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Perth-Lowell Telescope Restoration

The Perth-Lowell Telescope. Image Credit: Roger Groom
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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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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
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 Emma Ryan-Weber

Professor Emma Ryan-Weber studies the early Universe, looking back billions of years to understand how the first galaxies formed after the Big Bang.

Using powerful telescopes and spectroscopy, she analyses the faint light from distant galaxies to determine their composition and age. Her work contributes to our understanding of cosmic reionisation, a crucial period when the first stars and galaxies transformed the Universe.

She has also been a strong voice for diversity and inclusion in physics.

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 Elaine Sadler

Professor Elaine Sadler is one of Australia’s most respected astronomers. She is a leading radio astronomer and has played major roles in international sky surveys mapping millions of galaxies.

She served as Australia’s Chief Scientist, advising government on science policy and innovation. Her research focuses on how galaxies evolve and how black holes influence their development.

She has also been instrumental in shaping Australia’s involvement in the Square Kilometre Array, one of the largest radio telescope projects in history.

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 Sara Webb - @sarawebbscience

Dr Sara Webb is an Australian astrophysicist, lecturer at Swinburne University of Technology and one of the country’s most dynamic science communicators.

Her research focuses on fast, explosive events in the Universe, using artificial intelligence and machine learning to sift through massive datasets and uncover rare cosmic phenomena. Recognised internationally, she has been named in Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 for Science and Healthcare and selected as a Superstar of STEM.

Beyond research, she is passionate about inspiring the next generation through media, books and student space experiments, proving that modern astronomy is as much about coding and innovation as it is about telescopes and stars.

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
The International Space Station (@iss) will fly ov The International Space Station (@iss) will fly over extremely bright on Friday, February 6th at 8:11 pm (Mag -3.7).

To use the attached maps, face south and hold the map above your head, and you'll see the path of the flyover.

#spotthestation #internationalspacestation #spacestation #iss #Perth #WA #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #westernaustralia #perthnow #perthgram #perthevents #perthlife #perthtodo #perthhappenings #ThisisWA #wanderoutyonder #perthhills #perthisok #perthlife #experienceperthhills #experienceperth #perthentertainment #seeperth #whatsoninperth #stargazing #nightsky #perthobservatory #perthobs
You’ll see it called the Snow Moon in the media. You’ll see it called the Snow Moon in the media. That name comes from the Northern Hemisphere, where February is the peak of winter and heavy snowfall is common. These Moon names were widely popularised in the 1930s when the Old Farmer’s Almanac in the US published traditional names used by Algonquin peoples of north-eastern North America, which were later adopted by colonial Americans.

Some North American tribes called it the Hungry Moon, a pretty grim but honest reference to late winter when food was scarce, hunting was difficult, and supplies were running low. Others knew it as the Bear Moon, linked to the time when bear cubs were born, hidden away in their dens while winter still ruled the landscape.

Across the Atlantic, the names reflected equally harsh conditions. In Celtic and Old English traditions, February’s Full Moon was known as the Storm Moon or Ice Moon, both a nod to wild weather, frozen ground, and the fact that winter still had its boot firmly on everyone’s neck.

Down here in WA, of course, there’s no snow, no starving hunters, and definitely no bears. So we can safely rename it the “Why does the Moon look absolutely massive and gold?” Moon.

🌙 The timing bits

The Moon officially reaches full at 6:08 am on Monday, but it’ll look fantastic both nights:
 • Tonight: Moonrise at 7:05 pm AWST
 • Monday night: Moonrise at 7:43 pm AWST

As it rises, it’ll look huge, golden, and slightly suspiciously close. That warm colour comes from Rayleigh scattering, where moonlight passes through a thicker slice of Earth’s atmosphere near the horizon. Blue light gets scattered away, leaving those rich yellow, orange, and golden tones, the same process that turns eclipsed Moons deep red.

No telescope needed. Just look east, enjoy the glow. 🌕✨

#Perth #WA #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #space #spacenews #astronomy #astronomynews #westernaustralia #perthlife #perthgram #perthhappenings #astrophotography #lunarphotography #moonphotography #astronomicalevent #snowmoon #snowmoon2026 #moon #fullmoon #luna #moonlovers #astrophoto #stargazing #perthobservatory #perthobs
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