PERTH OBSERVATORY

Perth Observatory is the oldest observatory in Western Australia! It is located 35 km east of Perth, in the commune of Bickley. The observatory has existed for over 120 years and remains actively involved in the field of education, and in the development and extension of astronomy with the general public. It has been registered since 2005 in the Australian State Heritage Register. Since July 1, 2015, the Perth Observatory Volunteer Group has managed the observatory on behalf of the Government of Western Australia. Among the research and work carried out within it, report the study of the ring system of Uranus, the publication of numerous astronomical catalogs, a partnership with the Lowell Observatory (Flagstaff - Arizona) concerning the observation of planets, research programs on supernovents, the minor planets, the planets located outside our Solar System, etc. This observatory is now dedicated to scientific extension… Evenings are therefore routinely programmed, a perfect solution for the astronomer traveler who has not taken material with him and wants to bow to the most beautiful objects of the Southern Sky. During this period, a wide range of telescopes is made available to the public, while animators offer an initiation to the discovery of the southern sky to the naked eye. The following observations make it possible to detail the great austral, nebulous, galaxies, stellar clusters, and of course planets, which often appear very high in the sky beneath these favorable latitudes. A visit to a museum is also the program (which includes some old instruments of quality), as well as an exhibition on meteorites, astrophotographies, works of art, etc. We can also admire - the connoisseurs will appreciate - the first stellar atlas printed in 1729 by John Flamsteed (1649-1649-1719), famous British astronomer and member of the Royal Society. Three observation programs are proposed: the "nights without moon" focus mainly on weak objects such as globular clusters and nebulae, "moon light nights" are oriented towards the discovery of our satellite and craters, and finally the "nights of full moon" - that we do not advise! - are intended for the discovery of the planets (if there are the night of your arrival!) and some objects of the deep, but necessarily disappointing sky since observed at the moment the lunar light illuminates considerably the bottom of heaven.