Construction of the Pierre Auger Observatory for the study of the highest-energy cosmic rays is about to begin. Prior to the availability of data from that experiment, decisions should be made on techniques for the analysis of the directional properties of those data. We examine here one possible analysis tool, the two-point angular autocorrelation function. As a concrete example, data from the SUGAR array are examined in this way. Possible clustering of the data is observed, and the identification of such clustering with candidate astronomical objects in a purpose-developed catalogue is investigated.

The interaction between the Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds has resulted in several high-velocity complexes which are connected to the Clouds. The complexes are known as the Magellanic Bridge, an HI connection between the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, the Magellanic Stream, a 10° × 100° HI filament which trails the Clouds, and the Leading Arm, a diffuse HI filament which leads the Clouds. The mechanism responsible for these features formation remains under some debate, with the lack of detailed HI observations being one of the limiting factors in resolving the issue. Here I present several large mosaics of HI Parkes All-Sky Survey (HIPASS) data which show the full extent of the three Magellanic complexes at almost twice the resolution of previous observations. These interactive features are connected, but unique in their spatial and velocity distribution. The differences may shed light on their origin and present environment. Dense clumps of HI along the sightline to the Sculptor Group, which may or may not be associated with the Magellanic complexes, are also discussed.

A World Wide Web site has been developed by astronomers and educators at Carter Observatory. STaRS is the Space science Teaching and Resource Site (www.vuw.ac.nz/~mackie/STaRS.html) and its objectives are to (1) present astronomy investigations for 8 to 12 year olds and (2) promote topical astronomy and space science studies for a general audience. The educational investigations drawn from local and international sources and the resources provided to teachers are described. The structure and content of the general audience pages are summarised. Details of site promotion and usage and critical comment from users and educators are given.

Due to the foreground extinction of the Milky Way, galaxies become increasingly faint as they approach the Galactic Equator creating a ‘zone of avoidance’ (ZOA) in the distribution of optically visible galaxies of about 25%. A ‘whole-sky’ map of galaxies is essential, however, for understanding the dynamics in our local Universe, in particular the peculiar velocity of the Local Group with respect to the Cosmic Microwave Background and velocity flow fields such as in the Great Attractor (GA) region. The current status of deep optical galaxy searches behind the Milky Way and their completeness as a function of foreground extinction will be reviewed. It has been shown that these surveys—which in the mean time cover the whole ZOA (Figure 2)—result in a considerable reduction of the ZOA from extinction levels of AB =1m.0 (Figure 1) to AB =3m.0 (Figure 3). In the remaining, optically opaque ZOA, systematic HI surveys are powerful in uncovering galaxies, as is demonstrated for the GA region with data from the full sensitivity Parkes Multibeam HI survey (300°≤l≤332°, ∣b∣≤5°.5, Figure 4).

The workshop programme of a new first year university astronomy subject with low capital costs incorporates diverse learning experiences: planisphere, time around the world, sundial, telescope, computer simulation, planetarium, spectroscope, poster, debate, night-time observatory trip. The practical activities, used to address specific learning objectives, emerged clearly as a major strength of the subject as evaluated by the mixed student cohort.

There is now evidence that there may be a strong source of cosmic ray particles in the general direction of the Galactic Centre. The likelihood is that the observed particles are neutrons with energies of about 1018 eV. Associated with the production of those neutrons, we would expect that large numbers of charged cosmic rays would also be produced, and we investigate here the directional properties of those charged particles as they may be observed at the distance of the Earth from the Galactic Centre. We follow the propagation of such particles through a simple Galactic magnetic field model with both a turbulent and a regular field to determine what field properties most affect the observed beam. It appears that the turbulent field component is crucial to any resulting charged particle observations.

It is hoped that in the near future neutrino astronomy will reach throughout and beyond our galaxy and make measurements relevant to cosmology, astrophysics, cosmic-ray and particle physics. The construction of a high-energy neutrino telescope requires a huge volume of very transparent, deeply buried material such as ocean water or ice, which acts as the medium for detecting the particles. I will describe two experiments using Antarctic ice as this medium: the AMANDA experiment employing photomultiplier tubes and RICE utilising radio receivers.

