Published on the 14th May 2015 by ANSTO Staff
In part two of our celebration of Volunteer Week, we look at the work being done by ANSTO Minerals employee Maree Emett at the Green Point Observatory in NSW.
The observatory is the headquarters of the Sutherland Astronomical Society and accommodates a historical 41cm Newtonian telescope in a dome observatory and a 35cm Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope in a roll off roof observatory.
The observatory is used by members of the society for observing stars and eclipses as well as for research and astro imaging. They hold regular open nights and public education courses. Maree Emett began volunteering at the Observatory in 2006.
How did you get involved with the observatory?
In 2006 I completed a practical astronomy course at the Green Point Observatory, Oyster Bay, which led to me becoming a member of the Sutherland Astronomical Society and purchasing my own 250cm-wide telescope.
What does your volunteer role involve?
I drive the societie's large dome telescope for visitors during group star nights with scouts and other groups. I also coordinate our volunteers for public open nights in August.
It is a busy time with nearly 1000 people visiting over two nights. They get to enjoy lectures, a bbq and interactive displays. Members are on hand to share star gazing with visitors using a variety of their own telescopes in the surrounding park.
What do you enjoy about the role?
I really enjoy answering children’s questions that really make you think ‘is your telescope big enough to show the points on the stars?’ and ‘who discovered the moon?’ The most common visitors first word on seeing Saturn with their own eyes is “wow”.
It is tremendous to see visitors making their own observations of historical findings such as the phases on Venus which supported the radical idea of the earth going around the sun. Kids sometimes say it looks just like their fingernail.
I like to point out to visitors that all elements on earth came from stars and supernova - except for Technetium. That comes from ANSTO.
How can we come and see you in action?
SASI will have a display at the Macquarie University Astronomy Open night on 23 May https://physics.mq.edu.au/community-schools/afa/opennight/
Our own next open nights are on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 August 2015. We are having guests from Spacecamp join us. They enable Australians to experience astronaut training in America.
Learn more about the Green Point Observatory.