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After four years in the making and a lengthy trip from America, the Zadko Telescope has finally moved into its permanent observatory dome co-located with the Gravity Discovery Centre in Gingin.

The Zadko Telescope is the largest telescope in WA. Its main science objective is to find and analyse the most violent explosions in the universe - gamma ray bursts - which herald the death of stars, the formation of black holes.

Another key aspect of the project is to encourage high school participation in the research. Research that schools could potentially contribute to include tracking dangerous near-earth asteroids.

Project manager Dr David Coward, senior research fellow in The University of Western Australia's School of Physics, said the telescope put UWA on the threshold of an exciting venture that would create a new profile in robotic astronomy for WA.

"UWA student participation will be fundamental to the project and will be the main driver behind the research," Dr Coward said. "Students will have access to a new and powerful scientific instrument for exploring the universe. The Zadko telescope will generate new interest in robotic astronomy and encourage students to pursue science studies at school and university."

The purchase of the Zadko telescope was made possible by the generous donation of Jim Zadko of Claire Energy. It is hoped the public will have access to the telescope once initial calibration is completed and routine observation has begun.

WA is the base for many important international astronomy projects, such as the Australian International Gravitational Observatory (AIGO) and the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) pathfinders. Demand for people with science expertise is expected to grow significantly.

Media references

Dr David Coward , School of Physics (+61 4) 23 981 240
Anja Cherian (GDC Gingin) (+61 8) 9575 7577 / (+61 4) 08 006 742
Simone Hewett / Sally-Ann Jones (+61 8) 6488 7977
(UWA Public Affairs) (+61 4) 20 790 097 / (+61 4) 20 790 098