astro tour swinburne

Free AstroTours for secondary students

We are excited to announce the special offer of free AstroTours for senior students in Years 10 to 12.

What are AstroTours?

AstroTours educate audiences about astronomy using innovative virtual reality technologies developed by Swinburne's Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing .

These highly entertaining sessions include movies, animations and simulations — all produced by our in-house team of astronomers, visualisation researchers, animators, artists and programmers.

Each AstroTour is hosted by a professional astronomer who can adapt the content to the requirements and learning outcomes of the audience.

AstroTours are available for primary and secondary school groups as well as the general public. They are recommended for audiences aged seven years or over.

"As the 3D screen starts up I almost fell off the seat because it feels as if you are in space with these heavenly bodies: stars, planets and even a forming galaxy, all revolving in spectacular detail ."

Andrew Stephens , The Age

Primary school tours

Your AstroTour guide will investigate the concepts of night and day and the seasons on Earth, before heading out to explore the other planets of the Solar System.

Alternatively, teachers can choose to customise the AstroTour to suit the interests of their students.

Each student will have access to a pair of special 3D glasses, adding a whole other dimension to their learning experience!

Seats available: 55

Duration: 50 minutes

Cost: A$8.80 per head (including GST)

School group bookings can be made for any time. Contact the AstroTour Coordinator at [email protected] .

You will need to provide the requested date, the year level attending, name of school, contact person and phone number.

Secondary school tours

These focus primarily on stars, galaxies and cosmology.

Your AstroTour guide will discuss the life and death of stars through the 3D movies Our Sun and AfterStars .

Teachers are also invited to customise the AstroTour to suit the interests of their students.

Cost: Years 7 to 9 – A$9.90 per head (including GST) Years 10 to 12 – free

School group bookings can be made for any time. Contact the AstroTour Coordinator at [email protected] .

Where are AstroTour sessions held?

All AstroTour sessions are held in the Virtual Reality (VR) Theatre (Room AR104) on the ground floor of the AR Building at the Hawthorn Campus .

Want to join our mailing list?

To be notified of up-coming public astronomy activities, please email [email protected] .

Need more information?

If you have any questions about AstroTours, please contact the AstroTour Coordinator by emailing [email protected] .

Let us take you on a journey to the stars

Founder and guide of Gisborne Astro Tours, John Drummond is one of New Zealand’s top amateur astronomers and astrophotographers. John recently served as President of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand and was the director of their astrophotography section for thirteen years. His photos have been published in books and magazines around the world – and even appeared on two New Zealand stamps! John holds a Master of Science (Astronomy) from Swinburne University. He has helped discover ~20 exoplanets. John is a sought-after astronomy speaker and qualified teacher.

Established in 2019, Gisborne Astro Tours delivers a wealth of knowledge, passion and friendly kiwi-hospitality and is now a must-do experience in Tairāwhiti.

Our Facilities

With a custom-built roll-off roof observatory and outdoor stargazing platform and private lecture room on-site, Gisborne Astro Tours takes you on an unforgettable journey from the rural East Coast to the stars. Our facilities provide you with a comfortable and memorable stargazing experience under New Zealand’s southern skies.

Our Telescopes

Our main telescope is a 50cm (20″) f2.9 GoTo Newtonian Reflector. This follows the stars as you look at them, making sure they don’t drift out of the field of view. This telescope is a real ‘light bucket’ and allows us to see many faint galaxies, nebulae and other targets that smaller telescopes would struggle to see.

We also work with a smaller 41cm (16″) Newtonian ensuring our visitors get loads of telescope time.

In addition, Gisborne Astro Tours is situated under a dark, rural sky (SQM ave 21.5) and permits beautiful views of astronomical targets.

Our Location

The sky at Patutahi is comparable to Tekapo in that it regularly has skies nearly as dark as Mount John Observatory (Earth and Sky) in the South Island. Readings from an approved Sky Quality Light Meter shows that Patutahi regularly has readings of 21.50 – 21.60 (without Moon interference) whereas Mount John is about 21.60 – 21.70.

