New observatory brings space to North Shore suburbs

By WAYNE THOMPSON

Marc Bos wants Monarch Park to become a window into the mysteries of space.

His Molehill Astronomy Group wants to build an observatory in the park, in the North Shore suburb of Glenfield, and use the telescopes for public education and enjoyment.

For more than 15 years the eight-member group had an observatory at Otahuhu, Mr Bos said. It supplied information and photographs to research projects run by the Mt St John observatory, Lake Tekapo, and international institutions including Nasa.

Now it wants to continue the research with a new observatory in Monarch Park, while trying to arouse wider interest in astronomy and space science.

The group wants to involve the community in astronomical events such as the appearance of comets, the Tercentenary of Captain James Cook's observation of the Transit of Venus and the early morning winter arrival of Matariki, or Maori New Year.

Mr Bos said the observatory's opening this year could be a dramatic event if street lights were switched off one hour earlier than the official sunrise.

This would allow time for the large telescope lenses to adjust to bright dawn viewing and would also give urban dwellers a rare glimpse of the night sky without interference from light pollution.

Molehill's new site is in a valley rather than on a hill, but Mr Bos said this shielded it from city lights and presented "a nice open expanse of sky to work with",

The observatory, with a 2.9m dome, would house a 300mm F10 Classical Cassegrain telescope. It was built by Mr Bos, whose day job is in soft furnishings.

Volunteer labour by astronomers would keep the observatory cost to $51,000.

The group has requested a grant of $7500 from the Glenfield Community Board.

Board chairman Gerald Sharrock said the board would provide $5000 and he was sure community groups would raise the rest.

"We need more of these partnerships between community and local authorities ... they make things happen for a reasonable amount of money."