/latest_MSLP.

pl?IDCODE=IDY00050

CurrentSatelliteLoop.

http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDE00902.

loop.shtml

LatestSydneyObservations

http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDN60900.

shtml

RecentObservatoryHillObservations.

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/dwo/

IDCJDW2124.latest.shtml

Graphs.

www.bom.gov.au/watl/weather/observations/

nsw-latest-weather-graphs.shtml

RadarImages.

www.bom.gov.au/watl/rainfall/radar.shtml

AboutWebRadar.

http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/radar/about/

index.shtml

LatestRainfallMaps.

www.bom.gov.au/australia/ood

Forecasts

WeatherCharts.

www.bom.gov.au/products/IDG00073.shtml

NSWStateForecast:Providesanoverviewof

the coming weather:

www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.

pl?IDN10031.html

RainfallForecastMaps.

www.bom.gov.au/jsp/watl/rainfall/pme.jsp

WindForecastMaps.

www.bom.gov.au/jsp/watl/wind/index.jsp

Textforecasts.

www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/nsw-forecast-

map.shtml

Sydneyforecast.

http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDN10064.

shtml

SydneyUVIndex.

http://www.bom.gov.au/products/UV/Sydney_NSW.shtml

Historical Data

ClimateofObservatoryHill.

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/

tables/cw_066062.shtml

HistoricalMonthlyData.

www.bom.gov.au/climate/data

Learn About Meteorology

ReadingtheWeatherMap.

www.bom.gov.au/info/weathmap/weathmap.htm

ForecastingtheWeather.

www.bom.gov.au/info/ftweather/

SevereWeatherinNSW.

www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/sevwx/facts/

index.shtml

WeatherWords.

www.bom.gov.au/info/wwords/

AustralianClimateInuences.

www.bom.gov.au/watl/about-weather-and-

climate/australian-climate-inuences.html

SummariesofSignicantThunderstormsinNSW.

http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/sevwx/

signicant.shtml

StormyWeather.

http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/sevwx/

facts/stormy-weather.shtml

Please note: the websites listed were available and suitableat the time o publication. We advise teachers to check sites

beore recommending them to students.
http://www.shatters.net/celestia/http://www.google.com/sky/about.htmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/http://www.bom.gov.au/catalogue/warnings/GSTW/graphicalproductsnsw.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/catalogue/warnings/GSTW/graphicalproductsnsw.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/catalogue/warnings/http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/nmoc/latest_MSLP.pl?IDCODE=IDY00050http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/nmoc/latest_MSLP.pl?IDCODE=IDY00050http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDE00902.loop.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDE00902.loop.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDN60900.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDN60900.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/climate/dwo/IDCJDW2124.latest.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/climate/dwo/IDCJDW2124.latest.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/watl/weather/observations/nsw-latest-weather-graphs.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/watl/weather/observations/nsw-latest-weather-graphs.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/watl/rainfall/radar.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/weather/radar/about/index.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/weather/radar/about/index.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/australia/floodhttp://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDG00073.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDN10031.htmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDN10031.htmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/watl/rainfall/pme.jsphttp://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/watl/wind/index.jsphttp://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/nsw-forecast-map.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/nsw-forecast-map.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDN10064.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDN10064.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/products/UV/Sydney_NSW.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/products/UV/Sydney_NSW.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_066062.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_066062.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/climate/datahttp://www.bom.gov.au/info/weathmap/weathmap.htmhttp://www.bom.gov.au/info/ftweather/http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/sevwx/facts/index.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/sevwx/facts/index.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/info/wwords/http://www.bom.gov.au/watl/about-weather-and-climate/australian-climate-influences.htmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/watl/about-weather-and-climate/australian-climate-influences.htmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/sevwx/significant.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/sevwx/significant.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/sevwx/facts/stormy-weather.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/sevwx/facts/stormy-weather.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/sevwx/facts/stormy-weather.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/sevwx/facts/stormy-weather.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/sevwx/significant.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/sevwx/significant.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/watl/about-weather-and-climate/australian-climate-influences.htmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/watl/about-weather-and-climate/australian-climate-influences.htmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/info/wwords/http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/sevwx/facts/index.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/sevwx/facts/index.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/info/ftweather/http://www.bom.gov.au/info/weathmap/weathmap.htmhttp://www.bom.gov.au/climate/datahttp://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_066062.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_066062.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/products/UV/Sydney_NSW.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/products/UV/Sydney_NSW.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDN10064.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDN10064.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/nsw-forecast-map.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/nsw-forecast-map.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/watl/wind/index.jsphttp://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/watl/rainfall/pme.jsphttp://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDN10031.htmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDN10031.htmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDG00073.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/australia/floodhttp://www.bom.gov.au/weather/radar/about/index.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/weather/radar/about/index.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/watl/rainfall/radar.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/watl/weather/observations/nsw-latest-weather-graphs.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/watl/weather/observations/nsw-latest-weather-graphs.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/climate/dwo/IDCJDW2124.latest.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/climate/dwo/IDCJDW2124.latest.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDN60900.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDN60900.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDE00902.loop.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDE00902.loop.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDE00902.loop.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/nmoc/latest_MSLP.pl?IDCODE=IDY00050http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/nmoc/latest_MSLP.pl?IDCODE=IDY00050http://www.bom.gov.au/catalogue/warnings/http://www.bom.gov.au/catalogue/warnings/GSTW/graphicalproductsnsw.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/catalogue/warnings/GSTW/graphicalproductsnsw.shtmlhttp://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/http://www.google.com/sky/about.htmlhttp://www.shatters.net/celestia/