Discover more about Astro Tours

Regional AstroTours

The Virtual Reality Theatre and AstroTours are currently located at the Hawthorn campus of Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne. However, the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing also has a portable VR theatre which allows us to bring the AstroTour to regional areas.

We have been given a grant by the William Buckland Foundation to offer a program of regional visits from July 2006.

These William Buckland sponsored AstroTours have already been presented to ~1700 Victorian school students across Years 5 - 11 in regional tours between December 2006 and November 2008.

If you would be interested in having the Swinburne travelling AstroTour visit your school in 2009, please contact:

Dr Glen Mackie: Phone: (03) 9214 5743 Fax: (03) 9214 8797 Email: [email protected]

If several schools in your region are interested in the program, we would definitely do our best to organise a tour. The content for your school would be exactly the same as what we deliver to primary and secondary schools in Melbourne, only on a slightly smaller screen.

Read Today's Paper

Swinburne University’s Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing welcomes 25,000th AstroTour visitor

SWINBURNE University’s Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing welcomed their 25,000th AstroTour visitor this week.

25,000th Astro Tour visitor to Swinburne University's Centre for Astrophysics and super computing will be in a Year 7 class from MLC. MLC students watch a space image presentation with 3d glasses. Picture: Sarah Matray

Don't miss out on the headlines from Inner East. Followed categories will be added to My News.

SWINBURNE University’s Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing welcomed their 25,000th AstroTour visitor this week.

A group of Methodist Ladies’ College students ticked the tour over the milestone number, after 15 years of the centre providing a 3D virtual experience of the universe.

“We started off back then with a trip through the solar system and we’ve added new movies nearly every year,” Swinburne associate professor Chris Fluke said.

“We now have things like amazing views of planet Mars and we can show the true scale of the universe.”

The tour is open to the general public during school holidays, but the majority of visitors are school students.

Prof Fluke said the tour was well received by audiences young and old.

He hopes the experience could inspire the next generation of astronomers.

“The kids love it, within seconds they are jumping out of their seats, trying to catch stars and planets that are jumping out of the screen,” he said.

“I’d love to find out in the future that someone made a great discovery because they were inspired by AstroTour.”

General public tours are running on July 1 and July 3 — visit AstroTour for bookings and details.

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Swinburne eMentoring Astro Tour

eMentoring secondary students from Traralgon Secondary College and the Distance Education Centre Victoria (DECV) were treated to a behind the scenes guided tour of the inner workings of the Centre for Astrophysics & Supercomputing at Swinburne University of Technology during the September school holiday.

eMentors Sarah Hegarty and Wael Farah, both completing PhDs in astrophysics, hosted three students from Traralgon Secondary College and two from DECV, who had made the trip to Swinburne’s Hawthorn campus for the day.

Sarah gave the students an insight into her PhD work of taking huge volumes of data collected from radio telescopes and finding ways to visualise it. She demonstrated to the students the computer code and software she had developed to analyse her data and probe it for insights into the mysteries of the universe.

Wael then led the group across campus to his office where he works on Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) and explained how he is developing a machine learning system to help solve the problem of extremely short cosmic radio signals being drowned out by radio noise generated on Earth.

The students also had a sneak peak at the virtual reality experiences under development at OzGrav, the Australian Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery.

Finally the students enjoyed a journey around the solar system in Swinburne’s 3D Astro Tour theatre. The day was a fantastic opportunity for students from regional areas to gain a first hand insight into life at university and real scientific research. It was a demonstration of the level of commitment shown by eMentors like Sarah and Wael and their willingness to go above and beyond to inspire their mentees.

Swinburne University of Technology eMentors Wael Farah (2nd from left), Sarah Hegarty (far right), Swinburne In2science Coordinator Artem Bourov with students from Traralgon Secondary College and Distance Education Centre Victoria.

This program is funded by the Victorian Government through the Strategic Partnerships Program and In2science Partner Universities.

