The North Otago Astronomical Society will celebrate 30 years of the Oamaru Observatory next year and is marking the occasion by restoring the dome to its former glory and relaunching the society for a new generation of stargazers. Reporter Rebecca Ryan speaks to society member and former president Hans Brienesse.
In its heyday, The North Otago Astronomical Society held public nights every Friday and committee meetings each month, and had an active membership.
It held annual ''stargazers' getaway'' weekends and hosted visiting astronomers to speak, including British astronomer Professor Heather Couper.
In recent years, the Stoke St observatory has lain dormant, membership has declined and, at one point, the society came close to going into recess.
But, as the 30th anniversary of the Oamaru Observatory approaches and plans for a $21 million retirement village next door progress, a working committee of eight has formed to relaunch the society.
North Otago Astronomical Society member and former president Hans Brienesse is positive about its future.
''I can see that we're going forward, we have this working committee now that is wanting to go ahead and get things done.''
The Oamaru Observatory was officially opened on April 12, 1986. It was moved to Oamaru from Mr John Observatory in Tekapo, where it was surplus to requirements.
The observatory was originally prefabricated in the United States and later used at Mt John.
Back then, the roof opened like a clam shell but after it was moved to Oamaru, it was deemed to dangerous to do that and it was remodelled to open vertically.
The society bought an 8-inch (20cm) Celestron scope for the observatory.
''There was quite a lot of interest in astronomy at that time and the society ran public nights every Friday and committee meetings each month,'' Mr Brienesse said.
''We were getting good [numbers of ] school parties up [and] we had an outreach programme with the local schools to do astronomy.''
The society held an annual stargazers' getaway in Herbert, which attracted people from throughout the South Island.
''It was going to be a local thing. We'd invite a few people down, have a few speakers [but] it was such a resounding success the first time we started having people from all over the South Island coming.''
But as the internet become more widely used, the number of visitors at public nights on Fridays fell.
Entry was by gold coin donation and while patrons sometimes left
$5 or $10 notes, ''sometimes you'd just get some washers''. This, combined with the decline in membership, meant the society could not pay for the power needed to run the dome.
''[So] we decided to cut the power and buy ourselves a generator,'' he said.
''The generator would run it but not as successfully as it was before - it would run the telescopes all right, but the actual turning of the dome was a bit harder.''
Membership in the society continued to decline as members grew older and the technical problems further reduced visitor numbers.
''We didn't have the people coming through any more and, when we did have them coming, we couldn't give them the experience they wanted, with the dome not going very well.''
Then, he said, the Canterbury earthquakes
moved the dome and it had not been working well since.
When plans for a retirement village next door to the observatory were submitted, Mr Brienesse held a public meeting to generate interest in the society again.
At another meeting last year a working committee was voted in.
Since then, committee meetings have resumed and more people have expressed interest.
Now, the hard work begins for the society, as the dome needs a substantial amount of structural repairs.
''Some of the wood on the dome has rotted and we're in the process of replacing that, cleaning the dome up, painting it,'' he said.
The committee hoped to complete the repairs by early next year, ready for a formal celebration of the dome's 30th year in Oamaru.
They plan to, again, work closely with schools and take groups up to the observatory, especially during Matariki.
''We have done that before and it's been really good, we've picked up members from the schools,'' he said.
However much you saw of astronomy on TV, the experience of seeing Saturn for yourself, with your own eye, was incomparable - ''it's there, it's your own experience''.
''You become a part of it and I'd encourage anyone who wants to know more about how things work to join the society and just become interested in astronomy.''
Anyone interested can follow the society's progress either on its Facebook page or by signing up for a monthly newsletter by emailing marg-hans-briens@xtra.co.nz
