Editing Stardome Observatory

{{Short description|Astronomical observatory and planetarium in Auckland, New Zealand}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}}
{{more citations needed|date=October 2014}}
[[File:Stardome Observatory Cornwall Park.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Stardome Observatory & Planetarium from the southwest]]

'''Stardome Observatory & Planetarium''' ([[IAU]] observatory code 467, previously known as '''Auckland Observatory''') is a public [[astronomical observatory]] and planetarium situated in [[Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill|Maungakiekie/One Tree Hill Domain]] in [[Auckland, New Zealand]].

Stardome has operated from its premises in Auckland's Maungakiekie One Tree Hill Domain since 1967 and has operated as a place of exploration, research and sharing of knowledge ever since.

Stardome's history began in 1948 when the [https://www.astronomy.org.nz/ Auckland Astronomical Society] began fundraising for a public observatory in Auckland. By 1956 they had significant funds, including a substantial bequest from Mrs Edith Winstone Blackwell<ref>{{Citation |title=Edith Winstone Blackwell |date=2023-05-23 |work=Wikipedia |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Winstone_Blackwell |access-date=2024-09-04 |language=en}}</ref> for the purchase of a telescope for public use. The Society formed the Auckland Observatory and Planetarium Trust Board to build on these funds and provide for the construction and management of a new observatory.

In 1960 One Tree Hill Borough Council provided a 21-year lease, which has been subsequently extended, for a site in One Tree Hill Domain (which Stardome still occupies), and in March 1967 the Observatory opened.<ref>{{Cite web |title="Not in my Backyard" – The Construction of the Auckland Observatory |url=https://ahi.auckland.ac.nz/2021/07/22/not-in-my-backyard/ |access-date=2024-09-04 |website=Auckland History Initiative |language=en-NZ}}</ref>

== Relocation to Maungakiekie One Tree Hill Domain ==
Originally the Auckland Museum<ref>{{Citation |title=Auckland War Memorial Museum |date=2024-08-08 |work=Wikipedia |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auckland_War_Memorial_Museum |access-date=2024-09-04 |language=en}}</ref> operated a planetarium which had been donated by the Farmers Trading Company<ref>{{Citation |title=Farmers Trading Company |date=2024-07-29 |work=Wikipedia |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farmers_Trading_Company |access-date=2024-09-04 |language=en}}</ref> in 1958. The planetarium at the museum closed in 1989, allowing Stardome the opportunity to build a replacement planetarium. Fundraising was undertaken with a clear vision to provide the country with the best facility possible.

Major funding from the Lotteries Commission, the ASB Community Trust, a loan from the Auckland City Council and donations from the Auckland public raised nearly $3 million for the project. The new planetarium and associated facilities opened in February 1997 and the 11 metre domed planetarium cinema remains the largest and most advanced in New Zealand.

Stardome is now a trusted centre for sharing astronomy and [[mātauranga Māori]] in Auckland. It offers visitors the experience of learning with entertainment in a planetarium and observatory environment, and allows visitors to explore the interconnections between people, Earth, and the cosmos. [https://register.charities.govt.nz/CharitiesRegister/ViewCharity?accountId=bfdcbd5f-0d8a-dc11-98a0-0015c5f3da29&searchId=bbd078bc-08ca-4d2e-a6e0-2d25eedbaf99 Stardome is a registered charity.]
{| class="wikitable"
|Stardome is grateful for the support it receives from the ratepayers of Auckland and Auckland Council through the Auckland Regional Funding Board (ARAFB).
|}

== Premises and location ==
[https://www.stardome.org.nz/ Stardome Observatory & Planetarium] is located at 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland 1023, within Maungakiekie One Tree Hill Domain. The 1,000 square metre facility has two [[telescope]] domes, (one available for [https://www.stardome.org.nz/movie/zeiss-telescope public viewing sessions]), a 75 seat [[planetarium]], gallery and exhibition space, a retail shop, outdoor courtyard telescope space, and space for education groups as well as private hire.

