![A stargazing event designed for high school and university students is coming to Towamba on January 28, 2023. The Rosette Nebula in Monoceros photographed by Neil Creek. A stargazing event designed for high school and university students is coming to Towamba on January 28, 2023. The Rosette Nebula in Monoceros photographed by Neil Creek.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/117044565/dec6d5bd-84a9-4c14-8976-5bd11238cec7.jpg/r0_147_1653_1076_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Students from across the Bega Valley Shire, aged 12 to 24, are invited to attend a stargazing event at Towamba which will be unlike anything they've seen before.
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On Saturday January 28 a group of astronomers from the Mount Burnett Observatory in Victoria will provide an evening of astronomical entertainment at the Towamba sportsgrounds, using professional equipment which they have brought up with them.
Mount Burnett Observatory committee member and event co-organiser, Andrew Spalding said it was a unique opportunity that ought not to be missed.
![The Great Orion Nebula in Orion. The handle of "The Saucepan". Picture taken by Neil Creek The Great Orion Nebula in Orion. The handle of "The Saucepan". Picture taken by Neil Creek](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/117044565/55a72b43-34e5-4f54-8a10-ef57fae666c5.jpg/r0_52_1679_1089_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"For some it'll be the first chance to look through a decent sized telescope at the night sky and understand what it is they're looking at, with experienced astronomers explaining it to them in simple terms," Mr Spalding said.
Mr Spalding said Towamba was an 'ideal' location for stargazing due to the dark skies and limited light pollution in the air.
"The sky at Towamba will be excellent for viewing and it's a beautiful spot, if we have a really nice dark sky it will be much easier to see through the telescope," he said.
![The Eta Carina Nebula in Carina. Picture taken by Neil Creek The Eta Carina Nebula in Carina. Picture taken by Neil Creek](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/117044565/5f4d5364-c079-4b1f-9fa6-f704c361bc54.jpg/r0_0_1730_1307_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"We'll be looking at planets like Jupiter before it sets and Mars with the hopes to make out an ice cap on the planet but there'll be plenty of other targets too which includes plenty of nebulae".
Mr Spalding said nebulae was essentially glowing clouds of gas that were very impressive to see, he noted that they hoped to spot two nebulas in particular that night - the great nebula in orion and the tarantula nebula.
![The Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud, in the constellation of Dorado. Picture taken by Neil Creek The Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud, in the constellation of Dorado. Picture taken by Neil Creek](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/117044565/5b76e752-44d2-4d46-8dc6-47ef19b278e4.jpg/r0_211_1793_1219_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"One of the telescopes we'll be brining has a 45cm mirror, which is huge and that'll be ideal for things like nebulae," he said.
Mr Spalding said students will have the unique opportunity to look through a variety of professional and impressive telescopes on the night, which range from a 20cm DOB to the large Newtonian reflector with it's 45cm mirror.
The Towamba Stargazing event was organised communally by the Southern Valley Folk Club and local woman Anita Coakley, along with the assistance of the Mount Burnett Observatory committee.
The Towamba Stargazing event has come about as an addition to the Towamba Primary school's summer holiday program.
![Committee members show youth how to look at the stars at the Mount Burnett Observatory in Victoria. Picture supplied. Committee members show youth how to look at the stars at the Mount Burnett Observatory in Victoria. Picture supplied.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/117044565/044115b2-ffde-435b-a0e1-f5272db1891e.jpg/r0_81_873_622_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Even though the Towamba Stargazing event was created for students aged 12 to 24, organisers have opened the event up to families providing transport, as well as any keen photographers and astronomy enthusiasts.
Mr Spalding said there has been only 30 registrations so far when they have a capacity of 100. Registrations for the event is necessary and can be made on trybooking.com.
While the event is free, there will also be a Sausage Sizzle fundraiser for future events. The stargazing program will begin at 7pm, starting with speeches and presentations on what to look out for that night and a run down on how to use the equipment.
Three committee members will jump up to present their speeches including Mr Spalding who will discuss what the Mount Burnett Observatory do and the plans for the evening, followed by presentations from professional astrophotographer Neil Creek and an astrophysicist, Stuart Lyall.
"Once it gets darker and the stars come out, the brighter objects will appear first like Jupiter, so we'll show them where that is and we'll show and explain everything else," he said.
![A meteor streaks through the Milky Way as seen at the VicSouth star party. Picture by Neil Creek. A meteor streaks through the Milky Way as seen at the VicSouth star party. Picture by Neil Creek.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/117044565/c4b99492-952d-4138-a3e0-808303bb16c4.jpg/r0_105_2048_1261_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The 9 committee members will be assigned to various telescopes and every 10 minutes or so the students will rotate around to look through them and in some cases even taught how to handle them.
Mr Spalding said the evening was a great opportunity for youth to learn about astrophotography and space science from experienced, knowledgeable amateur astronomers, all of which are volunteers.
"Hopefully we'll make it a great night for everybody that comes to it and we can do this again," he said.
The sportsgrounds has been booked for both Saturday and Sunday night, the Sunday being reserved for a private event with the Towamba primary school students.
That being said Mr Spalding noted that if the sky conditions weren't ideal on Saturday, they'd bring the attendants into the hall and continue the presentation and proceed to inviting them to join them on the Sunday, weather permitting.
![Milky Way Centre. Picture taken by Neil Creek Milky Way Centre. Picture taken by Neil Creek](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/117044565/804badf1-67a1-4097-9d2b-bcf35e557ec3.jpg/r0_105_2048_1256_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)