The development of robotic telescopes for education is reviewed. The problems associated with providing a service for students at different levels of education are discussed. Consideration is made of the hardware requirements in the students' institution and the compromises that are made to allow the maximum number of students to use facilities. The demands on teachers are considered along with the available methods of delivering educational projects related to curricular demands at the various stages. The likely developments in the technology are considered and estimates made of the probable timescales. Proposals are made to optimise student access to observing facilities that would involve the development of a linux-like collaboration around astronomy software and the development of low cost telescope systems. Proposals are made to realise such systems with the objective of providing universal access for students with Internet access.

Redshift surveys constitute one of the prime tools of observational cosmology. Imaging surveys of the whole sky are now available at a wide range of wavelengths, and provide a basis for the new generation of massive redshift surveys currently in progress. The very large datasets produced by these surveys call for new and sophisticated approaches to the analysis of large-scale structure and the galaxy population. These issues, and some preliminary results from the new redshift surveys, were discussed at the second Coral Sea Cosmology Conference, held at Dunk Island on 24–28 August 1999. This is a summary of the conference; the full conference proceedings are on the WWW at http://www.mso.anu.edu.au/DunkIsland/Proceedings.

Infrared J and K photometry has been obtained of all red giants in the half square degree region of the LMC bar searched for variables using the MACHO database byWood et al. (1999). The K–log P diagram shows the five distinct period–luminositysequences which are also evident in the MACHO photometry. The K–log P plot allowsidentification of the Mira sequence from among the five observed sequences. As shown in Wood et al. (1999), comparison of observed periods, luminosities and period ratios with theoretical models identifies Miras unambiguously as radial fundamental mode pulsators, while semi-regular variables can be pulsating in the first, second or third overtone, or even the fundamental mode. All these variables lie on just three of the five distinct sequences, and they all appear to be on the AGB. The nature of the variability of stars on the other two sequences is currently unknown. Possibilities include contact and semi-detached binaries, rotating stars with giant star spots, episodic dust formation, rotationally stabilised non-radial g− modes and strange pulsation modes caused by convection–pulsation interaction. These possibilities are discussed.

The E. & F. White Conference held in Sydney in December 1999 brought together expertise on a range of interference mitigation techniques from CSIRO, Australian and international industry and universities. Key goals were to enhance the understanding of techniques and their inter-relationship, to increase awareness of advanced technologies such as software radios and photonics, and to foster a cooperative approach to the development of interference mitigation techniques. The foremost application in mind was the square kilometre array (SKA) and the need to find ways to develop a hierarchical scheme for removing unwanted signals from astronomical data. This paper gives an overview of the topics discussed at the conference and summarises some of the key ideas and results that were presented.

The Charles Sturt University Remote Telescope Project aims to make available to primary school students and their teachers a simple-to-use telescope and CCD camera set up over the Internet. Access to the telescope is supported by a 10 week curriculum unit of Astronomy activities. The telescope is not a robotic device. It is controllable in real time with images being transmitted to the user also in real time. Visitors to the site are able to view what is happening at the telescope without being able to take control of it. This paper describes the project, the software control system and the related curriculum activities. Discussion centres around how to ignite students' and teachers' interest in science and how projects such as this one may lead to more exciting coverage of important topics in the primary and lower secondary schools.

Though the value of hands-on learning has long been recognised by educators, it is difficult to design laboratories in astronomy classes that present realistic astrophysical techniques to undergraduate students. Unlike most other sciences, astronomy is largely observational, not experimental, and making useful observations involves expensive equipment over time scales inconvenient for pedagogy. In recent years, however, astronomy has gone almost completely digital, and the advent of large on-line databases and fast personal computers has made it possible to realistically simulate the experience of research astrophysics in the laboratory. Since 1992, Project CLEA (Contemporary Laboratory Experiences in Astronomy) has been developing computer-based exercises aimed primarily at the introductory astronomy laboratory. These exercises simulate important techniques of astronomical research using digital data and Windows-based software. Each of the nine exercises developed to date consists of software, technical guides for teachers, and student manuals for the exercises. CLEA software is used at many institutions in all the United States and over 60 countries worldwide, in a variety of settings from middle school to upper-class astronomy classes. The current design philosophy and goals of Project CLEA are discussed along with plans for future development.

