Australia Telescope Compact Array

The Compact Array Visitors Centre

Two of the Compact Array's antennas at dusk. (Photo by John Masterson)

Visits by the general public are always welcome!

Associated with the observatory is a Visitors Centre where you can view the antennas. The Visitors Centre is always open and admission is free. There are a number of displays inside and outside the building, and a video introducing the observatory and explaining radio astronomy. Next to the Visitors Centre there is a barbeque area available for public use. The Visitors Centre is at the edge of a dry woodland environment, where kangaroos and galahs are plentiful. Occasionally emus, echidnas and (very occasionally) koalas can be seen.

For more information about astronomy, the observatory and its surroundings, please look through our Information for the public pages.

Visitors Centre staff can be organised for group tours by phoning the Visitor Services Manager on (02) 6790 4070 or by emailing Narrabri Outreach (narrabri@atnf.csiro.au). By ringing well in advance, we may be able to let you know times which would be best for a visit (e.g. when the Compact Array is reconfigured, or in a more impressive configuration).

Getting to the Array

See this document for directions to get to the Observatory.

Original: Robin Wark (1-Feb-2002)
Modified: Bob Sault (09-Nov-2005)