Tour the Dish
As an operating facility it is not practical to normally offer public tours of the telescope. Public tours are only offered at open days. The most recent of these were in August 2004, detailed below. Open days for Parkes are currently planned for September 2007. However you can get a close look at the telescope at the visitors centre, open every day except Christmas and Boxing Days. Any enquiries should be directed to parkes-vdc@csiro.au
Parkes Observatory Open Days
28-29 August 2004
Our open days are a rare opportunity for members of the public to tour the Parkes telescope.
- Free Telescope tours: 9am-4:30pm both days
- Inspect the workings and hear a description of the telescope.
- See the control room where radio astronomers work.
- See where the scenes of "The DISH" were filmed.
- Helicopter joy flights around the telescope
- Ask an Expert: Astronomers and technical experts will answer your questions
- Special displays.
Please Note
- The tour involves steep steps and is unsuitable for people with an aversion to heights.
- For safety reasons people of limited mobility, including toddlers and babies needing to be carried, will only be able to do part of the tour.
- For safety reasons appropriate (enclosed) footwear MUST be worn during the tour. Thongs, other open footwear such as sandals, high heels and bare feet are not acceptable. Visitors without suitable footwear will not be able to take the tour.
- Where
- The Parkes Observatory. The Observatory is 20 kilometres north of Parkes along the Newell Hwy, which is approximately 380 kilometres west of Sydney. Follow the signs to the Parkes Observatory Visitors Centre.
- When
- Weekend of 28 and 29 August 2004. Tours available: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm both days.
If you can't make it to the open days the Visitor Centre at the telescope is open every day except Christmas and Boxing days though tours of the telescope are only available on the open days.
More information to come. Further questions to the telescope visitors centre 02 6861 1777 or email