Welcome to the Astronomical Society of Victoria
The Society is based in Melbourne, Australia and includes city and country members, as well some in other states and overseas. It attracts people with a wide range of astronomical interests, ages, abilities and experience. Originally founded in 1922, it is the largest such organisation in the southern hemisphere.
Membership is open to all with an interest in astronomy.
Astronomy for the people
Astronomy for the People is an ASV service providing telescopes for schools and public demonstrations. Image by David RolfeMore Info
Membership
Anyone with an interest in astronomy can join the Society. Membership gives you access to the loan telescope program, ASV meetings and our pristine dark sky property.Join now
Image Gallery
View astronomical images taken by members of the ASV - everything from the moon and planets to nebula and far away galaxies.View images
Astrophotography
Our Astrophotography section meets regularly at ASV lodge and has monthly field trips to our dark sky site. The section is very active and new members are always welcome. Read more
The Great Melbourne Telescope Restoration on Ch 9 News
Many people are not aware that Melbourne Observatory was the home of the largest steerable telescope in the world during the second half of the 1800s. There is magnificent volunteer effort from ASV members to restore the Great Melbourne Telescope and have it reinstalled in its original roll-off roof observatory not far from The Shrine. Channel 9 News presented a report on it recently and if you missed it on air, here's a link to it: https://twitter.com/9NewsMelb/status/1058993849224163328
Crux Magazine for February-March Online
The February-March edition of Crux is now available in PDF for downloading by Members. You should also have your hard copy in the mail shortly.
ASV 2019 Yearbook Online
The ASV 2019 Yearbook is now available in PDF for downloading by Members.
ASV Items For Sale
A section in the ASV Forum has been created for members wanting to buy or sell Astronomical Items.
Please log in to the Members Only section and visit the Forum or click on the 'Chat' icon.
The Great Melbourne Telescope Restoration Project
Here's a link to a story by Liz Clarkson with a number of images of ASV members hard at work in restoring the Great Melbourne Telescope. It gives a little bit of history and outlines the aims and current status of the project to bring this telescope back to Melbourne Observatory, in a working condition for members of the public to look through. It was once the largest steerable telescope in the world back in the late 1880s.
Events 
The ASV runs a large number of events to cater for a broad range of astronomy related interests. Check the website on a regular basis for the latest updates. The next 14 events are listed below - view the calendar page for a full listing of planned events.
Wed 27 March
Council
7.45pm - 10.15pm
ASV Council meeting
Location: ASV Lodge
Fri 29 March
Club Section meeting
8.00pm - 11.00pm
Club Section meetings are informal and take place on the first and last Friday of the month (public holidays excepted) between 8:00 – 11:00pm at the ASV Lodge.
Come along for a chat, all members welcome.
Sat 30 March - Sun 31 March
Dark Sky Night
6.00pm Sat 30-Mar - 8.00am Sun 31-Mar
Location: LMDSS
Please note that Dark Sky Nights are not an organized event and the criteria for these nights are as follows:-
- is a Saturday night
- has at least two hours dark sky, (that is after Sunset and when twilight ends, and also prior to Sunrise and before twilight starts)
- dark sky is calculated from the times of Astronomical Twilight
- dark sky must start before midnight (or before 0100 Sunday during Australian Eastern Daylight Time
Remember to obtain the gate/clubhouse codes from the ASV webpage
Sun 31 March
Historical Section meeting
1.00pm - 4.00pm
Location: ASV Lodge
For further information, contact Section Director: Rod Brown
Sun 31 March
ASV Library (Members Only)
2.00pm - 4.00pm
Location: Birdwood Ave., Melbourne
The Library is open at the following times:
+ Monthly Meeting - before 6.00 to 7.45pm and after from approx. 10:00 to 10:45pm
+ Members' Night - from 7pm to 7:50pm
+ Last Sunday of month - 2pm to 4pm
The Library is now in the old Government Astronomers’ Office which is in the north west corner of the main building at Melbourne Observatory.
There are currently a large number of books and magazines, surplus to the Library’s needs, for sale. The sale is on-going whenever the Library is open.
For further information contact Barry Cleland, 0418 356 832
Mon 1 April
Computing Section
8.00pm - 10.00pm
For further information contact Section Director: Craig Boyd
Location: ASV Lodge
Wed 3 April
Cosmology and Astro-Physics Section Meeting
8.00pm - 10.30pm
Discuss current news in Cosmology and Astro-Physics
Topic: “Is Dark Matter made of Black Holes?”
Location: ASV Lodge
“All Welcome – Bring an Open Mind”
Contact: Ross Berner
Mobile: 0403 167 004
Email: cosmology@asv.net.au
Fri 5 April
Club Section
8.00pm - 11.00pm
Club Section meetings are informal and take place on the first and last Friday of the month (public holidays excepted) between 8:00 – 11:00pm at the ASV Lodge.
Come along for a chat, all members welcome.
Sat 6 April - Sun 7 April
Deep Sky Section
6.00pm Sat 6-Apr - 8.00am Sun 7-Apr
Location: LMDSS
Bring a plate to share at supper.
For further information, contact Section Director: Paul Gardiner
Wed 10 April
Library (Members Only)
6.30pm - 7.45pm
Location: Birdwood Ave, Melbourne
The Library is open at the following times:
+ Monthly Meeting - before 6.30 to 7.45pm and after from approx. 10:00 to 10:45pm
+ Members' Night - from 7pm to 7:50pm
+ Last Sunday of month - 2pm to 4pm
The Library is now in the old Government Astronomers’ Office which is in the north west corner of the main building at Melbourne Observatory.
There are currently a large number of books and magazines, surplus to the Library’s needs, for sale. The sale is on-going whenever the Library is open.
For further information contact Barry Cleland, 0418 356 832
Wed 10 April
ASV Monthly meeting
8.00pm - 10.00pm
Location: Mueller Auditorium, National Herbarium, Birdwood Ave., Melbourne
Topic: To be advised
Speaker: Prof. Jeremy Mould, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing at Swinburne University of Technology.
Everybody is welcome and the night will end with a delicious supper and it is FREE
Looking forward to seeing you there.
Fri 12 April
Library (Members Only)
6.30pm - 7.45pm
Location: Birdwood Ave, Melbourne
The Library is open at the following times:
+ Monthly Meeting - before 6.30 to 7.45pm and after from approx. 10:00 to 10:45pm
+ Members' Night - from 7pm to 7:50pm
+ Last Sunday of month - 2pm to 4pm
The Library is now in the old Government Astronomers’ Office which is in the north west corner of the main building at Melbourne Observatory.
There are currently a large number of books and magazines, surplus to the Library’s needs, for sale. The sale is on-going whenever the Library is open.
For further information contact Barry Cleland, 0418 356 832
Fri 12 April
Junior Section
7.30pm - 9.30pm
Location: ASV Lodge
Meeting times:-
7:00pm - 9:00pm (EST)
7:30pm - 9:30pm (DST)
For further information contact Section Director: Chris Rudge
Fri 12 April
Members' Night
8.00pm - 11.00pm
Location: ASV Library, Observatory Gate, Birdwood Ave., Melbourne
Contact: Rod Brown
More events: Calendar