From: TerryMosel@aol.com
Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2003 17:00:53 EST
Subject: Mt Stromolo Obs Destroyed, Lecture, TV

Hi all,

Very sad news, as some of you may already know: most of Mt Stromlo 
Observatory, near Canberra, has been destroyed by the Australian bush fires, 
including the Laser Ranger Facility, 9" Oddie refractor, 26" Yale Columbia 
refractor, 50" Great Melbourne Telescope, 18" Upsala dome (Canberra 
Astronomical Societies dome), the original administration building including 
two small domes housing old refractor and solar scope, and Workshops.
The 74" is definitely damaged but the true extent of damage is unclear.
The 30" might be ok.
Main admin building is at least water damaged but may be worse.
    Some very historic telescopes have thus been destroyed!

The next IAA lecture will be on Wed 22 January, 7.30 p.m., Lecture Room 5, 
Stranmillis College, Belfast. Dr Rachel Street (QUB) will give a talk 
entitled "Searching for Extra-Solar Planets". Admission is free, and all are 
welcome.

You might like to note two TV progs: Thursday 23, 21.00, BBC2, HORIZON: 
"Averting Armageddon" - how to avoid being hit by one of those pesky 
asteroids!. (Having just watched Bruce Willis's efforts on TV, yet again, the 
more I realise we need a serious look at the problem!)
   Also, on Sat, 20.20, BBC2, "Supervolcanoes" - if the asteroids don't get 
us, these things might!

Nevertheless, Happy New Year to all!

Terry Moseley

Last Revised: 2003 January 20th WWW contact: webmaster@star.arm.ac.uk

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