Stockport observatory

North of Adelaide, away from city lights, the Astronomical Society of South Australia runs its main dark-sky site at Stockport observatory.

About Stockport observatory

The site is located near Stockport, about 80 kilometres north of Adelaide and roughly 6 kilometres northeast of Hamley Bridge, and is operated by the Astronomical Society of South Australia (ASSA), founded in 1892 as the oldest amateur astronomy society in the country. The observatory gives ASSA members and visitors a clear observing site well away from Adelaide's light pollution.

Telescopes & research

The site houses two permanent domed observatories: the Charles Todd Observatory, home to the 20-inch (0.5 m) Jubilee Telescope, and the Jubilee Dome, with a 16-inch (40 cm) telescope. A further Grida Dome houses a 12-inch (30 cm) Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. ASSA also runs a smaller public observatory with a 300 mm telescope at The Heights School in Adelaide.

Location & getting there

Stockport observatory sits in rural South Australia north of Adelaide, chosen specifically for its distance from the city's lights.

Visiting Stockport observatory

ASSA holds public star parties at Stockport four times a year, in February (summer), May (autumn), August (winter), and November (spring); check the ASSA website for dates and details before attending.

See your named star from here

The domes at Stockport were built to give members a clear, dark window on the sky - and any of their telescopes can, in principle, be aimed at the coordinates on your own star certificate. Browse the full star catalogue to find your star.