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Perth Observatory
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    • Hills Symphony Orchestra Concert
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    • Star Trek Night Tour
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    • Paint, Sip, and Night Tour
    • Cosmic Fairy Door Discovery Day
    • May The 4th Night Tour
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    • Towel Day Night Tour
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    • Low Sensory Night Sky Tour
    • Lunar Photography Workshop
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Perth-Lowell Telescope Restoration

The Perth-Lowell Telescope. Image Credit: Roger Groom
Recent Donors
  • $0ZH DH

Please donate to help restore the Perth Observatory’s Lowell Telescope and bring it back to astronomical research. Originally funded by NASA and acquired by Lowell Observatory of Flagstaff, USA, the telescope was installed at Perth Observatory on a permanent loan basis. In 1977, the Perth-Lowell Telescope played a crucial role in discovering the Rings of Uranus as part of the International Planetary Patrol Program (IPPP).

With your contribution, the Perth-Lowell Telescope can continue to make significant contributions to current astronomical research, including the exploration of black holes and exoplanets. By restoring this important telescope, we can renew international astronomical research at Perth Observatory and unlock new discoveries about the universe.

Please consider making a donation to support the restoration of the Perth-Lowell Telescope and help advance our understanding of the cosmos. All donations are tax-deductible and a tax receipt will be provided.

Donation Progress:

$5000

Direct Bank Transfer (EFT) Details:

Bank: Bendigo Bank
Name: Perth Observatory Gift Fund
BSB: 633 000
Account: 161 794 516

Please Note: If you'd like a tax receipt for you EFT donation please email us at treasurer@perthobservatory.com.au

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You may have seen a lot of posts about the “Plan You may have seen a lot of posts about the “Planet Parade” on 28 February. We love a good astronomical event, but this one isn’t going to be a spectacular all-in-one sky show as a lot of these AI slop posts are saying.

To see most of the planets, you’ll need to be out at twilight, and several of them will be sitting very low on the western horizon.

If you’d like to give it a go, head to a beach or somewhere with a clear, flat view to the west around 7:15 pm. Venus and Saturn will be very low, and Saturn in particular will suffer from heavy atmospheric distortion so it may look wobbly or blurry.

Neptune won’t be visible to the naked eye, it’s simply too faint in twilight.

Jupiter will be the standout and the easiest to spot.

If you’ve got a go-to telescope, you can wait until it gets darker and try for Uranus, which will appear as a small cyan dot. It’s sitting near the Pleiades.

We won’t be running a public event on the 28th as we’ll be hosting our sold-out Hills Symphony Orchestra concert that evening, but for those who would like to try, we wish you clear skies and good hunting. 

#Perth #WA #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #astronomy #astronomynews #space #spacenews #westernaustralia #Venus #Saturn #Uranus #Neptune #PlanetaryAlignment #Planets #SolarSystem #astronomyevent #photography #astrophotography #nightphotography #astrotourismwa #astrotourism #perthlife #perthgram #perthobservatory #perthobs
Mums and daughters. Creative besties. Art lovers. Mums and daughters. Creative besties. Art lovers.

If you’ve been saying, “We need a proper day out together,” this is it.

Join us at Perth Observatory on Sunday 12 April, from 12 pm to 3:45 pm, for a hands-on mosaic workshop with @WAMosaicart. You’ll design and create your own celestial artwork using colourful ceramic tiles and shimmering glass pieces. Inspired by the cosmos, crafted by you.

No experience needed. Just bring your creativity, your favourite person, and enjoy a relaxed afternoon in the beautiful Perth Hills. To book your spots, use the Linktree link in our profile description

$110 to $165 per person.

It’s perfect for:
✨ A mother and daughter bonding day
✨ A creative girls’ catch-up
✨ A couple’s day out
✨ Anyone who loves art with a little cosmic magic

You’ll head home with your own handmade piece and some very lovely memories.

#Perth #WA #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #westernaustralia #perthevent #perthevents #perthtodo #perthlife #perthisok #perthgram #perthhappenings #perthcreatives #perthart #ArtEvent #CreativityUnleashed #ArtAndScience #NatureInspiredArt #PerthHills #ArtAndNature #CreativeAfternoon #WAMosaicArt #perthobservatory #perthobs
Artist applications are now open for the inaugural Artist applications are now open for the inaugural @perthskysculpture Park Exhibition and $150,000 Acquisitive Awards.

To be held this Spring, the Exhibition marks the opening of Perth Sky at the Perth Observatory as a new permanent cultural destination for Western Australia.

