Mt Kent Observatory

Mt Kent Observatory is a University of Southern Queensland facility for astronomy teaching, research and outreach. The Observatory is at a dark-sky site in Cambooya Shire, near Toowoomba in Queensland, Australia, at 682m altitude, and its three domes house the following telescopes:

1. Webb Telescope:   A 40cm aperture f/10 Meade Instruments computer-controlled LX200 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. The instrument is used visually for student and amateur viewing nights.
2. O'Mara Telescope:   This telescope comprises a Software Bisque Paramount ME robotic mount  equipped with a Meade 30cm aperture telescope with Schmidt-Cassegrain optics  and an SBIG STL-1301 CCD camera. Accessible over the web, this instrument supports student studies.
3. University of Louisville Telescope:   A 50cm telescope and cameras have been installed as part of a NASA funded education project in astronomy at the University of Louisville. This allows school children in Louisville, USA to drive the telescope and see the southern night sky during their school day. The telescope is also being used for research. An equivalent telescope has been installed at the Moore Observatory in Louisville and will allow Toowoomba astronomers to study the northern night sky during the Australian day.

The Mt Kent site also houses the Educational Development Group (EDG) building with a lecture room, accommodation facilities and a control room for indoor operation of the observatory telescopes. A weather station is located on the Observatory grounds, and a high speed data link connects the site to the university.

The EDG building is on the left with the microwave tower behind. Moving right, the Page dome (housing the University of Louisville telescope), and the Webb and O'Mara domes can be seen.

Information about asteroid “ Mt Kent ”.

For further information about the Mt Kent Observatory please email astronomy.