Visitors Now:
Total Visits:
Total Stories:

By Universe Today (Reporter)
Contributor profile | More stories

Story Views
Now:
Last Hour:
Last 24 Hours:
Total:

Bush Fires Damage Australian Observatory

Sunday, January 13, 2013 17:40

% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.

(Before It's News)

The Siding Springs Observatory after bush fires raged through the area. Photo by NSW Rural Fire Service.

The Siding Springs Observatory complex has suffered damage from wild fires burning across New South Wales, Australia. An initial assessment, according to the Australian National University, indicates that while no telescopes appear to have received major damage, five buildings have been severely affected or damaged, including the Lodge used to accommodate visiting researchers and a number of cottages and sheds. Additionally, it appears the Visitor Center has been severely damaged.

Apparently, firefighters from the New South Wales Rural Fire Service worked through the night to save the telescopes. “This is a large and dangerous bush fire,” the RFS said. Crews were battling difficult conditions, with temperatures in the area above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) and hot north-westerly gusts of about 60 kilometers per hour, according to news reports.
(…)
Read the rest of Bush Fires Damage Australian Observatory (274 words)