A DUBBO-based astrophotographer is reaching for the stars, after his photo of the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) in the Warrumbungles was chosen to feature in a new exhibit at the Siding Springs Observatory.
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Robert Thomson moved to Dubbo this year to study at Sydney University's School of Rural Health, but has been capturing the night sky for more than seven years.
His photo will be featured in the observatory's new indigenous astronomy exhibit, set to open by the annual open day on Saturday, October 3.
"It shows the dome of the AAT, but it also shows the galactic core of the Milky Way arcing over the top of it. The dark shadows of the Milky Way form the shape of an emu, which is important to Aboriginal astronomy," Mr Thomson said.
The fabled Emu in the Sky changes shape at different times of the year, and was interpreted by indigenous Australians to inform them of seasonal changes, such as when the rains would come.
"It's beyond spiritual. In a sense this was one of the first types of astronomy," said Peter Small, technical assistant for the Australian National University's Research School of Astrophysics and Astronomy, and the man curating the exhibition.
"I've got a lot of photos of the Milky Way, but what Rob has managed to do is capture both the AAT and the Emu in the Sky at the same time."
