Sydney Observatory

Name: Sydney Observatory
Address: 1003 Upper Fort St. Observatory Hill, Sydney, NSW, 2000, AU
Telephone: +61292170485
Price range: $
Rating: 4.8

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Sydney Observatory

on Gadigal land, a national point of connection and research of astronomy, meteorology and science
(464)

Sydney Observatory is temporarily closed for heritage maintenance works and will reopen mid-2022.

01/05/2026

‘The best time to observe any meteor shower is after midnight, usually a few hours before dawn, so on the morning of Thursday 7, look toward the east.’
Dr Sarah Reeves, science curator and astronomer

Read May Sky Guide: https://powerhouse.com.au/stories/sky-guide-may-2026

1: Lantern slide of a meteor flight, c.1900-1950. Object No. 85/59-18/20‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌
2: ⁨Glass plate slide 'the Moon's orbit', c.1900-1950. Object No. 85/59-26/9
3: ⁨An Eta Aquariid meteor streaks over north Georgia on April 29, 2012. Image: NASA
4/5: Telescopic image of Messier 6, the open cluster known as the Butterfly Cluster, in Scorpius. Image: Telescope Live/Chris Kaiser

01/04/2026

‘Set your alarm for 5:20 am on Thursday 16 April and look to the east for grouping of the planets Mars, Saturn and Mercury along with the waning crescent Moon. Don’t forget that Daylight Saving ends on the same day at 3:00 am with our clocks ‘falling’ back one hour!’
Geoffrey Wyatt, education program producer and astronomer

Read April Sky Guide: https://ph.au/4v2h5vM

1: 'Moon 19/2/1904' glass plate slide. Object No. 85/59-21/20
2: Photograph of four images of Jupiter. Object No. 2005/124/1-35
3: Telescopic image of Centaurus A with Ha taken in Chile in 2024, using Planewave CDK24 telescope and QHY 600M Pro camera. Credit: Hang Jia / Telescope Live

04/03/2026

‘The autumn equinox occurs when the Sun crosses from the southern to the northern part of the sky. It can take place on 20 or 21 March; this year it’s on Saturday 21 at 1:46 pm.’
Dr Nick Lomb, 2024 Australasian Sky Guide

Read March Sky Guide: https://pulse.ly/i7g9ueyqal

1: Lantern slide used at Sydney Observatory, c. 1900-1950, total eclipse of September 20, 1922. Object No. 85/59-39/10
2: ⁨Lantern slide of the Ptolemaic system, c.1900-1950. Object No. 85/59-5/50
3: ⁨NASA Spitzer Space Telescope image of the Orion Nebula. Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech
4: Night sky map, March 2026, Sydney Observatory.

18/02/2026

Join us at Sydney Observatory on 3 March 2026 to experience a lunar eclipse, also known as a blood moon. This incredible phenomenon will see the Moon turn a deep red for 58 minutes, with maximum eclipse occurring at 10:33 pm AEDT.

If you can't join us in person, join us online for a live broadcast presented in partnership with Nagoya City Science Museum

Book now: https://pulse.ly/uxuplx9oyw
📸

03/02/2026

‘Added around 700 BCE, February was the last month of the lunar year and the one chosen to vary so the calendar could align with the Julius Caesar’s reform to the solar year of 365 and a quarter days. More than 2000 years later and sometimes with 29 days and sometimes with 28 days, it is a wonderful time to look up and enjoy the constellation of Orion in the north with the stunning star-forming cloud, the Orion nebula (M42). In 2026, 3 planets — Venus, Saturn and Jupiter — will be visible at some point after dusk.’
Geoffrey Wyatt, education program producer and astronomer

Read February Sky Guide: https://pulse.ly/flrzjlj93x

1: Lantern slide depicting a drawing of Orion⁩, c.1900-1950. Object No. 85/59-20/12
2: ⁨'Occultation of Aldebaran by the moon' lantern slide⁩, c.1900-1950. Object No. 85/59-3/18
3: ⁨Plate negative of Orion⁩, c.1900-1950. Object No. 85/59-16/18
4: Night sky map, February 2026, Sydney Observatory.

