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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.

 

Galactic Centre Star Party and Swap Meet

It is on this Saturday!!   This ASV member only event is on Sat 21/9/19 at LMDSS and the entry fee is $5 and you could win a pair of Acuter Skyland Observation binoculars (donated by Optics Central). Activities include Solar observing in the afternoon, the Swap Meet, "Astro Guess What": game, Sky for the Night.  Lions Club BBQ (3 - 6pm).  Free hot drinks and biscuits available after Sky for the Night. Viewing through the 25" and 40" telescopes.

PLEASE NOTE: Bookings for beds in the accomodation building are now available for Members. A fee of $10 per bed is applicable for Saturday night only. Book via the Bed Booking page https://asv.org.au/lmdss_booking

Crux Magazine for August - September 2019

The August-September edition of Crux is now available for downloading by Members.

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.

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

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.

Sat 21 September - Sun 22 September

Galactic Centre Star Party and Swap Meet

12.00pm Sat 21-Sep - 11.00am Sun 22-Sep

Please see attachments for further information.

Sat 21 September

Instrument Making Section

2.00pm - 5.00pm

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

Wed 25 September

Council

7.45pm - 10.15pm

ASV Council meeting
Location: ASV Lodge

Fri 27 September

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 September - Sun 29 September

Dark Sky Night

6.00pm Sat 28-Sep - 8.00am Sun 29-Sep

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 29 September

Historical Section meeting

1.00pm - 4.00pm

Location: ASV Lodge

For further information, contact Section Director: Rod Brown

Sun 29 September

Solar Section meeting (note change of date/venue)

2.00pm - 4.00pm

Location: Melbourne Observatory, meet in the library at 1:50pm
For more information contact: Russ Cockman, Section Director
Email: solar@asv.org.au

Sun 29 September

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

Wed 2 October

Cosmology and Astro-Physics Section Meeting

8.00pm - 10.30pm

Discuss current news in Cosmology and Astro-Physics
Topic:  “Rocket Engines for Star Travel” & “The 3 Body Problem”

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

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

Fri 4 October

Sidewalk Astronomy, Bendigo AFTP

8.00pm - 9.30pm

Location: Discovery Science and Technology Centre, 7 Railway Place (opposite Marketplace)


Sidewalk Astronomy is Bendigo's favourite astronomy event and is held every month next to the Discovery Science and Technology Centre, 7 Railway Place (opposite Marketplace). Weather permitting.

Bring the family to see cool astro-stuff through our telescopes, our volunteers will give you a tour of the features of night sky. Small groups welcome.

For more information contact: Brien Blackshaw, Ph 03 5447 7690, Email: secretary@bdas.net

Fri 4 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.

Mon 7 October

Computing Section

8.00pm - 10.00pm

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

Wed 9 October

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 9 October

ASV Monthly meeting

8.00pm - 10.00pm

Location: Mueller Auditorium, National Herbarium, Birdwood Ave., Melbourne

Topic: MyGOTO Observatory Project
Speaker: Alex Obradovic, ASV member

Everybody is welcome and the night will end with a delicious supper and it is FREE
Looking forward to seeing you there.

More events: Calendar