Please return to reception Stories from Siding Spring Observatory

PHOTOGRAPHS BY STAFF OF THE AUSTRALIAN ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY

Siding Spring Observatory sits on a mountaintop in the Warrumbungle Range, 400 km northwest of Sydney and 25 km west of the town of Coonabarabran. Run by the Australian National University, it is Australia’s most important site for optical astronomy.

On 13 January 2013 a bushfire swept through the observatory. Despite damage to some buildings, the telescopes were unharmed and are now back at work.

The photos in this exhibition tell stories of life and work on the mountain. They were taken by staff of the Australian Astronomical Observatory (AAO), which operates two telescopes there: the 4-m Anglo- Australian Telescope (AAT) and the UK Schmidt telescope.

GROUND FLOOR Room 4 Comet Lovejoy Room 1 by Steven Lee, Sunset at Siding Spring Head Night Assistant by Maritza Lara-López, Comet Lovejoy, discovered ARC Super Science Fellow by Australian amateur A view of the Siding astronomer Terry Lovejoy, was one of the brightest Spring Observatory, looking west from the Anglo- comets of recent years. This photo was taken in Australian Telescope. The observatory is home to the morning twilight on Christmas Day 2011. 11 operating telescopes: not all of them can be seen in this photo. FIRST FLOOR Wide-angle view of the AAT by Ángel López-Sánchez, South Dome Astronomy Fellow The AAT at evening This wide-angle view of the by Sarah Brough, Anglo-Australian Telescope Research Astronomer shows the whole telescope structure, which is Sarah Brough took this photo hard to capture in a single shot. while visiting the Anglo- Australian Telescope in 2008 to observe for In the AAT control room WiggleZ, a project to investigate the properties of by Keith Shortridge, the mysterious ‘dark energy’. Software Engineer Astronomers and engineers North Dome in the control room of the UK Schmidt telescope Anglo-Australian Telescope during testing of a by Nuria Lorente, Software Engineer new instrument, called GNOSIS, in 2011. (Left to Nuria Lorente joined the AAO right) Simon Ellis, Jon Lawrence, Anthony Horton in 2012 after working overseas and Steve Chapman. for 20 years. This photo was her response to seeing the UK Schmidt telescope (far left) for the first time in two decades. Testing an instrument Room 7 by Keith Shortridge, Rainbows at sunrise from the AAT Software Engineer by Amanda Bauer, Instrument scientist Simon ARC Super Science Fellow Ellis works beside the “We’d just finished observing [all Anglo-Australian Telescope during testing of a night]. I walked out and saw this new instrument, called GNOSIS, in 2011. GNOSIS massive double rainbow. I was contained special optical fibres that filter out exhausted and ready to go to bed, unwanted light from Earth’s atmosphere, but when I saw this I ran right back up to the improving the view of the Universe beyond. catwalk.”

