Eclipses And The Southern Cross – Australia Day 2009

by podblack on January 26, 2009

For February Scientiae – “your ideas, your dreams and your work toward a better, more equitable society”.

It’s Australia Day. Today I’m going to be celebrating by doing some actual stargazing at the Southern Cross – during a solar eclipse, funnily enough!

As noticed by the ‘Hoyden About Town’ blog, the Australian of the Year 2009 finalists happened to contain only two white men and Indigenous leader Professor Mick Dodson AM has been named Australian of the Year 2009, which does demonstrate a nod towards equity towards recognising our multicultural society.

I should also mention that I’m very proud to say that I have actually met someone who has been recognised today – Dr Rachie of the Skeptic Zone podcast’s dad, Moose Dunlop, who is President of the Royal Australian Regiment Association (SA)! He has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia, ‘for service to veterans through the Royal Australian Regiment Association, and to youth, particularly through Operation Flinders’. So, I think it’s been a great day already in terms of promoting equity and recognising those who contributed to a better society in this country.

Opportunities for young people, like those offered by Operation Flinders, is a focus of the PhD research studies I’ve helped gather data upon. The research focused on how to help young people develop resilience, motivation and feel confident about their career-choices. It’s wonderful that people involved in groups like Operation Flinders help contribute to communities and be a part of education outside of the classroom.

Earlier in the year, I wrote about how I have met at least five young women who are intrigued by the possibility of Australia succeeding in getting the Square Kilometer Array and what it might mean for the state. It was due to that I became more interested in what the Year of Astronomy has to offer young people too. Recently it was announced that there is a Space Camp 2009:

To celebrate the International Year of Astronomy and to encourage awareness and understanding of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, an Astronomy WA Space Camp will be held in early May of 2009 for teachers and secondary students from Western Australia and beyond. This three day event of cosmic proportions will feature a wealth of space themed activities, including opportunities to observe the amazing night sky of Western Australia, to visit several facilities in and around Perth to hear from scientists pushing back the boundaries of Radio Astronomy and also the chance to compete against other schools in a series of stellar challenges.

All of these inititives help play a part in encouraging young people and discovering more about the world and opportunities they can have. I like to help support that and plan to have an episode of the Skeptic Zone podcast interviewing the people there and learn more about the astronomy efforts in my state.

As I mentioned earlier, as a part of Australia Day, the Gingin Observatory is holding a Stargazing night – a tour of our most famous constellation that features on our flag, the Southern Cross:

The Gravity Discovery Centre is a non-profit public and tourism astrophysics centre including gravity wave research by the Australian International Gravitational Observatory that focuses the largest telescopes in Western Australia on dark matter and dark energy of the Universe, from the Wallingup Plain environment near Gingin north of Perth Australia.

Has a nice Jazz track too. Enjoy!

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