Beverly-Begg Observatory
Encyclopedia
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
astronomical observatory, situated on Robin Hood Park in the Belleknowes part of Dunedin's
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
town belt
Town Belt
The Town Belt is a green belt which surrounds the centre of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. Covering a total of over , it extends around three sides of the city's centre at a distance from it of some 1-3 km in a broad crescent from the Oval at Kensington in the south through the suburbs of...
. It was established in 1922 by the Dunedin Astronomical Society
Dunedin Astronomical Society
The Dunedin Astronomical Society Incorporated is an amateur astronomical group operating from the Beverly-Begg Observatory Dunedin, New Zealand...
and is the home of the group. The annex was added in the 1960s.
On 6 September 2008 the society unveiled a new 35 cm Celestron
Celestron
Celestron is a company that manufactures and imports telescopes, binoculars, spotting scopes, microscopes, and accessories for their products.-Origins and History:...
instrument on a Software Bisque
Software Bisque
Software Bisque, Inc. is an American company that develops software used in astronomy. It was founded in 1984 by current president and CEO, Stephen Bisque....
Paramount ME robotic telescope mount
Telescope mount
A telescope mount is a mechanical structure which supports a telescope. Telescope mounts are designed to support the mass of the telescope and allow for accurate pointing of the instrument...
with camera totalling $38,000, replacing a 30.5 cm reflector telescope that had been in use since 1973. In addition $9,000 was spent upgrading the observatory facilities, including raising the floor by 1 m and installing computer screens displaying images captured by the telescope.
The observatory is open to the public on Sunday nights from 7:30 pm during the winter months (when New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
daylight saving time
Daylight saving time
Daylight saving time —also summer time in several countries including in British English and European official terminology —is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks during the summertime so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less...
is not in force). Access for education and private groups may be made by arrangement through the Dunedin Astronomical Society's
Dunedin Astronomical Society
The Dunedin Astronomical Society Incorporated is an amateur astronomical group operating from the Beverly-Begg Observatory Dunedin, New Zealand...
education officer.
The annex is used by the society for meetings and talks. The observatory facilities are available for DAS member's use.