Astronomical Society Of South Australia
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The Astronomical Society of South Australia (ASSA) was founded in 1892 and is the oldest
society A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Socie ...
of its kind in Australia. It is the only representative body for
amateur An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...
astronomy in the state of South Australia. It holds regular general monthly meetings, frequent meetings for members of specialised groups and has available two observatories, one with a 300mm
telescope A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, absorption, or reflection of electromagnetic radiation. Originally meaning only an optical instrument using lenses, curved mirrors, or a combination of both to observe ...
at The Heights School within easy reach of
Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
and used primarily for public viewing, and a second at Stockport with 500mm and 450mm telescopes presently in service and a larger 36-inch instrument currently being considered.


Membership

The ASSA has approximately 500 members. People of all ages are able to join.


Observatories and facilities

The ASSA has a choice of facilities available to members and guests: *Stockport Observatory - this was badly damaged in a severe storm in 2010, but in late 2013 the Astronomical Society of South Australia was given $50,000 by the State Government to pay for half of the cost of a new dome. The observatory is used as a teaching tool, hosting groups of curious students and members the public, but it also has an impressive research record. *The Heights Observatory * Tooperang Observing Site *Whyalla Middleback Observing Site *Adelaide Planetarium *The ASSA Library The ''VicSouth Desert Spring Star Party'' is an annual weekend of astronomy, jointly hosted by the
Astronomical Society of Victoria The Astronomical Society of Victoria (ASV) is an amateur astronomy club in the state of Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 1922, making it one of the oldest such clubs in the country, and with some 1500 members it claims to be one of the la ...
and the Astronomical Society of South Australia. It is held around October–November near the town of
Nhill Nhill is a town in the Wimmera, in western Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. Nhill is located on the Western Highway, Victoria, Western Highway, halfway between Adelaide and Melbourne. At the , Nhill had a population of 1,749. "Nhill" i ...
in western Victoria, Australia.


Notable Members

* Professor Sir Robert Chapman CMG, BA, M.I.C.E., MIEAust (1866–1942) was President for 32 years. * William A. (Bill) Bradfield AM (1927-2014) - with 18 comets and 1 asteroid bearing his name. He was a rocket propulsion and ballistics expert (retired). There is a Bradfield Award given by the Astronomical Society of South Australia to an amateur who displays exceeding accomplishment in a given year in the field of astronomy, given in honour of Bill's achievements. Bill was a long-time ASSA Life Member, past-President (1977–79) and was inducted into the ASSA Hall of Fame in 2013.


See also

*
List of telescopes of Australia The list below is split between telescopes located in Australia, and telescopes sponsored by Australia such as a space telescope or foreign installation. Australia can access the Southern skies, which was a popular trend in the 20th century (ma ...
*
List of astronomical societies A list of notable groups devoted to promoting astronomy research and education. Africa * African Astronomical Society South Africa *Astronomical Society of Southern Africa Asia China * Chinese Astronomical Society India * Akash Mitra Mandal *A ...


References


External links

{{Portal bar, Australia, Astronomy, Stars, Spaceflight, Outer space, Solar System, Education, Science Astronomy in Australia Organizations established in 1892 Amateur astronomy organizations Scientific organisations based in Australia Clubs and societies in South Australia