Farm Cove Observatory

In Pakuranga, Auckland, New Zealand, an amateur astronomer built a small observatory in 2000 that went on to punch well above its weight in professional research circles.

About Farm Cove Observatory

Farm Cove Observatory (FCO) was equipped with a Meade LX200R 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, on loan from Ohio State University's Astronomy Department, and an SBIG ST8XME CCD camera supplied by the Center for Backyard Astrophysics (CBA). It was used exclusively for astronomical research rather than casual stargazing.

History

Also known as CBA Pakuranga, the observatory contributed more than 1,400 hours of data to the Center for Backyard Astrophysics by January 2006 for cataclysmic variable star research. In September 2009, astronomer Jennie McCormick used the site to discover the main-belt asteroid 386622 New Zealand.

Telescopes & research

From April 2004, Farm Cove Observatory joined the MicroFUN gravitational microlensing collaboration led by Ohio State University's Professor Andrew Gould, hunting for exoplanets by monitoring magnification events toward the galactic bulge. In April 2005, its 12 hours of observations helped confirm the exoplanet in event OGLE-2005-BLG-071 - only the second exoplanet ever found by this technique, and the first involving amateur observations. The observatory also contributed magnitude measurements to the British Astronomical Association's monitoring of the blazar OJ 287.

Location & getting there

The site was located in Pakuranga, a suburb of Auckland, in the Oceania region of New Zealand.

Visiting Farm Cove Observatory

Farm Cove Observatory operated purely as a research facility rather than a public visitor site. If you're interested in its current status, check for the latest information before assuming it is open.

See your named star from here

Farm Cove's story shows what a small telescope pointed at precise coordinates can achieve. If you've named a star with Star Register, browse the star catalogue to find its coordinates for yourself.