HI guys,
This is sad news. It's a shame. It was very professional with top equipment and staff. I will miss catching an occasional show when I've been down there.
Someone in Sydney should take up the business, although, as you can see from below, the club is keen to keep it in Canberra. Surely such a facility say at some place like Penrith Panthers could make it profitable?
wrt to Canberra, maybe Stromlo should pick it up? They seem to be determined to develop the mountain again - what a great addition to their visitor's centre!
fyi, I came across this site when I googled "Canberra Planetarium closing'
http://fuzzylogicon2xx.blogspot.com/...g-noooooo.html
The Canberra Planetarium and Observatory in Downer, beloved for its quaint stargazing documentaries and fantastic suite of telescopes for checking out nebulae, is due to close at the end of this month (this was Jan). The Tradies Club in Dickson, which owns the site, is planning to put something exciting like apartments in.
The Club has very kindly offered to donate the equipment to any organisation in the ACT that has the resources and is prepared to house, maintain and operate this valuable educational and community facility. To facilitate the relocation process, some local astronomers and concerned citizens have formed an association called the Planetarium and Observatory Association of Canberra (POAC). They intend to explore any existing government, educational and community support and to research potential funding sources. POAC membership is open to anybody interested in supporting this cause. It costs $2 to join, more information is available through eye_see_ewe[at]hotmail.com
Regards
Glenn