== Education at Stardome ==
Stardome Observatory and Planetarium is committed to ensuring that celestial stories, astronomy, mātauranga Māori and cosmological science are shared with integrity and honour, allowing visitors to explore the interconnections between people, Earth, and the cosmos.

Stardome is a recognised ELC (Enriching Local Curriculum) provider, and its education programme is driven by learning objectives that align with Te Whāriki, the New Zealand curriculum, and Te Marautanga.

Stardome is a member of Auckland's GLAM sector, and Te Kāhui Toi Ihiihi – an initiative designed to support Māori Medium ākonga to participate in ELC education within Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

In addition to the ELC programme, sessions are also provided for kindergarten and pre-schoolers, university students, defence staff (primarily celestial navigation), geo-survey students, senior groups, corporate and other specialised groups. Bookings usually comprise a planetarium feature show, a night-sky planetarium presentation, time exploring the exhibits and displays, a selection from a 'classroom' session and other activities such as a water bottle rocket launch demonstration, [[Matariki]] focus, and telescope viewing.

== Auckland Astronomical Society ==
The [https://www.astronomy.org.nz/ Auckland Astronomical Society] meets at Stardome on the first four Mondays of every month. The Society offers educational sessions, speakers and lecturers, practical astronomy advice, documentary screening, and educational outreach in the community.
{| class="wikitable floatright" style="font-size: 0.9em; width: 270px;"
|+ [[Minor planet]]s discovered: 1&thinsp;<ref name="MPC-Discoverers" />
|-
| [[19620 Auckland]] || 18 August 1999 || {{MPC|19620}}
|}

== Research by Auckland Astronomical Society ==
In 1969, the observatory constructed a UBV [[Photometry (astronomy)|photoelectric photometer]] with assistance from the [[University of Auckland]]. This photometer on the Zeiss telescope became a very successful instrument and produced a significant number of published research papers. Probably the most important discovery was the phenomenon of "super-humps" in the [[SU Ursae Majoris]] class of [[cataclysmic variable star|cataclysmic binary]] stars<ref>http://www.konkoly.hu/cgi-bin/IBVS?0864 {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref> in 1974.

In 1988, the observatory participated in the discovery of the atmosphere of [[Pluto]] by measuring the brightness change as the planet passed in front of a star.

During the 1980s the Zeiss telescope was used to support several doctoral students from the [[University of Auckland]] (most notably [[Rodger Freeth]]), including the development of a new computer-controlled photon counting photometer. Regular UBV photometry of variable stars continued until 1998 when a [[Charge-coupled device|CCD]] camera was first used.

In 1999, a [[Celestron]] C-14 [[Schmidt-Cassegrain]] telescope was provided by the Nustrini family for installation in the newly built second dome at Stardome Observatory. A grant from the ASB Trust was used to buy a Paramount GT1100s mounting (manufactured by [[Software Bisque]]) and an Apogee AP8p CCD camera. The Apogee camera has a back-illuminated SITe003 CCD (1024×1024 24-[[micrometre]] pixels). The field of view is 22 [[arc-minute]]s. The 0.35 m (f/11) Nustrini telescope is used only for research. In 2006 the [[Celestron]] C-14 telescope was replaced by a 40&nbsp;cm Meade ACF (F/10) and in 2008 CCD camera was replaced by a SBIG ST-6303. The Meade ACF telescope uses an OG530 Orange Schott Optical Glass Filter.

