SSO News

Published in the RSAA Lunations
Vol1 Issue14 1–31 March 2021

A fresh coat of aluminium

In addition to the mirrors of the AAT and the 2.3m-metre telescope, SSO staff aluminise the mirrors for other telescopes on the mountain. In the photo below, we see SSO staff in front of the freshly aluminised mirror of the 2-metre Faulkes Telescope. As big as their smiles are, the smiles of the astronomers are larger.

 

Re-opening of the Exploratory 

The Exploratory at SSO is an important tourist drawcard for the region. It receives tens of thousands of visitors every year and is free to visit. Recently, the Exploratory was upgraded with new back boards, a fresh coat of paint, new lighting, and new displays. SSO staff helped with the upgrade, which was largely funded by Facilities & Services Division. The Exploratory re-opened during the first week of March after a couple of months of being closed. We look forward to welcoming thousands more visitors over the coming year.

Chris Lidman and Mike Sharrott on behalf of the team at SSO

_{From left to right, Randal Darko, Glen Murphy, Zoe Holcombe, Shane Paul, and Ian Adams smiling in front of the freshly coated Faulkes mirror. With a diameter of 2m, it is about half the diameter of the AAT mirror.}