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We collaborate on Aboriginal land

In2science acknowledges the people of the Woiwurrung, Boonwurrung, and Wadawurrung language groups of the Kulin Nation, on whose unceded lands we work. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, as well as the Traditional Custodians of the lands across Victoria and Australia on which we engage schools.

In2science celebrates and acknowledges First Nations people as our first scientists.

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For Boulder Astronomy Tours try our new online booking portal

How to use:

Click "Book Now" then pick a date on the calendar (available dates have a blue dot), click the time that pops up next to the calendar , then click "next"

Fill out the booking form you will need: a name, email, phone number, and number in your group . Once that's filled click "pay now"

Choose your payment method: card, pay pal, or "pay in person" (cash only). After making your selection click "pay now" and check your inbox for a confirmation email

Still having trouble? Book directly/verify your booking by emailing : [email protected] to book . in your booking email be sure to include: your name, date of tour, how many are in your group, and best contact info (phone/email, whatever you will check before the tour for weather updates).

Winter Park Tours Can be booked on Winter Park's website here reach out with any questions about the Winter park tours to this email: [email protected]

If you would like a date that is not currently on my calendar please contact me . I can, sometimes, add a tour or get you in over booked tours.

If you have any questions check out the FAQ here

we can also be reached at 303.324.5831 or [email protected]

For info on how we are addressing the COVID-19 crisis please click here

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Alan Duffy's astro tour visits Melbourne

AstroTours to educate and entertain visitors at Open Day

Since 2000 Swinburne has presented more than 900 AstroTours in its Virtual Reality Theatre
On Open Day, AstroTours will be guided by current Swinburne Astronomy PhD students

As an astronomer, there is no better way of being reminded of the Universe's beauty and awe than to see it reflected in the eyes of the public.

Swinburne’s ever popular AstroTours will once again be featured at this year’s Open Day on 31 July 2016.

The movies, animations and simulations used to explore the Universe have all been produced by Swinburne’s in-house team of astronomers, researchers, animators, artists and programmers.

“We’ll be running Bigger Than Big and Telescope on Open Day, but will also be digging back into our archive for a few old favourites,” co-ordinator of the AstroTour program, Associate Professor Chris Fluke, says.

During Open Day the tours will be guided by current PhD astronomy candidates at Swinburne, such as Sabine Bellstedt.

"As an astronomer, there is no better way of being reminded of the Universe's beauty and awe than to see it reflected in the eyes of the public," Ms Bellstedt says.

Since 2000, the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing at Swinburne has presented more than 900 AstroTours in its 3D Theatre.

The tours are designed to educate and entertain audiences about astronomy and recently ticked over their 28,000 th visitor.

AstroTours are recommended for audiences aged seven years or over.

They are held in Swinburne’s Virtual Reality Theatre, ground floor of the AR building (AR104).

Swinburne Open Day is Sunday 31 July 2016. Plan your day and discover why we’re the must visit Open Day.

Media enquiries

IMAGES

Swinburne eMentoring Astro Tour
Swinburne’s Dr Alan Duffy concludes Alumni Astro Tour
Swinburne’s Dr Alan Duffy concludes Alumni Astro Tour
Swinburne eMentoring Astro Tour
Alan Duffy's astro tour visits Melbourne
Alan Duffy's astro tour visits Melbourne