Selected works will be exhibited for circa two years, unless sold, providing a meaningful platform for artists and helping to grow the arts ecosystem in WA.

The Acquisitive Awards are supported by the @cityofkalamunda. Award-winning sculptures will be acquired into the City’s public art collection for the local community to enjoy for generations to come.

Perth Sky Sculpture Park is located at the Perth Observatory in the Bickley Valley, Perth Hills.

The deadline for applications is 29 March 2026. Apply via the Perth Sky Sculpture Park website: https://loom.ly/-OakGqE

Video by Sam Hopkins

#Perth #WA #perthnews #wanews #westernaustralia #perthlife #perthgram #perthhappenings #perthcreatives #perthart #CreativityUnleashed #NatureInspiredArt #sculpture #contemporarysculpture #perthartists #australianart #PerthHills #ArtAndNature #perthartscene #pertharts #westaustralianartist #waartists #australianartists #australianart #westernaustralia #perthhillsartists #experienceperthhills #hillscreatives #perthobservatory #perthobs
Ladies and gentlemen of the solar system, gather r Ladies and gentlemen of the solar system, gather round and adjust your monocles… 🎩✨

Today we celebrate the plucky little overachiever of the outer suburbs of space… Pluto.

Discovered on this very day in 1930 by the marvellously diligent Clyde Tombaugh at @lowellobservatory, Pluto burst onto the cosmic scene like a debutante at her first ball. “Ninth planet,” they said. “Full membership,” they said.

Fast forward to 2006 and the International Astronomical Union gently tapped Pluto on the shoulder and whispered, “We’re going to need your badge back.”

And did Pluto complain?
Did Pluto throw a celestial tantrum?
Absolutely not.

Pluto simply adjusted its tiny planetary crown and said, “Very well. I shall be… a dwarf planet. But make it iconic.” 👑

Named by 11 year old Venetia Burney, who casually outperformed every adult in the room, and later visited up close by @NASA’s heroic New Horizons mission in 2015, revealing icy mountains and that outrageously charming heart shaped plain… Pluto remains the underdog we all secretly adore.

Former ninth planet.
Current dwarf planet.
Permanent legend.

Happy Pluto Day to the small but mighty member of our cosmic community. Proof, if ever it were needed, that greatness is not measured in size.

Carry on, you marvellous speck. 🚀✨

#Perth #WA #westernaustralia #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #space #spacenews #astronomy #astronomynews #perthlife #perthgram #perthhappenings #PlutoDay #Pluto #DwarfPlanet #PlanetPluto #SolarSystem #OuterSolarSystem #ClydeTombaugh #LowellObservatory #VenetiaBurney #NewHorizons #NASA #SpaceHistory #StillAPlanetInMyHeart #TeamPluto #OnThisDay #perthobservatory #perthobs
Happy Valentine’s Day to our wonderful community Happy Valentine’s Day to our wonderful community 💛

Whether you’re spending tonight with someone special, your mates, or just the Moon and a warm cuppa, thank you for being part of our universe.

We’re truly over the Moon to have you in our orbit. 🌙✨

Clear skies and full hearts from all of us.

#perth #perthwa #westernaustralia #perthlife #perthhappenings #perthgram #valentinesday #valentines2026 #love #stargazing #astronomy #perthobservatory #perthhills
Today is the International Day of Women and Girls Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and we want to celebrate the brilliant women who look up at the night sky and ask the biggest questions of all.

To every girl who has ever wondered what’s out there… this is your sign. Science needs your curiosity. Astronomy needs your imagination. The universe is not complete without you in it.

Here is an incredible Australian woman who has shaped our understanding of the cosmos:

🔭 Dr Ruby Wright - @rjwright_25

Dr Ruby Wright is an Australian astrophysicist and Forrest Fellow at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) at the University of Western Australia. She studies how galaxies like our own Milky Way grow and evolve by using cosmological simulations — computer-generated mini-universes that help scientists understand how gas moves in and out of galaxies and what that tells us about their formation. Her work has shown that the fate of the Milky Way’s future collision with the Andromeda galaxy might be less certain than astronomers once thought, highlighting how cutting-edge models can reshape our understanding of the cosmos.

Alongside her research, she’s active in public science outreach and represents a new generation of Australian astrophysicists pushing the boundaries of how we explore galaxies.

