Mt Kent Observatory is Queensland’s professional astronomical research facility, and is located at a dark-sky site outside Toowoomba in southern Queensland. Featuring an array of state-of-the-art telescopes and technology it is at the forefront of ongoing planet discovery work. Mount Kent plays a leading role in support of NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) using MINERVA-Australis - a dedicated exoplanet ground-based observational facility that contributes to the discovery and characterisation of nearby exoplanetary systems. The observatory also hosts the Australian node of the global Stellar Observations Network Group (SONG) and collaborate with the University of Louisville in the Shared Skies Partnership providing the front-line research into stellar magnetic activity, and an exoplanet survey called KELT-South.

Website

https://www.unisq.edu.au/study/why-unisq/unisq-stories/testimonials/mount-kent-observatory

Organisation type

• University research centre

Number of research staff

20-100 research staff

Address

Bernard Rd, Greenmount QLD 4359

Strengths and capabilities

• Dark-sky site in Southern Hemishpere
• Major long-term international collaborations with NASA and others
• Ongoing planet discovery

Facilities and major equipment

• MINERVA-Australis
• Three Stellar Observation Network Group (SONG) telescopes
• Four PlaneWave CDK700 telescopes
• R = 75,000 echelle spectrograph (480 – 630nm)
• a wide-field camera

Achievements of the centre

• Astrophysicists have contributed to the discovery of more than 100 exoplanets to date

Key science sectors

More information about the sectors this centre is involved in:

• Defence, aviation and space
• Digital economy