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Paul CurnowAdelaide Planetarium
Abstract: During the 1900s Allegheny Observatory was one of the major astronomical research institutions of the world. First conceived in 1859, it went on to host many great astronomers, researchers, and scientists. Allegheny Observatory has a rich history in a variety of research areas, and it became especially well-known for its astrometric parallax research program, which set the standard for measuring the distances to nearby stars.
In this talk, I will introduce you to the city of Pittsburgh and surrounds. In addition, I will introduce you to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, which is in Pittsburgh. I will give you a brief historical overview of the observatory, and I will introduce you to some of its early astronomers, and controversies, which include the lens of one of its main telescopes being stolen. I will show you how the observatory is used today; located near a city with increasing light pollution and show you some of the behind-the-scenes operations at this magnificent facility.
Bio: Paul Curnow [B.Ed] is a world renowned astronomer, and after 32-years is South Australia’s longest serving planetarium lecturer. He has been a member of the Field Geology Club of South Australia since 1992. In 2002, he served as a southern sky specialist for visiting U.S. and British astronomers who were in Australia for the total solar eclipse. After three decades of research, he is regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities on Australian Aboriginal night sky knowledge; and in 2004, he worked in conjunction with the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center Planetarium in Ohio, on the creation of a show that features Indigenous Australian stories of the night sky. Moreover, from 2018-2022, he has served as a consultant on Indigenous Astronomy for the Australian Space Agency.
In addition, Paul runs several popular courses for the public that focus on the constellations, planetary astronomy, meteoritics, historical astronomy and ethnoastronomy, which primarily deals with how the night sky is seen by non-western cultures. He appeared as the keynote speaker at the inaugural 2010 Lake Tyrrell Star Party in Sea Lake, Victoria and in 2011 was a special guest speaker at the Carter Observatory in Wellington, New Zealand. Since 2012 Paul has taken the role of Lecturer for the ‘Astronomy & the Universe’ course (EDUC2066); and between 2019-2021 for ‘Science’ (EDUC 2030) for the School of Education at the University of South Australia.
Moreover, since 2021 he has been a member of the Andy Thomas Space Foundation Education Advisory Committee; and in 2023 completed a U.S. lecture tour, where he was a special invited guest speaker at a number of planetariums, colleges, and universities. Paul appears regularly in the media and has authored over 50 articles on astronomy.
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC PLANETARIUM SESSION
You must be a member of the Supernovas to attend, or have been specially invited ($5.00 per person entry fee)
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Adelaide Planetarium - UniSA Mawson Lakes, Adelaide Planetarium, Mawson Lakes SA 5095, Australia,Adelaide, South Australia
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