FIRST FLOOR Lightning to the west (VIA RECEPTION STAIRCASE) by Andy Green, Science Fellow Stairs landing (Room 12) “The storm had multiple layers, with lightning going in many AAT dome and directions.” Andy Green took this photo from the catwalk of the Anglo-Australian Telescope in 2012. by James Gilbert, Electronics Engineer Room 9 This image, covering almost 180º, is made from seven photos ‘stitched’ together. James Gilbert Kangaroos outside the door was at the observatory to supervise two students by Maritza Lara-López, in September 2012, when he captured this view ARC Super Science Fellow of the Anglo-Australian Telescope and the Maritza Lara-López took this Milky Way. photo from the Lodge — the astronomers’ accommodation block at Siding The sky over the AAT Spring Observatory. Kangaroos were always by Maritza Lara-López, ARC around, day and night. The Lodge was destroyed Super Science Fellow by the bushfire of 13 January 2013 To the left, the Milky Way looms over the dome of the Night and day Anglo-Australian Telescope; it is our own , by Ángel López-Sánchez, seen from within. The bright fuzzy patches, centre Astronomy Fellow and right, are the Large and Small Magellanic This image was created from Clouds, tiny that orbit ours. All three are photos taken for a time- prime targets for telescopes in the Southern lapse video of the Anglo-Australian Telescope in Hemisphere. October 2011. The frame on the left was taken during the morning twilight; the frame on the Star-trails above the AAT right, 15 hours earlier, during the day. by Ángel López-Sánchez, Astronomy Fellow SkyMapper and Milky Way This image was created from by James Gilbert, Electronics Engineer more than 1400 exposures, The ANU’s new SkyMapper taken during one night. Each exposure took 30 telescope stands on almost the seconds. As the Earth turns, the stars appear to highest point of Siding Spring rotate around the south celestial pole in the sky Observatory. Here, the centre of our above the Anglo-Australian Telescope. Milky Way galaxy rides in the sky behind it, bright with stars but veiled with dark dust. SkyMapper will record the whole southern sky — more than a billion stars. The fire approaches Astronomers at the AAT by Andy Green, Science Fellow by Amanda Bauer, Andy Green was at the ARC Super Science Fellow Anglo-Australian Telescope It’s hard to study our own to support four visiting galaxy from within. These astronomers, when the bushfire approached astronomers were at the Anglo-Australian Siding Spring Observatory on 13 January 2013. Telescope to search for other galaxies the same Soon after he took this photo, the observatory size and shape as the Milky Way — ones that can was evacuated. be studied from the outside. (Left to right) Mehmet Alpaslan, ICRAR, and Andrew Hopkins, AAO. Survivor by Alex King, Coonabarabran Rural Fire Service pilot by Yuri Kondrat, Alex King took this photo on Mechanical Engineer 13 January 2013. Two Siding Spring Observatory lies observatory buildings were lost to the fire but all 25 km from the small town of the telescopes were saved.“The NSW Rural Fire Coonabarabran. SSO staff live in and around the Service posted this image, and I started to cry.” town, and visiting staff and observers often stay – Amanda Bauer there also. Yuri Kondrat took this photo on a winter morning before going to the observatory. After the fire by Steven Lee, Night assistant ‘at rest’ Head Night Assistant by Amanda Bauer, “It was a dramatic change to a ARC Super Science Fellow familiar scene.” Steven Lee Night assistant Tim Connor took this photo of the Warrumbungle National takes a few minutes’ break. Park from the catwalk of the Anglo-Australian The night assistants at the AAT help visiting Telescope on 31 January 2013, two weeks after fire astronomers make their observations. had swept through the park and observatory. Ready for work Regrowth by Ángel López-Sánchez, by , Astronomer in Astronomy Fellow Charge, AAT This photo shows the Anglo- Seven weeks after the fire, Australian Telescope, with the new shoots are bursting out mirror cover open, ready to start of the trees on and around Siding Spring observing. The ‘top end’ of the Observatory. This photo was taken on 5 March telescope is carrying the 2dF (two-degree field) 2013. instrument, which has optical fibres that capture light reflected upwards by the main mirror. Room 11 Time-lapse videos On top of the dome by Ángel López-Sánchez by Andrew Hopkins, Head of AAT Science • The sky over the Anglo-Australian Telescope Andrew Hopkins has used the • A 6dF night at the UK Schmidt telescope Anglo-Australian Telescope since • A 2dF night at the Anglo-Australian Telescope the mid 1990s, but this was the • The sky over Siding Spring Observatory first time he had climbed to the Running time: 12 minutes top of the dome. Andrew took the photo during a group visit by AAO staff in December 2012. (Left to right) Simon Ellis, Doug Gray, Simon O’Toole, Tony Farrell, Andy Sheinis, Anthony Horton and Nuria Lorente. Please return to reception THE AUSTRALIAN ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY

The Australian Astronomical Observatory, a division of the Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education, operates the Anglo-Australian and UK Schmidt telescopes on behalf of the Australian astronomical community. The AAO exists to provide world-class optical and infrared observing facilities that enable Australian astronomers to do excellent science. It is a world leader in astronomical research and in the development of innovative telescope instrumentation, and also plays an active role in the formulation of long-term plans for Australian astronomy.

The telescopes of the AAO are located in the Warrumbungle mountains near Coonabarabran in northern New South Wales. Harley Wood, NSW Government Astronomer at Sydney Observatory from 1943 to 1974, suggested this location, among others, during site-selection visits he made throughout the state. The site is now recognised as one of the darkest astronomical observing sites in the world.

This exhibition was developed by the Australian Astronomical Observatory, with support from Sydney Observatory and the Powerhouse Museum.

TOILETS (outside)

5 EMERGENCY WHEELCHAIR/GROUP EXIT ENTRY Lecture room

GROUND FLOOR

4

EMERGENCY EXIT ENTRY/EXIT

3 Planetarium 1 (occasional sessions) 2

EMERGENCY EXIT

North Dome Balcony 10 Videos 11

FIRST FLOOR 6 Russell room 12 9

Stairs landing

South Dome 7 8

Sydney Observatory, part of the Powerhouse Museum, is a NSW government cultural institution. Brochure design © Trustees of the Powerhouse Museum. Text and images © Australian Astronomical Observatory