The Heights Observatory

The Heights Observatory sits at The Heights School in Modbury Heights, Adelaide, South Australia, a community-built facility that has introduced generations of local students to the night sky.

About The Heights Observatory

Sometimes called the Adelaide Observatory (not to be confused with the former University of Adelaide observatory), the facility was built between 1988 and 1989 and opened in November 1989 as the Emanuel Papaelia Observatory.

History

The observatory was constructed almost entirely by volunteers, most of them parents of students at the school. A second building with a roll-off roof, the Ingham Family Rooms, was added in 1996 to expand the site's capabilities.

Telescopes & research

Its centrepiece is a 12-inch Dall-Kirkham Cassegrain reflecting telescope dating from 1963, which originally belonged to the Astronomical Society of South Australia and was previously housed at Marryatville High School before moving to its current home.

Location & getting there

The observatory is located in Modbury Heights, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, on the grounds of The Heights School.

Visiting The Heights Observatory

As a school-based observatory, public viewing nights are typically organised rather than open drop-in; check with the school or the Astronomical Society of South Australia for scheduled sessions before visiting.

See your named star from here

A vintage telescope built by a community, for a community, is a great place to picture a star's coordinates coming to life. If you've named a star, its RA/Dec can be located from southern-hemisphere sites like this - see the catalogue.