Welcome to MPAS
MPAS is a volunteer-run Astronomical Society, located at Mt Martha on the Mornington Peninsula. It was founded in 1969 to foster the study of all aspects of Astronomy, Space and general Science by volunteers and to promote these to the public.
You can visit us at one of our popular public stargazing nights, where you can learn more about the Universe and take a look through our telescopes at the planets, the Moon and the stars.
We hold a monthly general meeting for the exchange of ideas and information. For decades the Society has provided “Astronomy on the Move” educational presentations, including observing nights for schools and community groups exclusively in the Peninsula and surrounding areas, as well as special exhibitions in the Melbourne CBD and Melbourne Museum.
Mt Martha Observatory is the Society’s registered astronomical observatory at The Briars Historic Park. It is used to further the Society’s educational, research, innovation and recreational capabilities. Historically this was the first registered amateur observatory in Australia and is one of a network of registered global monitoring stations of night sky light pollution. The Observatory is registered with the Astronomical Society of Australia. We acknowledge the land, water, and sky under which we meet are of the Bunurong and Boon Wurrung peoples and we pay our respects to their Elders past and present.
Upcoming Events
Telescope Learning Day
A much anticipated event for 2024! Come to Mt Martha Observatory on Saturday, 19 October and learn from scratch about how telescopes work, how best to use them and what to point them at! Click here for details and bookings.
Our popular Public Stargazing nights are open for bookings. You can now also purchase Gift Certificates for these events!
Bookings for stargazing for schools and scouts & guides are also always welcome.
Mt Martha Observatory is open to members.
Newsletter / monthly highlights / meeting videos
- July: Winter night viewing to warm the heartIn July, if you look towards the constellations Sagittarius and Scorpius on a clear night, you are looking in… Read more: July: Winter night viewing to warm the heart
- Scorpius No. 4 (July/August) 2024Topics: Repairing hand controller buttons; Dwarf planet Ceres; Saturn’s rings edge-on; Lunar X and V; Chang’e 6 sample return from the Moon.
- MPAS Meeting June 2024Main talk: “Solar Eclipse; A Mexican Encounter”, by MPAS member Trevor Hand.
- Rich pickings in June for night-sky observersJune is a wonderful time for night-sky observers in the southern hemisphere. The rich star fields of the Milky… Read more: Rich pickings in June for night-sky observers
- MPAS Meeting May 2024Main talk: “Space Storms in the Upper Atmosphere and Ionosphere”, by Dr. Stan Solomon, National Centre for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado. Public lecture courtesy of the National Science Foundation and NCAR.
- Scorpius No. 3 (May/June) 2024Topics: Gippsland Star Party; NACAA 2024; Voyager 1; Volcanoes on the Moon; A Town with an Astronomical Name.
- May: Winter’s approach produces some cool viewsThe Milky Way rises high in the south this month, with Sagittarius and Scorpius sitting in the east –… Read more: May: Winter’s approach produces some cool views
Mornington Peninsula Astronomical Society
Mt Martha Observatory
The Briars, Mt Martha, Victoria
Email: welcome@mpas.asn.au
Postal address
450 Nepean Hwy,
Mt Martha VIC 3934