...Australia Photos (February 2000)...

As part of my PhD research I was able to travel to Australia a total of 4 times, Jan 1999, Feb 2000, Aug 2000 and Feb 2003. Here are some of the photos from my trip in Feb 2000.

I left London on the 5th of Febuary 2000 and after passing through Bangkok I arrived in Sydney on the 6th of Febuary. I had travelled to Australia to use the Mount Stromlo Observatory, located outside Canberra.

The Sydney Opera House

This was the second time I had been to Australia and I was more than happy to spend more time in Sydney.

Tidbinbilla Deep Space Tracking Station

DSS-43 is a 70 m dish constructed in 1976 and extended in 1987. It is the largest steerable parabolic antenna in the Southern Hemisphere.

Tidbinbilla Deep Space Tracking Station

DSS-46. This is the old Honeysuckle antenna, near the visitors centre car park.

Tidbinbilla Deep Space Tracking Station

This shows a number of the telescopes loacted at the Tidbinbilla Deep Space Tracking Station.

Mount Stromlo Observatory

I came to the Mount Stromlo Observatory to use this telescope. This great sunset provides for a wonderful backdrop.

Mount Stromlo Observatory

Huntsman Spider

In January 2003, the Mount Stromlo Observatory was devastated by the bushfires that raged all around Canberra. Unfortunately five telescopes (including the one I was using), workshops, seven homes and the administration building were all destroyed. The only telescope to escape the fires was the 1868 15-centimetre Farnham telescope.

After finished at Mount Stromlo I tralleved back to Sydney and flew on to San Francisco where I was meeting Tammay.