- Planning a school visit
- School night visit
- School day visit - astronomy
- School day visit - weather
- School visit (multi venues)
- Risk assessment
- Internships
- Work experience
- Adult astronomy courses
- Solar system guide
SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS
Use the links at left to plan a school visit, apply for an internship or work experience, book an adult astronomy course, or to access our solar system guide.
SPECIAL INVITATION
2011 TEACHERS PREVIEW
Wine and pizza under the stars
Tuesday 15 February 2011
6:30pm to 9pm
Start the New Year with a special teachers-only event at Sydney Observatory.
Come along and see for yourself just how wonderful a Sydney Observatory experience can be for you and your students. 'Astronomy' and 'Weather' are just two of our programs on offer. The focus in 2011 is 'Indigenous astronomy'.
On the night you can experience highlights from the 'Sydney's weather' curriculum-based program, launched in partnership with the Bureau of Meteorology and the National Maritime Museum, and astronomy programs. View the 3-D Theatre program 'Bigger than big' in 3-D! Our 3-D Theatre from Swinburne University of Technology is one of the most powerful teaching aids and a must-see for all astronomy students from year 3 to year 12. Your students will see the Earth, Sun, our galaxy and the Universe as never before.
View through the Observatory's most powerful telescope, experience our mini-planetarium and the exhibitions about the history of Australian astronomy since European settlement and our first astronomers, the Indigenous peoples.
Wine and light refreshments will be served on the night. As numbers are limited please call now to reserve your place. Places are limited to a maximum of 5 teachers per school.
Where: Sydney Observatory, Watson Rd, Millers Point
RSVP by email: observatory@phm.gov.au
or phone: 9921 3485 by Friday 11th February, 2011
Adult astronomy courses
Our adult education astronomy programs (some suitable for younger people as well – check course details) range from single sessions to courses run over several weeks. Many are produced and presented by Dr Paul Payne who is well known for his extensive astronomical experience and also for his highly interactive and involving audiovisuals.
As one happy customer emailed Paul after doing one of his courses:
Hi Paul - My wife and I attended your HSC Relativity course last night. I want to thank you for providing a very interesting and well presented course on a complex subject, we both enjoyed it immensely…. Your 3D graphic presentation made it much easier to understand for both of us…. I look forward to attending some of your other related courses.
- Craig Lavender
(quoted with permission)
Scientist encounters in short video playlets:
'Observation', 'Revolution' and 'A leap of faith'
These three short video plays feature Galileo Galilei in conversation with scientists from other times. In 'Observation' (5 mins 51 secs), Caroline Herschel challenges Galileo's definition of an astronomer. In 'Revolution' (6 mins 39 secs), Charles Darwin shocks Galileo with his ideas about our early ancestors. And 'A leap of faith' (6 mins 01 sec) is a humorous encounter between Galileo and Isaac Newton as they discover the three forces of motion.
Supported by a National Science Week Grant.
Scripts of the playlets
'Observation' (pdf document)
'Revolution' (pdf document)
'Leap of faith' (pdf document)
Talk by writer/director, Alana Valentine
Alana Valentine's speech at the launch of the video playlets, 'Observation', 'Revolution' and 'Leap of faith' in August 2009.
Launch speech (pdf document)