[BAA-ebulletin 00721] Astronomers at Siding Spring, Australia

[BAA electronic bulletins service]

You will no doubt have heard about the devastating bushfires currently 
plaguing parts of Australia.  On January 13 one of these fires ravaged the 
area around Siding Spring Observatory destroying the Visitors' Centre, 
accommodation blocks, and, more importantly, residences of several of the 
staff.  We understand that the telescopes survived essentially intact and we 
know that no-one has lost their life or been badly injured. See for example:
http://amandabauer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/siding-spring-obs-fires-day-after.html

One of the people badly affected is the well-known Scottish-Australian 
astronomer, Robert McNaught, who started his career as a BAA member, was 
awarded the Merlin Medal by the Association in 1987, and who has since gone 
on to achieve great things, discovering many more comets than any other 
person (his Daylight Comet of 2007 was especially spectacular), and finding 
several hundred near-Earth objects, mainly through his survey work at Siding 
Spring (part of the Catalina Sky Survey). Rob and his partner Tanya Smith 
suffered the loss of their home and all of their possessions last weekend as 
a result of the fire that swept through the area.  Rob's tale is featured on 
the Sky and Telescope website at:
http://is.gd/f9A69D

Some funds have been set up to help the astronomers and their families.  In 
particular there is the ANU Siding Spring Observatory Fire Staff Emergency 
Relief fund at:
http://philanthropy.anu.edu.au/philanthropy/donate-online/search/?cause=anu-siding-spring-observatory-fire-staff-emergency-relief-fund

And the "Robert McNaught and Tanya Smith Bushfire Recovery Fund" at:
http://tinyurl.com/awcujrh


Richard Miles
Director, Asteroids and Remote Planets Section
British Astronomical Association
arps [at] britastro.org

Jonathan Shanklin
Director, Comet Section
British Astronomical Association
comet [at] britastro.org

2013 January 19