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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.

 

Fourth Venue Now Confirmed for Rare MARS Viewing!

We can now confirm a fourth in a series of venues around Melbourne, where the public can come and view the close passage of Mars through large portable telescopes. It will not be as close again until 2033!

First venue will be Braeside Park, entry via Lower Dandenong Road, in Melbourne's south, at Braeside, Friday 27th July, from 8pm.

The second will be Williamstown at the Point Gellibrand Coastal Heritage Park, at the historic Timeball Tower, on Thursday 2nd August, from 8pm.

The third venue is going to be in the Burwood/Surrey Hills area at Wattle Park, near the Chalet on Saturday 4th August from 8pm.

The fourth venue will be Westerfolds Park in Templestowe for people living in Melbourne's north east , Tue 31st July at 8pm.

One other venue and the date will be announced, as soon as it's confirmed.

NB: the ASV is a non profit organisation, staffed by volunteers, and a gold coin donation on the night would help us continue to provide such events for the public of Victoria.

Crux Magazine for June-July 2018 Online

The June-July Crux is now available in PDF for downloading.

The Australian Night Sky - July 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_Jul_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 iCal

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.

Fri 20 July

Lunar and Planetary Section meeting

8.00pm - 10.30pm

Location: ASV Lodge
For more information, contact Section Director: Andrea King

Sat 21 July

Instrument Making Section

2.00pm - 5.00pm

Location: ASV Lodge
For further information contact Section Director: Mark Justice

Sun 22 July

Astrophotography Section meeting

2.30pm - 4.30pm

Topic: Is it really that colour? Colour and our perception of it is a tricky business, where colour is found in the night sky and what it means is also a very important part of both the art and science of astrophotography.
Presenter: Neil Creek.

Location: ASV Lodge
For more information, contact Section Director: Paul Litchen

Wed 25 July

Council

7.45pm - 10.15pm

ASV Council meeting
Location: ASV Lodge

Fri 27 July

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.

Fri 27 July

MARS Viewing

8.00pm - 11.00pm

Location: Braeside Park, Lower Dandenong Rd, Braeside VIC 3195, Australia

Entry is via Lower Dandenong Road

Sun 29 July

Historical Section meeting

1.00pm - 4.00pm

Location: ASV Lodge

For further information, contact Section Director: Rod Brown

Sun 29 July

Solar Section meeting

2.00pm - 4.00pm

Location: Birdwood Avenue, Birdwood Ave, Melbourne VIC 3004, Australia

Location: GMT House
For more information contact: Russ Cockman, Section Director

Sun 29 July

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 August

Cosmology and Astro-Physics Section Meeting

8.00pm - 10.30pm

Discuss current news in Cosmology and Astro-Physics
Topic: “The Life of the Sun”

Location: ASV Lodge
“All Welcome – Bring an Open Mind”

Contact: Ross Berner
Mobile: 0403 167 004
Email: cosmology@asv.net.au

Thu 2 August

MARS Viewing

8.00pm - 11.00pm

Location: Point Gellibrand Coastal Heritage Park, Williamstown VIC 3016, Australia

Near the Timeball Tower,

Fri 3 August

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 4 August - Sun 5 August

Dark Sky Night

6.00pm Sat 4-Aug - 8.00am Sun 5-Aug

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

Mon 6 August

Computing Section

8.00pm - 10.00pm

For further information contact Section Director: Craig Boyd
Location: ASV Lodge

More events: Calendar