Tamworth Regional Astronomy and Science Centre

Visit the region’s new astronomy and science complex with extensive displays of meteorites, minerals, megafauna, astronomical images and a multi-function auditorium for live presentations for up to 200 people.

The centre houses three observatories. An adjoining roll-off roof observatory houses multiple large telescopes for public viewing nights, including one of the largest privately-owned telescopes in Australia.

Also adjacent to the auditorium is a 6.7 metre domed observatory which has a dual function as a planetarium theatre for simulated night sky views and audio-visual presentations.

The complex includes a purpose-built, split-roof observatory for the historic Hewitt Camera, one of only two built by the British military in the 1960’s for 5.5 million pounds to track missiles and satellites and later used for astronomical research at Siding Spring Observatory. The Hewitt Camera has been upgraded to digital photographic capabilities, feeding live colour images of deep-sky astronomical objects to the auditorium’s projection screen.

Visit the website for centre opening times and telescope viewing sessions.

The centre is situated in the Victoria Park Precinct at the top end of Piper Street in North Tamworth.