Interview

We are proud to be doing our bit in celebrating the International Year of Astronomy.

We are marking the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo by hosting a series of free public lectures that will bring this global project closer to home.

The speakers have been selected by the Astronomical Society of Australia as leaders in their field with an exceptional ability to communicate the excitement of astronomy.

We spoke to Professor Lister Staveley-Smith, Premier's Fellow in Radio Astronomy and recently appointed President of the Astronomical Society of Australia, about IYA and other associated activities.

[Milka Bukilic:] The 2009 International Year of Astronomy is all about enhancing and promoting astronomy research and science education. This is a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of scientific literacy and knowledge among the general public. I’d be interested to know about the participation of the Astronomical Society of Australia in the 2009 IYA, and its work in WA in particular?

[Lister Staveley-Smith:] ASA membership includes virtually all professional astronomers in Australia, most of whom have had some involvement in IYA activities. The IYA calendar includes an impressive number of events nationwide. The ASA provided seed funding for the planning and promotion of the event which later led to Commonwealth funding for Australian participation in the cornerstone programs (100 hours of Astronomy; She is an Astronomer; Dark Skies/Quiet Skies). The ASA is also funding the IYA Lecture Series, which is sending eight lecturers around Australia to give captivating talks at various venues. WA has the largest participation in this program, due to the generous co-sponsorship of the AIP and other organizations.

[Milka Bukilic:] What sort of involvement do you have with high schools in celebrating the International Year of Astronomy?

[Lister Staveley-Smith:] So far this year, we have had 500 school students from year 10 who attended the "Out There!" SPACE exhibition to learn about the SKA and radio astronomy. We've also hosted "A Day in the Life of an Astronomer" for year 11 and 12 students, and a special learning session on "Space Junk". Astronomy staff members and students have also given numerous talks at high schools.

[Milka Bukilic:] Western Australia and UWA, in particular, has been lucky to have recently witnessed a remarkable astronomical explosion just in time for the International Year of Astronomy. Could you tell us a bit about this event and about the importance of the Zadko Telescope to the future of research in astronomical observations?

[Lister Staveley-Smith:] Although not fully commissioned, the Zadko telescope proved its potential right at the start of the IYA by being the first telescope on Earth to image a very distant stellar explosion called a Gamma Ray Burst, or GRB for short. This particular explosion proved to be remarkably distant, having occurred some 11 billion years ago, or roughly twice the age of the solar system. Because of the relatively clear skies in Gingin, the Zadko telescope will be an extremely useful tool in studying the many similar GRBs expected to be visible over the next few years.

[Milka Bukilic:] The Square Kilometre Array (SKA), the world’s biggest land-based telescope, created a huge buzz in the global science community last year. As Western Australia now seems to be the front-runner in the international bid to host the telescope, what sort of implication will such an incredible venture have on Australian and science research worldwide?

[Lister Staveley-Smith:] The SKA is a scientifically and technically ambitious project. Australia is proud to be one of the candidate sites for hosting the SKA, and is proud to be a scientific and technical collaborator in the overall SKA project. There is a great opportunity for Australians to benefit from industrial, scientific and operational participation in the SKA, and we have a unique opportunity to build long-lasting international scientific, technical and industrial partnerships. The SKA will be far in advance of existing facilities and is expected to deliver some stunning scientific outcomes in key areas such as our understanding of how galaxies assemble in the high-redshift Universe.

The 2009 International Year of Astronomy Public Lecture Series will be held from July to November in various venues across Perth. All lectures are free and welcome to the public (high school students are encouraged to attend)!