Around the World in 80 Telescopes
1 April 2009
The University of Sydney's Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope is one of the telescopes featured in the Around the World in 80 Telescopes event, as part of the 100 Hours of Astronomy.
Around the World in 80 Telescopes is a live 24-hour webcast, following night and day around the globe to some of the most advanced observatories both on and off the planet, starting on Friday 3 April 2009 with the Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii, USA.
The Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope, which is run by the University of Sydney's School of Physics, will be featured for 20 minutes on the webcast on Saturday 4 April at 4.40am Universal Time, which is 3.40pm on Saturday in Sydney.
Professor Bryan Gaensler, ARC Federation Fellow in the School of Physics, will take part in a live online forum answering astronomical questions submitted by members of the public.
Located near Canberra, construction of the original Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope began in 1960. Currently, the telescope is being used to trial technology for the international project to develop the next generation of radio telescope - the Square Kilometre Array.
Professor Dick Hunstead, Director of the Sydney Institute for Astronomy in the School of Physics, said, "This is a great opportunity for the general public to get a glimpse of astronomy through telescopes that are normally only available to professional astronomers. It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we're making the MOST of it!"
Around the World in 80 Telescopes will allow viewers to find out what's happening at research observatories in Australia and around the world. Discover what astronomers are doing right now! Who is observing? What are they researching? What do they hope to discover?
The four other Australian observatories featured in the webcast are: the Anglo-Australian Telescope, the CSIRO Australia Telescope National Facility at Parkes, the University of Tasmania Hobart 26m Radiotelescope at Mount Peasant, and the Australian International Gravitational Wave Observatory Research Facility.
The event will reveal a snapshot of life at many different observatories where astronomers will present exclusive images and talk about their work. Some will be observing distant galaxies, searching for extrasolar planets around other stars or studying our own solar system. Some will be studying the universe in visible light, others in radio waves or other wavelengths. Some may be working at solar observatories or with telescopes out in space. All of them will have a different story to tell.
Check out Around the World in 80 Telescopes at: http://100hoursofastronomy.org/webcast
Learn more about the University of Sydney's Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope at: www.physics.usyd.edu.au/sifa/Main/MOST
Contact: Katynna Gill
Phone: 02 9351 6997