Stargazers invite Mullewa locals for night exploring the cosmos

Mullewa locals explored the stars and celebrated Wajarri astronomy as stargazers and scientists came to town on Saturday.

Stargazing guides from Astrotourism WA and scientists from CSIRO and the SKA Observatory came over to celebrate the announcement that the Mid West will host the SKA-Low Telescope.

Using high-quality telescopes, some worth up to $14,000, visitors took the opportunity to look at celestial bodies near and far, from Jupiter and Saturn to the Butterfly Cluster, 1590 light-years away.

The night also saw the unveiling of artwork by artist Judith Anaru, depicting the Emu constellation of Wajarri tradition, and the showcasing of a Wajarri Aboriginal Planisphere, a chart incorporating Wajarri constellations into a guide of the Mid West night sky.

Scientists from the SKA Observatory also held talks about the SKA-Low Telescope, set to be built on Wajarri country, which will be an important part of international astronomy and aims to help answer key questions about the universe.

Astronomy guide Mike Whait said it was great to see enthusiasm for space exploration as the Mid West increasingly became an important place for astronomy.

“It’s an absolute pleasure to come out and talk about space with local people across the region, there is so much interest” he said.