Tragic Fire Destroys Most of Australia's Mount Stromlo Observatory

Mount Stromlo Observatory, circa 1955

Mount Stromlo Observatory, circa 1955

Violent bush fires ravaging Canberra destroyed most of the facilities at the Stromlo Observatory. Fortunately there were no additional human injuries or casualties. More details on the loss of Gemini's Near-Infrared Integral Field Spectrograph can be found at the links below.

"Astronomy projects in ruins as observatory obliterated" - Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

"Aussie Fires Destroy Mount Stromlo Observatory" - Source: Sky & Telescope

"Australian fire felt in Hilo " - Source: Hawai`i Tribune-Herald

"Gemini Near-Infrared Integral-Field Spectrograph (NIFS): Destroyed by Bushfire January 2003" - Source: The Australian National University

"Historic Australian observatory gutted" - Source: BBC News

"The Mount Stromlo Fires: A Major Heritage Loss For Australian Astronomy" - Source: Dr Wayne Orchiston, Anglo-Australian Observatory

"Mount Stromlo Observatory Destroyed by Fire" - Source: The Australian National University

"Pictures of the aftermath of the fire of Saturday, 18 January 2003, at Mount Stromlo Observatory" - Source: The Australian National University

Last updated by web@gemini.edu on January 24, 2003.