The mysteries and wonders of distant galaxies were brought to life yesterday, as strong crowds flocked to the Mt Stromlo Observatory open day, sparking hopes of a rekindled interest in life beyond Earth.
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Canberrans were able to peer into the deep reaches of space through the observatory's telescopes, touch a meteorite, see the space shuttle Endeavour's payload, and view the devastation caused by the 2003 Canberra bushfires.
Astronomy enthusiasts were taken for guided tours through the rebuilt Satellite Laser Ranging Observatory, a facility used to track space junk.
The observatory features laser wave length technology, developed in Australia by EOS Space Systems, that allows astronomers to more accurately track space matter, and warn of potential collisions with satellites or other objects.
EOS Space Systems operations manager Ian Ritchie said he had been ''astounded'' by the level of interest in the facility, which was destroyed in the 2003 fires and subsequently rebuilt.
''They were impressed that Australian technology is going up into space and doing these things with space debris,'' he said.
''I expected maybe a couple of hundred people throughout the day, but I'm sure I took 15 groups through and they were 30 people each, it wore me out.''
That keen interest was also reflected in larger-than-expected crowds, something local astronomers hope reflects a resurgent interest in the stars above.
Former leading research astronomer and Canberra Astronomical Society member Vince Ford believes the popularity of astronomy has been helped by the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Physics to Australian National University professor Brian Schmidt earlier this year.
The open day featured a display dedicated to Professor Schmidt, explaining his pioneering work on dark energy and the accelerating expansion of the universe, and the huge contribution his work made to progress in the field of astronomy.
''I think it just means that a lot of people who normally had not much interest think 'I must find out a bit more about this','' Dr Ford said.
''I think overall, you just have to say it's been an extremely successful day,'' he said.
''The traffic up the mountain has been constant all day, even when we were coming down ... near closing time, there was a line of traffic.''
The open day at the observatory was capped by a night of star gazing from 8pm.
