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
Crux for April-May 2018 Online
The April-May Crux is now available in PDF for downloading.
The Australian Night Sky - May 2018
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_May_2018.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.
Sun 27 May
Historical Section meeting
1.00pm - 4.00pm
Location: ASV Lodge
For further information, contact Section Director: Rod Brown
Sun 27 May
Solar Section meeting
2.00pm - 4.00pm
Location: Birdwood Avenue, Birdwood Ave, Melbourne VIC 3004, Australia
Topic: The Search for the Sun's SiblingsLocation: GMT House
For more information contact: Russ Cockman, Section Director
Sun 27 May
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 30 May
Council
7.45pm - 10.15pm
ASV Council meeting
Location: ASV Lodge
Fri 1 June
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.
Sun 3 June
Astrophotography Section meeting
2.30pm - 4.30pm
Topic: The 2017 North American Total Solar Eclipse Expedition.
Presented by: Phil Hart
Location: ASV Lodge
For more information, contact Section Director: Paul Litchen
Mon 4 June
Computing Section
8.00pm - 10.00pm
For further information contact Section Director: Craig Boyd
Location: ASV Lodge
Wed 6 June
Cosmology and Astro-Physics Section Meeting
8.00pm - 10.30pm
Discuss current news in Cosmology and Astro-Physics
Topic: “Multi-wavelength Astronomy”
Location: ASV Lodge
“All Welcome – Bring an Open Mind”
Contact: Ross Berner
Mobile: 0403 167 004
Email: cosmology@asv.net.au
Fri 8 June
Junior Section
7.30pm - 9.30pm
Location: ASV Lodge
For further information contact Section Director: Chris Rudge
Wed 13 June
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
Wed 13 June
ASV Monthly meeting
8.00pm - 10.00pm
Location: Mueller Auditorium, National Herbarium, Birdwood Ave., Melbourne
Topic: The Dish: The True Story
Speaker: Dr Alan Wright, Director, Parkes Observatory
Everybody is welcome and the night will end with a delicious supper and it is FREE
Looking forward to seeing you there.
"The Dish: the True Story"
Alan Wright, the former Chief Astronomer and Head of Operations at the Parkes Radio Observatory, shares the fascinating story of Australia's most famous astronomical facility, including the absorbing history of its construction, the critical part it played in NASA’s Apollo Moon landings, the curious story of what was fact and what was fiction in the hit movie, “The Dish”, and touches on the telescope’s exceptional number of scientific discoveries during well over 50 years of outstanding astronomical research.
Fri 15 June
Library
7.00pm - 7.50pm
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
Fri 15 June
Members' Night
8.00pm - 11.00pm
Location: ASV Library, Observatory Gate, Birdwood Ave., Melbourne
Contact: Rod Brown
Fri 15 June
Lunar and Planetary Section meeting
8.00pm - 10.30pm
Location: ASV Lodge
For more information, contact Section Director: Andrea King
More events: Calendar