THE NEW TEACHING AND PUBLIC-ACCESS OBSERVATORY AT THE UNIVERSITY-OF-WESTERN-SYDNEY, NEPEAN

A grant from the Department of Employment, Education and Training and matching funding from the University of Western Sydney, Nepean, has al lowed the construction of a teaching and public access observatory on the University's Werrington North campus. The observatory consists of a lecture theatre for about 50 students, an office for administration and project/souvenir sales, and an enclosed office for research activi ties. The 6.5 m dome will house a fork-mounted 0.6 m (24 inch) Ritchey -Chretien telescope working at f/10. There will also be two outside ob servation areas for tripod-mounted telescopes. The expected completion date for the entire project is mid-1994.