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
International Observe the Moon Night
This is an international annual event that is dedicated to encouraging people to 'look up' and observe our nearest neighbour. So come along, and have a look at the Moon through our volunteers telescopes and through the historic telescopes located at Melbourne Observatory.
Date: 28th October 2017
Time: 7:30pm - 10:30pm
Cost: Gold Coin
Venue: Melbourne Observatory, Birdwood Ave., Melbourne
Crux for October-November Online
The October-November Crux is now available in PDF for downloading.
The Australian Night Sky - October 2017
The Australian Night Sky, written by Wayne Roberts is now available at http://asv.org.au/night-sky.
A downloadable PDF version is at http://asv.org.au/nightsky/ANS_Oct_2017.pdf.
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.
Tue 17 October
The Diurnals
3.20pm - 5.00pm
Location: Melbourne Planetarium, 2 Booker St, Spotswood VIC 3015, Australia
Speaker: Dr Tanya Hill, Melbourne Planetarium
Topic: Stories in the Stars - the Night Sky of the Boorong People.
Time: 15:20 for at 15:30 start
Cost is free but bookings are required. More details to be in October CRUX.
Location: Note change of location and time
For further information contact Section Director: Patricia Larkin
Fri 20 October - Mon 23 October
VicSouth Desert Spring Star Party
4.00pm Fri 20-Oct - 5.00pm Mon 23-Oct
Location: Little Desert Nature Lodge, 1457 Nhill-Harrow Rd, Little Desert VIC 3418, Australia
The VicSouth Desert Spring Star Party is an annual weekend of astronomy, held at the Little Desert Nature Lodge about 16km south of the town of Nhill in western Victoria (Australia).
Bookings required.
See CRUX flyer for more details or visit: http://www.vicsouth.info/vicsouth.htm
Fri 20 October
Lunar and Planetary Section meeting
8.00pm - 10.30pm
Location: ASV Lodge
For more information, contact Section Director: Andrea King
Sat 21 October
Instrument Making Section
2.00pm - 5.00pm
Location: ASV Lodge
For further information contact Section Director: Mark Justice
Sat 21 October - Sun 22 October
Dark Sky Night
6.00pm Sat 21-Oct - 8.00am Sun 22-Oct
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
Sat 21 October - Sun 22 October
Deep Sky Section meeting
6.00pm Sat 21-Oct - 8.00am Sun 22-Oct
Location: LMDSS
For further information, contact Section Director: Paul Gardiner
Wed 25 October
Council
7.45pm - 10.15pm
ASV Council meeting
Location: ASV Lodge
Fri 27 October
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 28 October
International Observe the Moon Night
7.30pm - 10.30pm
Location: Melbourne Observatory, Melbourne VIC 3004, Australia
International Observe the Moon Night
28 October 2017
observethemoonnight.org
#observethemoon
Sun 29 October
Historical Section meeting
1.00pm - 4.00pm
Location: ASV Lodge
For further information, contact Section Director: Rod Brown
Sun 29 October
Solar Section meeting
2.00pm - 4.00pm
Topic: The Great Solar Storm of September 2017" when solar scientists were surprised by a burst of unusually high solar activity and widespread geomagnetic activity.
Member's contributions are welcomed and solar viewing through the ASV's new 102mm Ha Solar Telescope (weather permitting).
Location: GMT House, Birdwood Ave., Melbourne
For more information, contact Section Director: Dr Russell Cockman, e: solar@asv.org.au
Sun 29 October
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
Wed 1 November
Cosmology and Astro-Physics Section Meeting
8.00pm - 10.30pm
Discuss current news in Cosmology and Astro-Physics
Topic: “Quantum Multiverse”
Location: ASV Lodge
“All Welcome – Bring an Open Mind”
Contact: Ross Berner
Mobile: 0403 167 004
Email: cosmology@asv.net.au
Fri 3 November
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.
More events: Calendar