To every girl visiting an observatory, looking through a telescope, coding, building, questioning, experimenting, One day we might be celebrating you. 💫

#Perth #WA #westernaustralia #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #InternationalDayOfWomenAndGirlsInScience #WomenInScience #WomenInSTEM #GirlsInSTEM #WomenInAstronomy #AustralianAstronomers #FutureScientists #SpaceScience #STEM #STEMinWA #ScienceNeedsHer #WomenInScienceDay #WomenInScienceDay2026 #LookUp #YouBelongInScience #ScienceIsForEveryone #perthobservatory #perthobs
Today is the International Day of Women and Girls Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and we want to celebrate the brilliant women who look up at the night sky and ask the biggest questions of all.

To every girl who has ever wondered what’s out there… this is your sign. Science needs your curiosity. Astronomy needs your imagination. The universe is not complete without you in it.

Here is an incredible Australian woman who has shaped our understanding of the cosmos:

🔭 Dr Natasha Hurley-Walker

Dr Natasha Hurley-Walker is an award-winning Australian radio astronomer based at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research in Perth. After completing a PhD in radio astronomy at the University of Cambridge, she helped commission the Murchison Widefield Array and led major sky surveys that map the Universe at radio wavelengths, revealing the hidden “radio colours” of our Milky Way and hundreds of thousands of distant galaxies. Her team also discovered a new kind of repeating radio source, opening up fresh frontiers in understanding cosmic radio waves. 

Natasha’s work goes far beyond research — she’s given a TEDx talk with over two million views, mentors emerging scientists and champions equity in STEM. For her contributions, she’s been named a Superstar of STEM, WA Tall Poppies Scientist of the Year and winner of major national science awards.

To every girl visiting an observatory, looking through a telescope, coding, building, questioning, experimenting, One day we might be celebrating you. 💫

#Perth #WA #westernaustralia #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #InternationalDayOfWomenAndGirlsInScience #WomenInScience #WomenInSTEM #GirlsInSTEM #WomenInAstronomy #AustralianAstronomers #FutureScientists #SpaceScience #STEM #STEMinWA #ScienceNeedsHer #WomenInScienceDay #WomenInScienceDay2026 #LookUp #YouBelongInScience #ScienceIsForEveryone #perthobservatory #perthobs
Today is the International Day of Women and Girls Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and we want to celebrate the brilliant women who look up at the night sky and ask the biggest questions of all.

To every girl who has ever wondered what’s out there… this is your sign. Science needs your curiosity. Astronomy needs your imagination. The universe is not complete without you in it.

Here is an incredible Australian woman who has shaped our understanding of the cosmos:

🔭 Dr Kate Brooks

Dr Kate Brooks is a passionate Australian astronomer and science communicator who has dedicated her career to making space accessible to everyone. She has served as a research scientist and Deputy Head of Operations for the Australia Telescope National Facility

Her work has focused on massive star formation and interstellar matter in galactic regions such as the Carina Nebula. Through talks, writing and community outreach, she represents a modern face of astronomy, one that values communication just as much as discovery. Brooks has also contributed significantly to observational studies using radio telescopes, including investigations of water masers in the southern Galactic plan.

To every girl visiting an observatory, looking through a telescope, coding, building, questioning, experimenting, One day we might be celebrating you. 💫

#Perth #WA #westernaustralia #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #InternationalDayOfWomenAndGirlsInScience #WomenInScience #WomenInSTEM #GirlsInSTEM #WomenInAstronomy #AustralianAstronomers #FutureScientists #SpaceScience #STEM #STEMinWA #ScienceNeedsHer #WomenInScienceDay #WomenInScienceDay2026 #LookUp #YouBelongInScience #ScienceIsForEveryone #perthobservatory #perthobs
Today is the International Day of Women and Girls Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and we want to celebrate the brilliant women who look up at the night sky and ask the biggest questions of all.

To every girl who has ever wondered what’s out there… this is your sign. Science needs your curiosity. Astronomy needs your imagination. The universe is not complete without you in it.

Here is an incredible Australian woman who has shaped our understanding of the cosmos:

🌌 Rosina Dafter

Rosina Dafter worked at Sydney Observatory in the late 1800s during a time when women in science were rare and often under-recognised.

She contributed to astronomical cataloguing and observations as part of the international “Carte du Ciel” project, an ambitious effort to photograph and map the entire sky. These painstaking measurements helped create star charts that astronomers relied on for decades.

She worked in an era when women were frequently classified as “computers” rather than astronomers, despite performing detailed and highly skilled scientific analysis.

