Barraba - National Science Week - Public Lecture by Dr Mark Wardle

A planetarium, a solar telescope, and a bunch of students and staff from Macquarie University are hitting the road in Northern NSW, bringing the excitement of astronomy to four small towns in four days this August.

Locals in Wee Waa, Werris Creek, Barraba and Dorrigo will have the opportunity to visit the planetarium where they can get an up-close look at planets, take a tour of the Solar System, and peer into the depths of the galaxy.

During the day, a solar telescope will let visitors look directly at the sun and observe its flares and features, and in the evening the portable telescopes will come out for night-sky viewing.

There will be a talk about Australian astronomy and the value of dark skies. Each town will also receive the gift of a telescope to keep, and training for the locals on how to use it.

The free event is part of National Science Week and is hosted by Macquarie’s Department of Physics and Astronomy.

People also have the opportunity to get involved in Macquarie’s citizen science project exploring light pollution, run in collaboration with the Warrumbungle National Park, Australia’s first ‘Dark Sky Park’. This will contribute to ongoing research into light pollution levels and impacts in urban and rural NSW.