Scientists from ANU and around the world have detected for the first time ripples in space and time, known as gravitational waves, from the collision of two very dense stars, called neutron stars, about 130 million light years away.
Mount Stromlo’s fifth Director, Olin Eggen, was a ‘scientific nomad’ who worked in Observatories in the United States, England, South Africa, Australia and Chile over his illustrious career.
Bill Rimmer, ex-engineer and WWI captain, led the Commonwealth Solar Observatory during the 1930s, overseeing the Heliostat's construction amidst financial challenges.
Harvey Butcher came to Mount Stromlo in 1970 as a PhD student, lured by the prospect of studying the Southern Sky with the 74” telescope’s Coude Spectrograph.
Duffield was the natural choice for the first Director of the Commonwealth Solar Observatory – he had spent almost twenty years lobbying for its existence.