[vsnet-chat 5913] Fw: [AAVSO-DIS] Fires destroy Stromlo observatory

["Sebastian Otero" <varsao@fullzero.com.ar>]

From AAVSO discussion. This is terrible!!!

----- Original Message -----
From: "Geoff Gaherty" <ggaherty@rogers.com>
To: <aavso-discussion@informer2.cis.McMaster.CA>
Sent: Sunday, January 19, 2003 11:29 AM
Subject: [AAVSO-DIS] Fires destroy Stromlo observatory


> Terrible news for astronomy this morning:
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: [RASCALS] Fwd: Stromlo Press Release - Fires destroy
Stromloobservatory
> Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2003 09:57:14 -0400
> From: Mike Boschat <mboschat@EASTLINK.CA>
> Reply-To: RASCals Discussion List <RASCALS@ap.stmarys.ca>
> Organization: Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - Halifax Centre
> To: RASCALS@ap.stmarys.ca
>
> Find below a press release about the
> disaster.
>
> Fires destroy Stromlo observatory
>
>
> Irreplaceable equipment worth millions of dollars was destroyed when the
> Canberra bushfires ravaged the historic Mount Stromlo Observatory.
>
> Research officer Vince Ford, a 38-year veteran of the observatory, told
AAP
> staff were given 20 minutes' notice to evacuate as a fire storm on Mount
Stromlo
> caught authorities by surprise. A single road through pine forests links
the
> observatory, established by the Commonwealth in 1924, with suburban
Canberra.
>
> "There's no way we could have saved it," Mr Ford said.
>
> The fire storm destroyed all the observatory's telescopes and the original
> observatory building, which dated back to 1924.
>
> "It's gone, it's all gone," Mr Ford said.
>
> "We've lost all the telescopes, the administration building, which was the
> original observatory back in 1924.
>
> "The first telescope has actually been there since 1910, it's gone.
>
> "The main research telescopes, the 74-inch and 50-inch, they're gone. I've
just
> seen pictures of it from the air and we don't have a telescope left."
>
> The Australian National University (ANU) facility was one the premier
astronomy
> training and research centres in Australia.
>
> "(It's a huge loss) from a historical point of view, from a cultural point
of
> view, from a scientific point of view," Mr Ford said. "It's an absolute
> disaster."
>
> Observatory staff still hope they may be able to salvage some of their
research,
> stored on computers in office buildings that might have escaped the worst
of the
> blaze.
>
> The observatory offices are believed to be standing, but have been water
> damaged.
>
> "At least we should be able to recover the hard disks from some of the
> computers, but at this stage we're guessing," Mr Ford said.
>
> "All we know is the observatory is gone."
>
> Some back-up files would also have been stored at the main ANU campus in
> Canberra.
>
> "But a lot of the work will be at the observatory," Mr Ford said.
>
> "Some of us, being suspicious sods, have stuff at home, but most of it
would
> have been on the computers or in the offices up at the observatory."
>
> ANU vice-chancellor Ian Chubb was due to meet observatory chiefs to be
briefed
> on the extent of the damage.
>
> M. J. R.Begbie
> songbird@mweb.co.zw
> Hilton Observatory
> Harare, Zimbabwe
> 17° 46' 19" S
> 31° 00' 06" E
> Astronomy Educator
> I.C.Q. Obs. Code BEG01
> _______________________________________________
> aavso-discussion mailing list
> aavso-discussion@mailman.McMaster.CA
> http://mailman.McMaster.CA/mailman/listinfo/aavso-discussion
>


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