The Heights Observatory is one of the best – but little known – stargazing venues in Adelaide. It is the best equipped school observatory in South Australia, located just 20 minutes from the Adelaide CBD.
Our visit will highlight the work done at the observatory; provide a tour of the facility; and offer the opportunity to look through the telescopes at a number of objects in the night sky.
Australian Science Communicators members, families and friends; the general public; teachers and students are welcome to join us. Numbers are limited so bookings are essential.
When: Saturday April 20 at 7:00 pm
Bookings at: www.heightsvisit.eventbrite.com.au
Where: The Heights School, Brunel Drive, Modbury Heights, SA, 5092. (The car park is situated off Augusta Street. Walk across the school playing fields to the observatory buildings – please do not drive on the grass.)
Cost: $5 for ASC members. $10 for non-members
Money raised will go to the STAR group – a volunteer organisation comprised of school students, parents and interested members of the community that operates and maintains the facility.
Technical Notes: The Heights Observatory is a purpose built facility consisting of two buildings. The Papaelia Observatory is a traditional domed observatory housing a 355mm (14″) Meade LX200 GPS ACF Schmidt Cassegrain telescope while the adjacent Ingham rooms are a flat top retractable roof observatory housing a high quality 315mm (12.5″) Ritchey–Chrétien Cassegrain telescope from Optical Guidance System and a. small classroom. The Observatory also has a 405mm (16″) Meade Light-Bridge Dobsonian, a 255mm (10″) GSO Dobsonian, and 80mm Celestron NextSTAR GT GOTO scope. It has a QHY8 cooled CCD camera and Canon 40D DSLR camera for astronomical imaging.