A science-lover observatory in Pakistan won a $5,000 grant from the Australian government during National Science Week 2017.
Pakistani pediatrician Dr. Muhammad Akbar Hussein is the mastermind behind the design and implementation of Scoop.
The Southern Cross Observatory Project (Scoop) is a trailer-mounted dome observatory with a computerized telescope. The observatory’s aim is to make astronomy more accessible to people in remote areas of Australia. An avid amateur astronomer, Hussein is a member of the Karachi Astronomers Association and the Pakistan Astronomical Federation.
In an interview Dr. Akbar Hussain discussed the motivation behind the project and future plans.
“The observatory is a 2.3-meter dome with an 11-inch telescope. The project was completed in June 2016 and started in August 2016. This mobile observatory was one of the highlights of Australia’s National Science Week 2017. “
