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2010 programme
Sun 4th
09:00-09:30
A Personal History of Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatories
Vince Ford
Canberra Astronomical Society
2010 is the 100th anniversary of the choice of Mt Stromlo as the site for a Commonwealth Observatory. I have been involved with the observatories for 45 of these years. This talk will be a "potted history" of Stromlo and its daughter observatory at Siding Spring, lightened with some snippets of personal history that some colleagues probably wish were not remembered.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 MSSO presentation (21MB ZIP) | 20.71 MB |
Vince was a research astronomer at Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring observatories for 41 years. He has published over 30 research papers and used every major optical and radio telescope in Australia. For 30 years he has lectured to, and run stargazing sessions for, audiences from preschoolers to university students and the general public. He had regular slots with many radio stations, and was media contact at times of newsworthy astronomical events. Vince was staff astronomer at Stromlo Observatory Visitors Centre, responsible for exhibit design, educational programmes and training explainers. In 1998 he was awarded the Michael Daley Eureka Prize for the Promotion of Science, and in 2008 was awarded a Rotary International Vocational Excellence Award.