Observatory with telescopes for galaxy research built in Parramatta
An observatory with research telescopes capable of observing distant galaxies has been built on the roof of the new Powerhouse Parramatta museum in western Sydney. Powerhouse Parramatta cost $915 million. The museum is scheduled to officially open on November 7 with five exhibitions, ABC News Australia reports.
Telescopes for research
The observatory has two narrow-field telescopes for observing smaller and more distant objects and two wide-field telescopes for a broader view of the sky. The instruments are equipped with sensors that collect data rather than being intended for observation by the human eye.
Astrophysics graduate student Nada Salama, who was among the first to use the new observatory, said the telescopes make it possible to study star clusters and large nebulae where stars are formed. They can collect light of different colors using filters and accumulate data during long exposures.
Data collected by the telescopes will be available to researchers from different countries without their physical presence in Parramatta. The retractable roof above the instruments opens and closes remotely and also closes automatically in rain or other adverse weather.
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Programs for school students
The museum will operate the Lang Walker Family Academy, which will host up to 10,000 students from New South Wales each year for overnight programs. Students in grades 7–10 will be able to take part.
According to academy head Sophie Poisel, students will be able to choose objects in the sky, point the telescopes at them, collect real scientific data, and analyze it in the museum’s learning studios. The building also includes residences where school students will be able to interact in person with astronomers, astronauts, researchers, and artists.
Connection to the city’s history
The new observatory is located about 500 meters from the site of Australia’s first private observatory. It was built by Governor Thomas Brisbane in 1821–1822 and became known for its extensive cataloguing of stars in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Powerhouse Parramatta building was designed by Franco-Japanese architect Moreau Kusunoki. Its distinctive exoskeleton surrounding the building was made from 18,000 tonnes of steel.
