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Macquarie University Association for Astronomy

A Community Service Case Study

(Presented in 1995 to the University's Quality Review Committee for Community Service)

Introduction

The Macquarie University Association for Astronomy was formed in 1988 as a response to a need to promote knowledge of astronomy in the community, to enable various parts of the astronomical community to interact, and to encourage teaching and research in astronomy at Macquarie University.

The Constitution approved by the University Council is attached.

Since 1988 membership has grown to just over 300. Members benefit by receiving personal notice of all activities conducted by the Association as well as reduced participation costs.

Aims

Among the aims listed in the constitution are:

1. "Construct and administer an educational astronomical observatory at Macquarie University, in association with the School (of MPCE).
2. "Encourage public use of such observatory.
3. "Assist with funding of the observatory and its instrumentation.
4. "Encourage students to pursue studies in astronomy.
5. "Assist with funding of relevant lectures, seminars and conferences within the University and encourage and support appropriate activities with outside persons, organisations or bodies with similar interests.
6. "Provide grants to support research and teaching in astronomy, the grants to be administered by the School.
7. "Seek donations, gifts and bequests to the University for the furtherance of astronomy and organise activities for that purpose."

Activities

The Association has developed a number of activities to promote its aims. These include astronomy open nights, bus tours and schools of astronomy.

1. Astronomy Open Nights

These constitute the highest profile activity of the Association. A typical evening has ~1200 people viewing the night sky through up to 30 telescopes operated by their amateur astronomer owners, together with a talk by a professional astronomer on some topic of interest. Displays are operated by some of the major astronomical institutions as well as many of the amateur societies. Several astronomical retail outlets also set up displays, as well as the University Co-operative Bookshop. Items of astronomical interest are available for sale at some of the displays. A food outlet is run by a local Scouting group.

Admission to the evenings is collected at the gates of the University by members of the academic staff of the School of Mathematics, Physics, Computing and Electronics.

The evenings are held even if the weather is poor, since only the sky viewing is affected. Typical wet weather attendance is about 700.

Publicity for the Open nights consists of letters and flyers sent to every high school in the greater Sydney region, most local primary schools, local libraries, retirement villages and service groups. The flyers are also sent to all amateur astronomy groups, visitors centres at all observatories in NSW, and astronomical retail outlets. Press releases are also sent to local and regional newspapers, and radio and television stations. Interviews on radio of either the organizers or the open night speakers often eventuate. A sample flyer is attached.

The open nights are held twice each year.

The effectiveness of the open nights can be judged by their continued high attendances together with the many expressions of appreciation from those who attend. Attendances at some of the evenings are listed below:

October	1988	1500
April	1989	1217
October	1990	1694
April	1991	1815
October	1991	1168
April	1992	1611
October	1992	704	(rain)
March	1993	1170
October	1993	658	(rain)
March	1994	750	(rain)
October	1994	1059
March	1995	1106

The evenings have been listed on University Brochures as events to come to and many external groups in the community ring for information so they can include Macquarie University Astronomy Open Nights in their programs for the year.

2. Bus Tours

Since 1990 bus tours to astronomical observatories in NSW have been conducted under the auspices of the Association. Details of the tours have been arranged by Australian Academic Tours who were requested to take on the job. This company is run by several previous members of the University's academic community.

The tours are as follows:

Southern Tour- Sydney-Tidbinbilla tracking station-Questacon-Mt Stromlo Observatory-Molonglo Synthesis Telescope-Sydney.
Northern Tour- Sydney-Parkes Radiotelescope-Gilgandra private observatory-Siding Springs Observatory-The Australia Telescope (Narrabri)-Sydney.

 

Tour members receive a commentary on the geology of the countryside while travelling and a detailed inspection tour of each of the observatories.

Standard motel accommodation is arranged for the tour parties.

A brochure for a tour is attached.

About six tours have been held so far.

3. Schools of Astronomy

As a result of requests to provide a higher level astronomical education process than is possible at open nights, the Association decided to conduct an annual weekend school of astronomy, starting with a trial in 1992.

A school consists of eight lectures by professional astronomers or post-graduate students in astronomy detailing some topic relevant to their current research or interests. A number or talks on relevant aspects of modern physics have also been included.

The talks are usually illustrated with slides, demonstrations, or video clips and are recorded for later sale to attendees who wish to listen again.

Morning and afternoon tea and lunch are provided for attendees and speakers and are covered in the costs.

Attendances at the schools were as follows:

1992(trial)	35
1993	135
1994	99
1995	65

The quality of the schools is judged by responses to a questionnaire distributed to all attendees. It is also controlled by careful selection of the speakers. It can also be judged by the continual requests for more schools to be held each year.

A brochure for a school, a program, and a questionnaire are attached.

4. Other Occasional Lectures

At present this includes speakers at the Annual Meetings of the Association but other occasions may present themselves in the future.

Undergraduate Prizes

Over the past few years the Association for Astronomy Prize has been awarded to the student who tops the class in the General Education Unit ASTR377-Astronomy.

Special Activity

Among the aims of the Association is the operation of an educational astronomical observatory. An attempt to start this was made in 1990 with a fund raising program to build a planetarium. Economic and political circumstances at the time led to this being unsuccessful despite good responses to the concept.

Some of the documentation associated with this project are attached.

The educational reasons for attempting this project are still valid but clearly a different approach is needed. Current plans involve the construction of the observatory part of the proposal partly using funds held by the Association as a result of income from the open nights. This alternative is presently being explored.

Outcomes

The items numbered 1,2,3 in the Aims above have been addressed by the Special Activity described above. Despite initial setbacks there is a prospect of a start to accomplishing these aims in the near future.

Item 4 is partially accomplished by the Open Nights and the funding of the Association for Astronomy Prize.

Item 5 is accomplished by the Open Nights and the Schools of Astronomy and other occasional lectures sponsored by the Association.

Item 6 is presently not being addressed in the activities of the Association but as future finances allow it will be taken up.

Item 7 appears to be occurring as donations are made from time to time to the Association. From enquiries made to the Association it is likely that a number of bequests have also been arranged.

Summary

The Association for Astronomy is a successful exercise of the University's mission among the wider community. It fulfils a need to satisfy the evident interest of the community in the large questions raised by astronomical research. It provides a convenient interface between amateur astronomers, professional astronomers and the community who through the tax system make much of the astronomical research possible. It disseminates results of that research to a wider audience than normal and attempts to spark the interest of young people in a field of scientific endeavour in which Australia has been a major player for many years.

There are appropriate quality controls in place which appear to be working if the issue is judged on outcomes and responses from the communities served by the Association.

Attachments

1. Constitution of the Macquarie University Association for Astronomy
2. 1995 Association program
3. Open night brochure
4. Bus tour brochure
5. School of astronomy material
6. Material relating to the proposal to fund the construction of an astronomical observatory and planetarium.