Stardome Observatory & Planetarium is a member of the microFUN collaboration<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www-astronomy.mps.ohio-state.edu/~microfun/ |title=MicroFUN 2005 |access-date=2006-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060102223958/http://www-astronomy.mps.ohio-state.edu/~microfun/ |archive-date=2006-01-02 }}</ref> which attempts to detect [[Extrasolar planet|extra-solar]] planets by [[gravitational microlensing]]. MicroFUN is based at the Astronomy Department of [[Ohio State University]] and coordinates the observation of high-magnification microlensing events. In April 2005, microFUN contributed significantly to the discovery of a Jovian-mass planet ([[OGLE-2005-BLG-071L]]<ref>{{cite journal | bibcode = 2005ApJ...628L.109U | title=A Jovian-Mass Planet in Microlensing Event OGLE-2005-BLG-071 | journal=The Astrophysical Journal | volume=628 | page=L109 | year=2005 |author=Udalski, A. |author2=Jaroszynski, M. |author3=Paczynski, B. |author4=Kubiak, M. |author5=Szymanski, M. K. |author6=Soszynski, I. |author7=Pietrzynski, G. |author8=Ulaczyk, K. |author9=Szewczyk, O. |author10=Wyrzykowski, L. |author11=Christie, G. W. |author12=DePoy, D. L. |author13=Dong, S. |author14=Gal-Yam, A. |author15=Gaudi, B. S. |author16=Gould, A. |author17=Han, C. |author18=Lépine, S. |author19=McCormick, J. |author20=Park, B.-G. |author21=Pogge, R. W. |author22=Bennett, D. P. |author23=Bond, I. A. |author24=Muraki, Y. |author25=Tristram, P. J. |author26=Yock, P. C. M. |author27=Beaulieu, J.-P. |author28=Bramich, D. M. |author29=Dieters, S. W. |author30=Greenhill, J. |author31=Hill, K. |author32=Horne, K. |author33=Kubas, D. | issue=2 | doi=10.1086/432795|arxiv = astro-ph/0505451 | s2cid=7425167 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|arxiv=astro-ph/0505451|doi=10.1086/432795|title=A Jovian-Mass Planet in Microlensing Event OGLE-2005-BLG-071|year=2005|last1=Udalski|first1=A.|last2=Jaroszyński|first2=M.|last3=Paczyński|first3=B.|last4=Kubiak|first4=M.|last5=Szymański|first5=M. K.|last6=Soszyński|first6=I.|last7=Pietrzyński|first7=G.|last8=Ulaczyk|first8=K.|last9=Szewczyk|first9=O.|last10=Wyrzykowski|first10=Ł.|last11=Christie|first11=G. W.|last12=Depoy|first12=D. L.|last13=Dong|first13=S.|last14=Gal-Yam|first14=A.|last15=Gaudi|first15=B. S.|last16=Gould|first16=A.|last17=Han|first17=C.|last18=Lépine|first18=S.|last19=McCormick|first19=J.|last20=Park|first20=B.-G.|last21=Pogge|first21=R. W.|last22=Bennett|first22=D. P.|last23=Bond|first23=I. A.|last24=Muraki|first24=Y.|last25=Tristram|first25=P. J.|last26=Yock|first26=P. C. M.|last27=Beaulieu|first27=J.-P.|last28=Bramich|first28=D. M.|last29=Dieters|first29=S. W.|last30=Greenhill|first30=J.|journal=The Astrophysical Journal|volume=628|issue=2|pages=L109–L112|bibcode=2005ApJ...628L.109U|s2cid=7425167|display-authors=1}}</ref>), the second planet to be detected in this way. In 2005, the Stardome contributed 250 hours of time-series photometry to this collaboration.

Stardome also contributes to the [[Center for Backyard Astrophysics]] (CBA)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cba.phys.columbia.edu/ |title=CBA - Center for Backyard Astrophysics |access-date=2006-02-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060220021210/http://cba.phys.columbia.edu/ |archive-date=2006-02-20 }}</ref> in [[New York City]] as CBA-Auckland.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cba.phys.columbia.edu/data/archive/auckland.html |title=CBA - Center for Backyard Astrophysics |access-date=2006-02-09 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20060907150833/http://cba.phys.columbia.edu/data/archive/auckland.html |archive-date=2006-09-07 }}</ref> This professional-amateur network monitors selected [[cataclysmic variable star|cataclysmic binary]] stars and contributes to the understanding of these objects. During 2005, over 250 hours of observations where contributed to the CBA.

