SRAP visits ACT Astronomy Observatories

 in Activities / Astronomy / Australia / Canberra / Science / Science Communication / Science Diplomacy / Science Dissemination / Space  tagged 2023 / ACT / Astronomy / Canberra / Mt Stromlo Observatory / NASA / Science Communication / Science Diplomacy / Science dissemination / Space / SRAP / Tidbinbilla Deep Space Tracking Station by

On Saturday 24th June 2023 SRAP organised in collaboration with the Spanish Embassy in Canberra a visit to the two astronomical observatories in ACT (Australia Capital Territory): the NASA Deep Space Tracking Station in Tidbinbilla and Mt Stromlo Observatory. Almost 70 people, including many kids, enjoyed a full day of astronomy and space activities. The event was coordinated by our president, astrophysicist Dr Ángel López-Sánchez (Macquarie University).

Below you can find some photos of the event. A more detailed description will be added soon.

Visit to Tidbinbilla Deep Space Tracking Station

421 Discovery Drive, Paddy’s River District ACT 2620
(off Cotter & Paddy’s River Rds, Tidbinbilla)
We are extremely grateful to Glen Nagle (NASA Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex) for the passion and expertise that he showed.

Glen Nagle (NASA Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex) welcoming the participants.

Glen Nagle (NASA Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex) welcoming the participants.

Glen Nagle (NASA Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex) welcoming the participants.

Prof Luis Salvador-Carulla and Montserrat Momán Pampillo.

Glen Nagle (NASA Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex) showing the control centre to group 2.

Group 1 in front of the 70-m radiotelescope.

Group 1 in front of the facility building with flags of the 3 countries where the NASA Deep Space Tracking Stations are located.

Montserrat Momán Pampillo (Spanish Embassy in Australia) talking to the staff of the NASA Deep Space Tracking Station in Madrid.

Group 1 in the Control Room.

Group 2 in front of the 70-m radio telescope.

Group 2 in front of the facility building with flags of the 3 countries where the NASA Deep Space Tracking Stations are located.

Group 3 in front of 70-m radio telescope.

Group 3 in the control centre.

A piece of the moon donated by astronaut Buzz Aldrin. 

Visit to Mt Stromlo Observatory

Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics Mount Stromlo Observatory
Cotter Road Weston Creek, ACT 2611 Australia

 

Dr Ángel R. López-Sánchez (MQ & SRAP President) during his talk at Mt Stromlo.

Dr Ángel R. López-Sánchez (MQ & SRAP President) during his talk at Mt Stromlo.

Visiting the research and engineering facilities at Mt Stromlo Observatory.

Dr Paula Llull and the Supernova Lamp at Mt Stromlo Observatory. 

Stargazing at Mt Stromlo Observatory.

Stargazing at Mt Stromlo Observatory. The two bright stars in the sky are actually Venus (brightest) and Mars.

Angel.Lopez-Sanchez

About Angel.Lopez-Sanchez

A/Prof Ángel R. López-Sánchez is an astrophysicist and science communicator working at the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Macquarie University (MQ). He is a recognised expert in the study of how the gas is converted into stars in galaxies and how this affects galaxy evolution. He graduated in Theoretical Physics at the University of Granada (2000) and completed his PhD Thesis in Astrophysics at the prestigious “Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias” (IAC, Spain) and the University of La Laguna (Spain) in 2006. He moved to Australia in 2007, joining CSIRO “Astronomy and Space Science” to perform radio-interferometric observations of gas-rich galaxies at the Australian Telescope Compact Array. In 2011 he joined the Australian Astronomical Observatory and Macquarie University combining instrumentation support, research, lecturing, and outreach. He was appointed as a full-time research academic at the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at Macquarie University in May 2023. He is the president of the association of Spanish Researchers in Australia-Pacific (SRAP), the vice-president of the Astronomical Association of Córdoba (AAC, Spain), representative in the Andalusian Astronomy Network (RAdA), and member of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the Spanish Astronomy Society (SEA), and the Australian Astronomy Society (ASA). He is a globally-recognised science communicator, with visibility in Spanish and Australian printed, broadcast, and social media. He is also a passionate amateur astronomer that uses his own equipment for capturing the beauty of the Cosmos. His stunning astronomy time-lapse videos and photos have received +1/2 million views in YouTube and have been seen in TV channels in USA, Australia and Spain, science museums worldwide, and textbooks.