Gravity Discovery Centre
Encyclopedia
The Gravity Discovery Centre is a "hands-on" science education centre
, situated on the site of the Australian International Gravitational Observatory
, near Gingin, north of Perth, Western Australia
.
The centre is operated by the University of Western Australia
and provides information and displays regarding physics
and astronomy
, specialising in gravity and cosmology
. The site of the public centre is located far enough from the gravitational wave detector to prevent any interference. Smoking is banned, as the centre is in an area at high risk of a bushfire; it was almost burnt down during a bushfire in November 2006.
The Department of Environment and Conservation manage the bushland surrounding the Discovery Centre and the observatory, and strive to keep the area untouched (from weeds, litter, etc). The surrounding area is abundant in seasonal wildflowers, which it is an offence to pick.
In 2005 the Gravity Discovery Centre was awarded the Eureka Prize for "promoting [the] understanding of science." The GDC is the most efficient of all Australian science education centres in terms of financial subsidy per visitor.
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There are 222 steps to the top from where balloons filled with water can be dropped through chutes.
The tower leans at an angle of 15 degrees and held in place by 180 tons of concrete
.
Science center
A science center or science centre is a science museum that emphasizes a hands-on approach, featuring interactive exhibits that encourage visitors to experiment and explore....
, situated on the site of the Australian International Gravitational Observatory
AIGO
The Australian International Gravitational Observatory is a research facility located near Gingin, north of Perth in Western Australia. It is part of a worldwide effort to directly detect gravitational waves....
, near Gingin, north of Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
.
The centre is operated by the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
and provides information and displays regarding physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, specialising in gravity and cosmology
Cosmology
Cosmology is the discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole. Cosmologists seek to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and ultimate fate of the Universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it in order...
. The site of the public centre is located far enough from the gravitational wave detector to prevent any interference. Smoking is banned, as the centre is in an area at high risk of a bushfire; it was almost burnt down during a bushfire in November 2006.
The Department of Environment and Conservation manage the bushland surrounding the Discovery Centre and the observatory, and strive to keep the area untouched (from weeds, litter, etc). The surrounding area is abundant in seasonal wildflowers, which it is an offence to pick.
In 2005 the Gravity Discovery Centre was awarded the Eureka Prize for "promoting [the] understanding of science." The GDC is the most efficient of all Australian science education centres in terms of financial subsidy per visitor.
Exhibits
- The Discovery Centre
- 1 kilometer acoustic delay line
- The Cosmology Gallery, topped with a 20 metres (65.6 ft) diameter Buckyball dome
- Niobe, the first southern hemisphereSouthern HemisphereThe Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
gravitational wave detectorGravitational wave detectorA gravitational wave detector is any experiment designed to measure gravitational waves, minute distortions of spacetime that are predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity. The existence of gravitational radiation is a prediction of Einstein's general theory of relativity. Gravitational...
. - TimelineTimelineA timeline is a way of displaying a list of events in chronological order, sometimes described as a project artifact . It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labeled with dates alongside itself and events labeled on points where they would have happened.-Uses of timelines:Timelines...
from the Big BangBig BangThe Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model that explains the early development of the Universe. According to the Big Bang theory, the Universe was once in an extremely hot and dense state which expanded rapidly. This rapid expansion caused the young Universe to cool and resulted in...
to the presentThe PresentThe Present is the eleventh album by The Moody Blues. It is the second album of the Patrick Moraz era. It had three minor hit singles, "Blue World" , "Sitting at the Wheel" and "Running Water".... - Penrose Floor
- AstrophotographyAstrophotographyAstrophotography is a specialized type of photography that entails recording images of astronomical objects and large areas of the night sky. The first photographs of an astronomical object were taken in the 1840s, but it was not until the late 19th century that advances in technology allowed for...
- Southern Cross Cosmos Centre
- The Zadko Telescope, a robotic optical telescope.
The Leaning Tower of Gingin
The Leaning Tower of Gingin is a purpose built 45 metres (147.6 ft) tall steel structure, designed so that visitors can recreate the experiments of Galileo GalileiGalileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei , was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. His achievements include improvements to the telescope and consequent astronomical observations and support for Copernicanism...
.
There are 222 steps to the top from where balloons filled with water can be dropped through chutes.
The tower leans at an angle of 15 degrees and held in place by 180 tons of concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
.