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.

Become a Member!

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.

May: Artistic LibertyMay 7, 2025
The Milky Way rises high in the south this month, with Sagittarius and Scorpius sitting in the east –… Read more: May: Artistic Liberty
Scorpius No. 3 (May/June) 2025May 1, 2025
Topics: Vale Roger Cleverdon; Kosmos 482 re-entering; Celestial poles.
MPAS Meeting April 2025April 16, 2025
Main talk: “Astronomical Spectroscopy: Understanding The Complex Chemistry Hidden Between The Stars”, by Prof. Martin McCoustra, Herriot-Watt University, Prof. Serena Viti, Leiden Observatory, Netherlands, and Prof. Wendy A. Brown, University of Sussex, courtesy of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Chemistry World, London.
April: Impressive, by GumApril 6, 2025
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 2025March 19, 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 awayFebruary 28, 2025
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) 2025February 28, 2025
Topics: Bentleigh Festival; Vale – Tony Nightingale; Largest radio jet observed; Tarantula nebula.

M16, the Eagle Nebula, includes the stunning Pillars of Creation and Stellar Spire. Photo by MPAS member Nik Axaris
Flame Nebula – Photo by MPAS member Steven Mohr
The Carina Nebula (NGC 3372) is a large, complex area of bright and dark nebulosity in the constellation Carina and is located in the Carina-Sagittarius Arm, which is generally thought to be a minor spiral arm of the Milky Way. The nebula is about 8500 light-years from Earth. Photo by MPAS member Nik Axaris
NGC 6744 (aka Caldwell 101) is an intermediate spiral galaxy about 30 million light-years away in the constellation Pavo. It is considered a Milky Way mimic, displaying flocculent (fluffy) arms and an elongated core. It also has at least one distorted companion galaxy – NGC 6744A – superficially similar to one of the Magellanic Clouds. Photo by MPAS member Steven Mohr
The Lagoon Nebula M8 is found within our own galaxy some 5200 light-years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius. Its shape and appearance resembles a pond of a star-forming interstellar cloud and gas, and it is faintly visible to the naked eye in dark skies. Photo by MPAS member Steven Mohr
Taken with a smartphone on the Mornington Peninsula, this photo of the aurora australis shows what happens when fully charged particles burst from the sun, creating a solar wind that is then drawn to the North and South poles to produce nature’s finest lightshow. Photo: MPAS member Nerida Langcake
The Pleiades, also known as The Seven Sisters and Messier 45, is an open star cluster containing middle-age, hot B-type stars in the northwest of the constellation Taurus. It is among the star clusters nearest to Earth; it is also the nearest Messier object to Earth and is the cluster most obvious to the unaided eye in the night sky. Photo: MPAS member David Rolfe
The Trifid Nebula (M20) is an unusual combination of an open cluster of stars – an emission nebula, a reflection nebula and a dark nebula. Its name means ‘divided into three lobes’. Photo by MPAS member Nik Axaris
This pretty cosmic cloud is Robins Egg (NGC 1360), which nests securely within the boundaries of the southern constellation Fornax some 1500 light-years away. Taking its name from its resemblance to a blue robin’s egg, it’s recognised as a planetary nebula and spans about three light-years. Photo by MPAS member Steven Mohr
The Tarantula Nebula (NGC 2070) is a large open cluster located in the southeast corner of the Large Magellanic Cloud. It includes the most massive star known, R136a1. Photo by MPAS member Russell Smith
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