Mount Stromlo Observatory, Astronomical observatory and university campus in the District of Stromlo, Australia
Mount Stromlo Observatory is an astronomical observatory and research campus of the Australian National University, set on a hill at around 770 meters above sea level near Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory. The site includes domed buildings, research facilities, and a visitor center that looks out over the surrounding pine forests and the city below.
The site was first used for observations in 1911 with the Oddie telescope, and the formal observatory opened in 1924 as the Commonwealth Solar Observatory. After the Second World War it shifted focus from solar to stellar research, then in 2003 a bushfire destroyed most of its buildings and telescopes, leading to a major rebuilding effort.
The site belongs to the Australian National University and draws researchers, students, and school groups interested in astronomy. Walking the Heritage Trail, visitors pass old domes and telescope relics that tell the story of how the work here evolved over a century.
The site is on Cotter Road in Weston Creek and is most easily reached by car, though public transport options also serve the area. The grounds are open for walking, but guided tours and night-sky events require advance booking.
The dome built to house the Oddie telescope was the first stone structure erected in the Australian Capital Territory, predating the city of Canberra itself. Research conducted here in the late 1990s also contributed to the discovery that the universe is expanding at an increasing rate, work that was later awarded a Nobel Prize.
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