To every girl visiting an observatory, looking through a telescope, coding, building, questioning, experimenting, One day we might be celebrating you. 💫

#Perth #WA #westernaustralia #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #InternationalDayOfWomenAndGirlsInScience #WomenInScience #WomenInSTEM #GirlsInSTEM #WomenInAstronomy #AustralianAstronomers #FutureScientists #SpaceScience #STEM #STEMinWA #ScienceNeedsHer #WomenInScienceDay #WomenInScienceDay2026 #LookUp #YouBelongInScience #ScienceIsForEveryone #perthobservatory #perthobs
Today is the International Day of Women and Girls Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and we want to celebrate the brilliant women who look up at the night sky and ask the biggest questions of all.

To every girl who has ever wondered what’s out there… this is your sign. Science needs your curiosity. Astronomy needs your imagination. The universe is not complete without you in it.

Here is an incredible Australian woman who has shaped our understanding of the cosmos:

📡 Professor Anne Green

Professor Anne Green is a leading Australian radio astronomer and became the first female Director of the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope in NSW.

Her research has focused on mapping radio sources in our galaxy and identifying supernova remnants, the glowing remains of exploded stars. These remnants help astronomers understand how stars evolve and how heavy elements, the building blocks of planets and life, are distributed through space.

She has also been a powerful advocate for women in physics and astronomy in Australia.

To every girl visiting an observatory, looking through a telescope, coding, building, questioning, experimenting, One day we might be celebrating you. 💫

#Perth #WA #westernaustralia #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #InternationalDayOfWomenAndGirlsInScience #WomenInScience #WomenInSTEM #GirlsInSTEM #WomenInAstronomy #AustralianAstronomers #FutureScientists #SpaceScience #STEM #STEMinWA #ScienceNeedsHer #WomenInScienceDay #WomenInScienceDay2026 #LookUp #YouBelongInScience #ScienceIsForEveryone #perthobservatory #perthobs
Today is the International Day of Women and Girls Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and we want to celebrate the brilliant women who look up at the night sky and ask the biggest questions of all.

To every girl who has ever wondered what’s out there… this is your sign. Science needs your curiosity. Astronomy needs your imagination. The universe is not complete without you in it.

Here is an incredible Australian woman who has shaped our understanding of the cosmos:

✨ Professor Lisa Kewley

Professor Lisa Kewley is one of the world’s most influential astrophysicists in the study of galaxy evolution. Her research examines how galaxies form, how stars are born within them, and how supermassive black holes shape their structure.

She has developed widely used classification systems that help astronomers distinguish between galaxies forming stars and those powered by active black holes. Her work is cited globally and shapes how modern astrophysics interprets large galaxy surveys.

She has also held senior leadership roles internationally and is known for mentoring early career researchers.

To every girl visiting an observatory, looking through a telescope, coding, building, questioning, experimenting, One day we might be celebrating you. 💫

#Perth #WA #westernaustralia #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #InternationalDayOfWomenAndGirlsInScience #WomenInScience #WomenInSTEM #GirlsInSTEM #WomenInAstronomy #AustralianAstronomers #FutureScientists #SpaceScience #STEM #STEMinWA #ScienceNeedsHer #WomenInScienceDay #WomenInScienceDay2026 #LookUp #YouBelongInScience #ScienceIsForEveryone #perthobservatory #perthobs
Today is the International Day of Women and Girls Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and we want to celebrate the brilliant women who look up at the night sky and ask the biggest questions of all.

To every girl who has ever wondered what’s out there… this is your sign. Science needs your curiosity. Astronomy needs your imagination. The universe is not complete without you in it.

Here is an incredible Australian woman who has shaped our understanding of the cosmos:

📻 Ruby Payne-Scott

Ruby Payne-Scott was a true pioneer. In the 1940s, she became Australia’s first female radio astronomer and one of the first in the world.

Working with radar technology left over from World War II, she helped discover solar radio bursts, revealing that the Sun emits powerful bursts of radio energy during solar activity. This was groundbreaking work that laid the foundations of radio astronomy.

She also faced significant discrimination. At the time, married women were often barred from public service positions. She kept her marriage secret to retain her job, a powerful reminder of the barriers women in science faced.

To every girl visiting an observatory, looking through a telescope, coding, building, questioning, experimenting, One day we might be celebrating you. 💫

#Perth #WA #westernaustralia #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #InternationalDayOfWomenAndGirlsInScience #WomenInScience #WomenInSTEM #GirlsInSTEM #WomenInAstronomy #AustralianAstronomers #FutureScientists #SpaceScience #STEM #STEMinWA #ScienceNeedsHer #WomenInScienceDay #WomenInScienceDay2026 #LookUp #YouBelongInScience #ScienceIsForEveryone #perthobservatory #perthobs
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