COMMENTS

AstroTours
What are AstroTours? AstroTours educate audiences about astronomy using innovative virtual reality technologies developed by Swinburne's Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing.. These highly entertaining sessions include movies, animations and simulations — all produced by our in-house team of astronomers, visualisation researchers, animators, artists and programmers.
AstroTours
To be notified of up-coming public astronomy activities, please email [email protected]. If you have any questions about AstroTours, please contact the AstroTour Coordinator by emailing [email protected]. AstroTours educate audiences about astronomy using innovative virtual reality technologies developed by Swinburne's ...
Home
What began as a childhood hobby has developed into a lifelong passion. Gisborne Astro Tours is founded by John Drummond, one of New Zealand's foremost amateur astronomers - who holds a Master of Science in Astronomy (Swinburne University). He is dedicated to sharing the secrets and science of the universe with you.
About
John holds a Master of Science (Astronomy) from Swinburne University. He has helped discover ~20 exoplanets. John is a sought-after astronomy speaker and qualified teacher. Established in 2019, Gisborne Astro Tours delivers a wealth of knowledge, passion and friendly kiwi-hospitality and is now a must-do experience in Tairāwhiti.
CAS
1. Money can be paid into your research account at the standard rate of $170 per hour-long AstroTour (or $85 for half hour AstroTour). 2. You can receive payment as a salary into your bank account at the current tutors rate ($127.02 less tax for one hour; $63.51 less tax for half hour). In addition to the Online Astrotour Payment Form, please ...
Swinburne Astronomy Productions
Swinburne Astronomy Productions - Astrotour. AstroTour Virtual Reality Theatres are the ultimate educational system for public outreach in astronomy. Each year over 150,000 people are fascinated, inspired and educated in AstroTour theatres around the world. The theatres use stereoscopic 3D projection to create an immersive environment where the ...
GISBORNE ASTRO TOURS
Gisborne Astro Tours. Tucked away from the hustle and bustle and in the beautiful backcountry of the East Coast, you can experience a unique and in-depth voyage of discovery to the far corners of the universe. This intimate and inspiring 2-hour astro tour with a highly acclaimed astronomer is your gateway to the stars.
Regional AstroTours
If you would be interested in having the Swinburne travelling AstroTour visit your school in 2009, please contact: Dr Glen Mackie: Phone: (03) 9214 5743 Fax: (03) 9214 8797 Email: [email protected]. If several schools in your region are interested in the program, we would definitely do our best to organise a tour. The content for your school ...
Swinburne University's AstroTour welcomes 25,000th visitor
SWINBURNE University's Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing welcomed their 25,000th AstroTour visitor this week.
Swinburne AstroTours celebrate 25,000 visitors
Swinburne University of Technology's AstroTours celebrated its 25,000th visitor during a school group session with students from Methodist Ladies' College today. Since 2000, the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing at Swinburne has presented more than 850 AstroTours, designed to educate and entertain audiences about astronomy.
Alan Duffy's astro tour visits Melbourne
Alan Duffy's astro tour visits Melbourne Done. 201 views. 2 faves. 0 comments. Uploaded on June 24, 2016 . Taken on June 23, 2016
Swinburne AstroTours
Wed 13 Apr 2011 - Thu 06 Oct 2011 If you're struggling to find anything remotely exciting to do these school holidays, a 3D AstroTour of space may be in order. Swinburne University of Technology's Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing holds Public AstroTours over the school holidays for children aged 6 years and over. Exploring the planets and solar system has never been so much fun.
Swinburne eMentoring Astro Tour
Finally the students enjoyed a journey around the solar system in Swinburne's 3D Astro Tour theatre. The day was a fantastic opportunity for students from regional areas to gain a first hand insight into life at university and real scientific research. It was a demonstration of the level of commitment shown by eMentors like Sarah and Wael and ...
Matthew Bailes
Matthew Bailes FAA is an astrophysicist and Professor at the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology [2] and the Director of OzGrav, the ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery. In 2015 he won an ARC Laureate Fellowship to work on Fast Radio Bursts. [1] [5] He is one of the most active researchers in pulsars and Fast Radio Bursts in the ...
Booking
Book Now. For Boulder Astronomy Tours try our new online booking portal. How to use: Click "Book Now" then pick a date on the calendar (available dates have a blue dot), click the time that pops up next to the calendar, then click "next". Fill out the booking form you will need: a name, email, phone number, and number in your group.
Swinburne's Dr Alan Duffy concludes Alumni Astro Tour
The presentation provided insights into recent research from Swinburne's astrophysics team, including the hunt for alien life, the rapid growth of the universe and the World's first dark matter detector in the Southern Hemisphere. Dr Alan Duffy presenting to the crowd at the Melbourne leg of his tour. Dr Duffy says he was delighted with the ...
Alan Duffy's astro tour visits Melbourne
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