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Australia Telescope Compact Array Visitors Centre

Australia Telescope Compact Array Visitors Centre. Role of the Narrabri V.C. Liaise with visitors, school groups and the media Promote ATCA, ATNF, CSIRO astronomy and Science in general. What do we have?. Visitors Centre – officially opened 1992 150 sq m display area

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Australia Telescope Compact Array Visitors Centre

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  1. Australia Telescope Compact Array Visitors Centre

  2. Role of the Narrabri V.C. • Liaise with visitors, school groups and the media • Promote ATCA, ATNF, CSIRO astronomy and Science in general

  3. What do we have? • Visitors Centre – officially opened 1992 • 150 sq m display area • 25 sq m, 30 seat theatrette • Mainly static display describing Radio Astronomy and showing results • Console display, Control Room output and ATCA Live • New garden area with room for external displays

  4. Who do we cater for? • 11,000 visitors per year • General Public - ~75% • School Groups - ~10% • Tour Groups - ~10% • Special Interest Groups - ~5%

  5. What do we offer? • Free admission • Free printed material • Staff 5 d/w + long weekends and school holidays • Antenna tours including rides during reconfigurations • Star nights on request using 200 mm optical scope • Souvenirs and mementos at reasonable cost.

  6. “Conventional” upgrades • New audiovisual badly needed • VC displays in general, need upgrade • What mix between static and interactive? • External exhibits • Enlarged theatrette • Improved merchandise • Facility to lock up merchanise after hours easily • BBQ area improvements • New landscaping nearly complete

  7. Parkes vs Narrabri • Parkes is a national icon (rich history) • Parkes close to a major highway • The Dish • Narrabri easier to get close to the antennas [eg reconfigs, vertex room visits] • Narrabri is more a bush setting than farmland Why do we attempt to replicate broadly similar visitors centres at both Parkes and Narrabri?

  8. “Unconventional” upgrades • Shift emphasis away from casual visitors to organised groups and possibly multi-day visits • School/university excursions • Teacher workshops • Tour groups • Small professional astronomy workshop/conferences • Amateur (radio) astronomy workshops

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