Farm Cove Observatory, organization in Auckland, New Zealand
Farm Cove Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Auckland, New Zealand, equipped with a large telescope for observing stars, planets, and other celestial objects from the night sky. The facility is housed in a simple building with a dome surrounded by trees and open space, which helps reduce light pollution and provides clear viewing conditions.
The observatory was founded around the year 2000 by local astronomy enthusiasts who wanted to share their passion with the community. Since its establishment, it has become a popular location for school groups and community programs, and it has contributed to scientific research, including the discovery of an asteroid in 2009.
Visitors are best served arriving in the evening when the sky is dark enough to see stars, preferably on clear nights without cloud cover. The site is surrounded by trees and open spaces that are easily accessible on foot and offer protection from the city's light pollution.
The observatory played a role in discovering an exoplanet in 2005 using a technique called microlensing, which allowed amateur astronomers to contribute to such a discovery for the first time. The planet discovered was about three times the size of Jupiter and located approximately 15,000 light-years from Earth near the galactic center.
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