Additional information on the Mt. Stromlo fire /Bob ----- Original Message ----- From: "J & P Howard" <jphoward@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <WebbSoc@xxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Sunday, January 19, 2003 3:51 PM Subject: Re: [ASSA-CHAT] Report o Mount Stromlo > > Laser ranger facility - gone > That facility included a 1-metre telescope and some extremely accurate > measuring equipment. > > > 9" Oddie refractor - gone > The dome dates from 1910 - first dome on Mt Stromlo. The telescope was made > in 1896. > Was available for use by Canberra Astronomical Society on weekends. Superb > planetary telescope. There was one storeroom full of observing logs going > back many decades, and another containing some CAS eyepieces, charts, etc. > The dome was reputedly haunted. > > > 26" Yale Columbia refractor - gone > This telescope has been out of commission for several years, requiring > repairs to the dome. Now, the dome is destryed and the telescope tube is > bent in two. > > > 50" Great Melbourne Telescope - gone > In its guise of a 48-inch, this was the equal biggest telescope in the world > when manufactured in 1868. > > > 30" - might be ok? > Perhaps didn't make the list as it has been out of commission for a couple > of years due to unavailability of spares for ageing electrical equipment. > Last used by the RAPT (Reynolds Amateur Photometry Team) for which work they > won the Berenice Page medal. Canberra Astronomical Society is (was?) > looking into the possibility of refurbishing the electronics as Mt Stromlo > staff were all busy on the NIFS project. > > > 18" Upsala dome (Canberra Astronomical Societies dome) - gone > The Upsalla Schmidt telescope was moved to Siding Spring some years ago, > leaving the dome available for CAS to install their 14-inch dobsonian > (presumably destroyed)and a 6-inch Takahashi (temporarily removed for > repairs to the mount). Also in the building were the CAS library and other > equipment. > > > 74" - definitely damaged but true extent of damage unclear. > The dome is still standing, but the walls seem to have gone with the dome > standing on metal staunchions. I heard that the mirror may have melted, but > that is unconfirmed. The attached mirror recoating room appears intact from > the aerial photo. The coude room, data room and control room have been > razed, but the coude spectrograph room goes nine feet underground into the > bedrock. > > > Original administration building including two small domes housing > > old refractor and solar scope - gone > Building dates from 1924 when Mt Stromlo was a solar observatory. The old > refractor is the 6-inch Farnham. Also in the building, and destroyed, was > the Mt Stromlo Library. This building was partially destroyed by bushfires > several years ago. > > > Workshops - gone > These workshops manufactured rangefinding optics and other devices during > WWII. A couple of years ago they had a boost to their flagging fortunes > when they won a mult-million dollar contract to manufacture the NIFS > instrument for a 4-metre 'scope in Chile. The contract meant they needed to > put on more staff and get some CNC milling machines, etc. The instrument > was nearly ready for delivery, but I presume is now gone. > > > Main admin building - at least water damaged but may be worse! > That would be the Duffield and Woolley Buildings, named after former > directors, where CAS hold their monthly meetings. > > Eight of the 12 astronomers' residences on Mt Stromlo were razed. Many of > the astronomers (and indeed CAS members) reside(d) in the suburb of Duffy, > in which about 200 houses were destroyed. > > John Howard > > ==^================================================================ > This email was sent to: bobe@xxxxxxxxx > > EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84wTm.a9pQWp.Ym9iZUBu > Or send an email to: WebbSoc-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxx > > TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! > http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html > ==^================================================================ > > -- See message header for info on list archives or unsubscribing, and please send personal replies to the author, not the list.