Welcome to MPAS

Welcome to MPAS

MPAS is a volunteer-run Astronomical Society, located at Mt Martha on the Mornington Peninsula. It was founded in 1969 to foster the study of all aspects of Astronomy, Space and general Science by volunteers and to promote these to the public.

You can visit us at one of our popular public stargazing nights, where you can learn more about the Universe and take a look through our telescopes at the planets, the Moon and the stars.

We hold a monthly general meeting for the exchange of ideas and information. For decades the Society has provided “Astronomy on the Move” educational presentations, including observing nights for schools and community groups exclusively in the Peninsula and surrounding areas, as well as special exhibitions in the Melbourne CBD and Melbourne Museum.

Live sky at the Briars
View of Mt Martha Observatory

Mt Martha Observatory is the Society’s registered astronomical observatory at The Briars Historic Park. It is used to further the Society’s educational, research, innovation and recreational capabilities. Historically this was the first registered amateur observatory in Australia and is one of a network of registered global monitoring stations of night sky light pollution. The Observatory is registered with the Astronomical Society of Australia. We acknowledge the land, water, and sky under which we meet are of the Bunurong and Boon Wurrung peoples and we pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

Upcoming Events

Our popular Public Stargazing nights are open for bookings. You can now also purchase Gift Certificates for these events!

Bookings for stargazing for schools and scouts & guides are also always welcome.

Mt Martha Observatory is open to members.

Newsletter / monthly highlights / meeting videos

  • April: Impressive, by Gum
    As the skies get dark this month, you will notice that the constellations scattered along the arc of the… Read more: April: Impressive, by Gum
  • MPAS Meeting March 2025
    Main talk: “The Secret Life of Snowflakes”, by Prof. Kenneth Libbrecht, California Institute of Technology, courtesy of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Ontario, Canada.
  • March: Nebula draws away
    Observing the night sky from southern latitudes this month with a good pair of binoculars will give you plenty… Read more: March: Nebula draws away
  • Scorpius No. 2 (March/April) 2025
    Topics: Bentleigh Festival; Vale – Tony Nightingale; Largest radio jet observed; Tarantula nebula.
  • MPAS Meeting February 2025
    Main talk: “A Century of Relativity: from the Big Bang to Black Holes to Interstellar”, by Feynmann Prof. Emeritus Kip Thorne, California Institute of Technology, USA, public talk courtesy of the Dept. of Physics and Astronomy at Monash University, Australia.
  • February: Super Sights
    Looking north, in the constellation Cancer, the Crab, look out for the wonderful star cluster M44, also known as… Read more: February: Super Sights
  • MPAS Meeting January 2025
    Main talk: “Space Debris Removal: Technologies, Missions and Science”, by Prof. Inna Sharf, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, McGill University in Montreal, Canada, courtesy of the Dept. of Physics, McGill University.
  • The beautiful Rosette Nebula is a large nebula in the constellation Monoceros. It is a cosmic cloud of gas and dust about 5000 light-years away and has a flower-like appearance. The open cluster NGC 2244 is closely associated with the nebulosity, the stars of the cluster having been formed from the nebula’s matter. This image is a narrow view of the centre region, with lots of dust and gas. Photo: MPAS member Steve Mohr

Mornington Peninsula Astronomical Society
Mt Martha Observatory
The Briars, Mt Martha, Victoria

Email: welcome@mpas.asn.au

Postal address
450 Nepean Hwy,
Mt Martha VIC 3934