Stardome Observatory facts for kids
The Stardome Observatory (also known as Auckland Observatory) is a cool place where you can learn about space! It's an astronomical observatory located in Auckland, New Zealand, in a beautiful park called Maungakiekie/One Tree Hill Domain.
This observatory was started in 1967. It's managed by a group called the Auckland Observatory and Planetarium Trust Board. This board was actually created by the Auckland Astronomical Society in 1956. The Stardome Observatory is also the home base for this astronomy society.
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What Does Stardome Do?
Stardome Observatory has three main jobs:
- Public fun: They teach everyone about space.
- Education: They teach students of all ages.
- Research: They help scientists discover new things about the universe.
Space Discoveries and Research
Stardome Observatory helps scientists learn more about space. They use special telescopes and cameras to study stars, planets, and other objects far away.
Early Discoveries
In 1969, when it was called Auckland Observatory, they built a special camera called a photometer. This camera helped them study how bright stars were. They made an important discovery in 1974 about "super-humps" in certain types of binary stars. These are stars that are very close together and change brightness.
In 1988, the observatory helped discover that Pluto has an atmosphere! They did this by watching Pluto pass in front of a star and measuring how the star's light changed.
Modern Research Tools
For many years, the main telescope (the Zeiss telescope) was used by university students for their studies. In 1998, they started using a CCD camera, which is like a super sensitive digital camera for space.
In 1999, a new telescope, the Celestron C-14, was added to a second dome at Stardome. This telescope is used only for research. It has special equipment like a powerful mount and a high-tech CCD camera to take detailed pictures of space. Over the years, this equipment has been updated to be even better!
Finding New Planets
Stardome Observatory is part of a group called microFUN. This group tries to find planets outside our solar system using a method called gravitational microlensing. This is when a planet's gravity bends the light from a distant star, making the star appear brighter for a short time.
In 2005, Stardome helped discover a planet similar in size to Jupiter using this method! It was only the second planet ever found this way.
Watching Changing Stars and Asteroids
Stardome also works with the Center for Backyard Astrophysics (CBA). They watch special binary stars that change brightness a lot. This helps scientists understand these amazing objects.
They also regularly watch comets and near-Earth objects (NEOs) for the Minor Planet Center. NEOs are asteroids or comets that come close to Earth. In 2004, Stardome observed an NEO called 2004 FH. It came very close to Earth, and Stardome's observations showed it was spinning incredibly fast – one of the fastest ever seen!
All the research done at Stardome Observatory is done by volunteers who love astronomy!
Learning and Fun for Everyone
The Stardome has a large building with two telescope domes and a planetarium. It's a great place for the public to visit and learn. About 55,000 people visit Stardome every year!
School Programs
Stardome has a team of educators who teach astronomy and space topics to about 45,000 school students each year. They have programs for all ages, from young children to high school students. These programs are designed to fit what students are learning in school.
Besides school groups, they also have special sessions for younger kids, university students, and even military personnel who learn about celestial navigation (using stars to find your way). When you visit, you might see a planetarium show, learn about the night sky, explore exhibits, or even watch a rocket launch demonstration!
Cool Facilities at Stardome
The Stardome has some amazing equipment to help people explore space.
The Planetarium
The planetarium was added in 1997. It's a big dome where 88 people can sit and watch amazing shows about space. It used to have a special projector that showed stars and planets.
In 2008, they upgraded to a computerised projection system called Digistar. This system uses powerful projectors to create incredible, immersive shows. It's been updated several times since then, and now uses laser projectors for even brighter and clearer images!
The Edith Winstone Blackwell Telescope
The main telescope at Stardome is called the Edith Winstone Blackwell Telescope (EWB). It's a powerful 0.5-meter Cassegrain reflector telescope, made by a famous company called Carl Zeiss. It was installed in 1966 and has been used a lot for both public viewing and scientific research.
This amazing telescope was bought with money given by a kind person named Edith Winstone Blackwell. In 2003, it was fully cleaned and repaired. More recently, from 2018 to 2020, it was upgraded to be fully controlled by computers, making it even easier to point at objects in space. Public shows with this telescope started again in 2021!
