University of Tasmania

Cooperation between the Astronomical Society of Tasmania and the University of Tasmania has existed for a long time. Especially, since many AST members, over the years, have been (or still are) students at the University.

On top of that, Professor G.R.A. Ellis was the Society's Patron for 29 years!
Since July 1989, on the invitation of Dr. Bob Watson, the AST started to use the facilities at the University's Canopus Hill Observatory (In particular, the University's 16" telescope), while also conducting the popular astronomy nights for the people of Southern Tasmania.

At present, the University is using the 1-metre telescope at Canopus Hill as part of the PLANET programme - (Probing Lensing Anomalies NETwork).

PLANET network



The primary goal of PLANET is the study of microlensing anomalies - departures from an achromatic point-source, point-lens light curve - through multi-band, rapidly-sampled photometry. Such departures are expected due to blends along the line-of-sight, sources and/or lenses with complex geometries (e.g., binary lenses, binary sources, and planetary systems), resolution of the source star, and complicated relative motion within the lens system (eg, parallax effects).

[Copied from the original PLANET Homepage]

A number of AST members have assisted the PLANET team from the University of Tasmania with their observations.
You might like to check out the following link to the University's Physics Department, and in particular, the optical astronomy section.