Timelapse of night skies over Siding Springs Observatory

By Anglo-Australian Observatory/Ángel R. López-Sánchez 17 April 2015
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The Australian National University’s Siding Spring Observatory, NSW, is home to some of the countries most breathtaking skies.

The Australian National University’s (ANU) Siding Spring Observatory has a total of 12 telescopes spaced around the gently undulating summit – two of which are operated by the Australian Astronomical Observatory (AAO). As you will see in this timelapse, it is home to some of the countries most spectacular and clearest skies. But smudges on the horizon, some originating 350km away – like the massed lights of Sydney – or Newcastle, about 315km away, and the neighbouring Hunter Valley coalfields are causing concern. Telescopes see less and less detail through this thickening murk of light pollution. Read all about our battle for darkness in issue 126 (May/June) of Australian Geographic.