17/17

TheAustralianAboriginalpeoplehavebeen

observing the southern sky or tens o thousands

o years and the early colonists also recognised

the importance o studying the, to them, unamiliar

southern stars. A young lieutenant by the name oWilliam Dawes was given the task o setting up an

observatory when he travelled to Australia with

theFirstFleetin1788.Hesetuphisinstruments

in a wooden building at what is now called Dawes

Pointthatwasonlyafewhundredmetrestothe

north o the present day Sydney Observatory and

located where the southern pylon o the Sydney

HarbourBridgeistoday.

In1821,GovernorThomasBrisbaneestablished

AustraliasrstmajorobservatorynearGovernmentHouseinParramatta.Personally

paying the salaries o two astronomers and

installinghisownequipment,GovernorBrisbane

with the help o his sta observed the southern

skyandbegandocumentingunknownstars.The

observations were published in the Catalogue o

7385starsfromobservationsmadeatthe

observatoryatParramattain1835.Withlittle

2011TrusteesoftheMuseumofAppliedArtsandSciences.Revised

August2012.Thedesignandimagesinthispublicationarecopyright.Apart rom air dealing or the purposes o research, study, criticism or

review, or as otherwise permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be

reproduced by any process without written permission.

TextmaybeusedunderCreativeCommonsLicenceAttribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 3.0 Australia.

SydneyObservatory,partofthePowerhouseMuseum,isaNSWgovernmentcultural institution.

Imagesabove:insidethe3-Dspacetheatre;Sydney

Observatory,northdome;alunareclipse,photobyMelissa

Hulbert;SydneyObservatoryatnight.

BOOKING YOUR VISIT

Bookingsareessentialforalleducationgroups.

When you book, education sta are allocated to

assist your group on arrival. Discuss your needs

with our education sta on booking, to get the

most rom your visit.

Contact Details

Sydney Observatory

WatsonRoad,MillersPoint

Phone:(02)99213485Fax: (02) 9921 3489

Email: [email protected]

Web:www.sydneyobservatory.com

supportforitscontinuation,Parramatta

Observatorywasforcedtoclosein1847.However,

by 1855, the colonial government could not

ignore the need or a time ball to provide

accuratetimetoshipsintheHarbouraswellasor an observatory in Sydney.

Threeyearslaterconstructionofthenew

observatory with its time ball tower was

sufcientlyadvancedforobservationstobegin.

Work at the Observatory included determining

star positions, measuring precise longitudes and

latitudes, keeping time and making

meteorological (weather) observations.

More than 150 years later Sydney Observatory isa public observatory and is part o the

PowerhouseMuseum.Wespecialisein

astronomical, meteorological and archaeological

learning and enjoyment.

School programs operate throughout each term

day and night making it the busiest cultural

institution o its type in Australia.

Cancellation Policyschoolscancancelabookingupto

two weeks prior to the date o their tour. Cancellations made

less than two weeks prior to a visit are charged hal the ull

rate o the booked tour. You must cancel by ax.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE OBSERVATORY
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/au/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/au/http://www.sydneyobservatory.com/http://www.sydneyobservatory.com/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/au/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/au/

sydney observatory teachers notes 2012

Documents