02/01/2026

‘Warm summer nights are perfect for gazing, weather permitting, on a moonless night away from the light of cities and towns. From our nearby galactic neighbours of the Large and Small Magellanic clouds to the stunning sight of star formation in the Orion nebula and the giant gas planets of Jupiter and Saturn.'
Geoffrey Wyatt, education program producer and astronomer

Read January Sky Guide: https://pulse.ly/eppsy4lwg9

1: Glass lantern slide showing great nebulae in Orion, Object No. 85/59-7/32
2: Lantern slide of the Moon, c.1900-1950, Object No. 85/59-6/15
3: Hubble's Cosmic Bubbles, tenuous threads that comprise Sh2-308 in the constellation of Canis Major. Image: NASA Goddard
4: Night sky map, January 2026, Sydney Observatory.

01/09/2025

‘This year the start of spring brings a wonderful opportunity to see the reddish-brown glow, though some would say a blood red, colour view of a totally eclipsed Moon very early on 8 September from 3:30 am AEST.'
Geoffrey Wyatt, education program producer and astronomer.

Read Sky Guide September - https://pulse.ly/fhuvkawpbp

1: Photograph of lunar eclipse. Object No. 2005/124/1-34
2: Lantern slide used at the Sydney Observatory for teaching astronomy. Object No. 85/59-8/8
3: Lantern slide used at the Sydney Observatory for teaching astronomy. Object No. 85/59-9/117
4: Messier 30 (M30) taken by Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). Image: NASA/ESA
5: Night sky map, September 2025, Sydney Observatory.

31/07/2025

'In August the centre and brightest region of our galaxy, the Milky Way is high overhead between the tail of Scorpius and Sagittarius the archer.' Geoffrey Wyatt Education Program Producer and astronomer

Read Sky Guide August - https://powerhouse.com.au/stories/sky-guide-august-2025

1: Glass plate slide of the Milky Way about M8 in Sagittarius
Object No. 85/59-25/34
2: Lantern slide of the ray sytem around Tycho
Object No. 85/59-23/7 c.1900-1950
3: Lantern slide of Mars Object No. 85/59-20/67
4: Omega Centauri Looks Radiant in Infrared. Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/NOAO/AURA/NSF
5: Night sky map, August 2025, Sydney Observatory.

02/07/2025

‘This month, the Southern Cross is particularly prominent, as it is almost vertical in the southern sky in the early evenings. Astronomers refer to it by the Latin name Crux and it is the smallest of the 88 constellations they recognise. It is this compactness that helps make it stand out.’
Geoffrey Wyatt, education program producer and astronomer

Read Sky Guide July - https://pulse.ly/beo0dbqkwx

1: Lantern slide of the Southern Cross and Coalsack nebula. c.1900-1950. Object No. 85/59-23/18
2: Lantern slide of Scorpio showing position of Mars. Object No. 85/59-9/144
3: Stormy seas in Sagittarius, Image: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center.
4: Night sky map, July 2025, Sydney Observatory.

03/06/2025

‘It’s cold outside but arguably the best time of year to enjoy stunning views of the river in the sky, the Milky Way, on a moonless night away from the lights of towns and cities.’
Geoffrey Wyatt, Education Program Producer and Astronomer

Read Sky Guide June: https://pulse.ly/kp5bk5xq6r

1: Object No. 85/59-26/26 c.1900-1950; Glass plate slide 'view of Milky Way' - Sydney Observatory
2: Object No. 85/59-9/165 c.1900-1950; Lantern slide used at the Sydney Observatory for teaching astronomy
3: Object No. 2005/124/1-46; Photograph of the moon
4: Night sky map, June 2025, Sydney Observatory

Address

1003 Upper Fort St. Observatory Hill
Sydney, NSW
2000

Telephone

+61292170485

Website

https://powerhouse.com.au/visit/sydney-observatory, https://powerhouse.com.au/stories/a-symbol-in-time

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