The research telescope at Stardome is used to make regular astrometric observations of [[comet]]s and [[near-Earth object]]s (NEOs) for the [[Minor Planet Center]].<ref>[http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/mpc.html Minor Planet Center (MPC) – About, Services and Publications]</ref> In 2004, observations were made of the NEO [[2004 FH]] which was at the time the closest natural object detected from [[Earth]] (43,000&nbsp;km). CCD photometry obtained at Stardome showed that the object was rotating in 3 minutes, the fastest rotation rate measured for any solar system object.<ref>[http://cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/08300/08310.html#Item4 Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (Circular No. 8310) – 2004 FH]</ref>

Research at Stardome is performed on a voluntary basis by members of the [https://www.astronomy.org.nz/ Auckland Astronomical Society].
{| class="wikitable floatright" style="font-size: 0.9em;"
|+ '''Edith Winstone Blackwell Telescope'''
|-
! align="left" | Organization
| Stardome Observatory
|-
! align="left" | Location
| One Tree Hill, Auckland, New Zealand
|-
! align="left" | Wavelength regime
| optical
|-
! align="left" | Completion date
| 1966
|-
! align="left" | Webpage
| {{URL|http://www.stardome.org.nz}}
|-
! colspan="2" bgcolor="#green" | Physical characteristics
|-
! align="left" | Telescope style
| Cassegrain
|-
! align="left" | Diameter
| 0.5 m
|-
! align="left" | Collecting area
| 0.72 m²
|-
! align="left" | Focal length
| 6.65 m
|-
! align="left" | Mounting
| equatorial
|-
! align="left" | Dome
| spherical
|}

== [https://www.stardome.org.nz/zeiss-telescope Edith Winstone Blackwell Telescope (Zeiss telescope)] ==
[[File:Stardome Observatory Wooden Dome.jpg|thumb|left|The wooden observatory dome of the EWB telescope from within]]

The primary fixed telescope is the 0.5 m [[Edith Winstone Blackwell]] Telescope (EWB) which is a classical [[Cassegrain reflector]] (f/13.3) manufactured by [[Carl Zeiss AG|Carl Zeiss]] of [[Jena]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://www.zeiss.com/corporate/en/about-zeiss/past/history.html |access-date=2024-09-04 |website=www.zeiss.com |language=en}}</ref> It was installed in late 1966 and is one of about 20 comparable instruments produced by Zeiss. It is mounted on an offset German [[equatorial mount]]. The optical tube assembly weighs about 500&nbsp;kg and the overall weight, including the mount, is 2500&nbsp;kg.

The Zeiss telescope was purchased with money from a gift to the people of Auckland by the late Edith Winstone Blackwell [[Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|MBE]]. It has been heavily used for both public viewing and research since being commissioned in 1967.

== See also ==
* [[List of astronomical observatories]]
* [[List of astronomical societies]]
* [[List of planetariums]]
* [[Lists of telescopes]]

== References ==
{{Reflist
|refs=

<ref name="MPC-Discoverers">{{cite web
  |title      = Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)
  |work       = Minor Planet Center
  |url        = http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/MPDiscsNum.html
  |date       = 14 November 2016
  |access-date = 29 November 2016}}</ref>

}} <!-- end of reflist -->

== External links ==
* [http://www.stardome.org.nz/ Stardome Observatory website]
* [https://www.astronomy.org.nz/new/public/default.aspx Auckland Astronomical Society website]

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{{Astronomical observatories in New Zealand}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Stardome Observatory & Planetarium}}
[[Category:1960s architecture in New Zealand|Stardome Observatory and Planetarium]]
[[Category:Astronomical observatories in New Zealand|Stardome Observatory and Planetarium]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Auckland|Stardome Observatory and Planetarium]]
[[Category:Education in Auckland|Stardome Observatory and Planetarium]]
[[Category:Minor-planet discovering observatories|Stardome Observatory and Planetarium]]
[[Category:Public observatories|Stardome Observatory and Planetarium]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Auckland|Stardome Observatory and Planetarium]]
[[Category:Planetarium shows]]