We describe a population of compact objects in the centre of the Fornax Cluster which were discovered as part of our 2dF Fornax Spectroscopic Survey. These objects have spectra typical of old stellar systems, but are unresolved on photographic sky survey plates. They have absolute magnitudes −13 < MB < −11, so they are 10 times more luminous than any Galactic globular clusters, but fainter than any known compact dwarf galaxies. These objects are all within 30 arcminutes of the central galaxy of the cluster, NGC 1399, but are distributed over larger radii than the globular cluster system of that galaxy. We suggest that these objects are either super-massive star clusters (intra-cluster globular clusters or tidally stripped nuclei of dwarf galaxies) or a new type of low-luminosity, compact elliptical dwarf (‘M32-type”) galaxy. The best way to test these hypotheses will be to obtain high-resolution imaging and high-dispersion spectroscopy to determine their structures and mass-to-light ratios. This will allow us to compare them to known compact objects and establish whether they represent a new class of hitherto unknown stellar system.

Type II and III solar radio bursts are associated with shock waves and streams of energetic electrons, respectively, which drive plasma waves and radio emission at multiples of the electron plasma frequency as they move out from the corona into the interplanetary medium. Analogous plasma waves and radiation are observed from the foreshock region upstream of Earth's bow shock. In situ spacecraft observations in the solar wind have enabled major progress to be made in developing quantitative theories for these phenomena that are consistent with available data. Similar processes are believed responsible for radio emissions at 2–3 kHz that originate in the distant heliosphere, from where the solar wind interacts with the local interstellar medium. The primary goal of this paper is to review the observations and theories for these four classes of emissions, focusing on recent progress in developing detailed theories for the plasma waves and radiation in the source regions. The secondary goal is to introduce and review stochastic growth theory, a recent theory which appears quantitatively able to explain the wave observations in type III bursts and Earth's foreshock and is a natural theory to apply to type II bursts, the outer heliospheric emissions, and perhaps astrophysicalemissions.

In 1994, the New South Wales Board of Studies, Australia, introduced three high level Distinction Courses for gifted and talented students: Comparative Literature, Cosmology, and Philosophy. All are offered by distance education but the cosmology course employs an interactive design model and an extensive communication system that differentiates it from the other two. This paper explains the model and the way it is used in practice to organise, sequence and deliver the course. A discussion addresses ways in which the model might be used to design a wider range of courses in science for gifted and talented students.

The astronomical technique of gravitational microlensing provides new opportunities to make measurements which are difficult or impossible by other methods, or which are complementary to those obtained more directly. These include detection of dark matter, determination of galactic structure, measurement of limb darkening of stars, and searches for extra-solar planets. The technique is best suited to the southern sky, and several observations have been made from Australasia. A sample of these observations is described here. A case is also made for a telescope at the Antarctic dedicated to gravitational microlensing.

We have analysed the 2dF spectra of a sample of galaxies common to the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS, Colless 1999) and the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS, Condon et al. 1998). Our sample comprises 88 galaxies selected by Sadler et al. (1999) from 30 2dFGRS fields observed in 1998. In this paper we discuss how this and future, much larger, samples of 2dFGRS–NVSS galaxies can be interpreted via analysis of those galaxies with strong narrow emission lines. Using diagnostic line ratio measurements, we confirm the majority of the eyeball classifications of Sadler et al. (1999), although many galaxies show evidence of being ‘composite’ galaxies—mixtures of AGN plus starburst components.

Variable absorption features were observed in the visible and ultraviolet spectrum of β Pictoris soon after this star gained attention in the early 1980s due to its large IRAS infrared excess and the discovery, from optical imaging, of an edge-on dust disk. The absorption has been attributed to the evaporation of infalling planetesimals or comet-like bodies (the falling evaporating bodies, or FEB, hypothesis). With a view to confronting this hypothesis with fuller observations, we monitored the Ca II H and K lines in β Pictoris simultaneously during 1998, obtaining sequences of spectra on 50 nights. Variable absorption was usually present. The different oscillator strengths of the H and K lines permit the determination of covering factors, but detailed modelling is required to test whether all features can be explained by the FEB hypothesis. The blend of Ca II H with Balmer H ε means that the H and K photospheric profiles are different, and that the variable absorption features do not evolve in parallel. The behaviour of the variable absorption on November 27 is evocative of a body passing in front of the stellar disk in a prograde equatorial orbit.

Teaching an astronomy course online involves many challenges. One major challenge is the design of appropriate, practical and challenging forms of assessment which focus both on the astronomy content of the course and on the particular astronomy interests of the enrollees. This paper will discuss the assessment approaches we have chosen for our introductory-level subjects, the outcomes obtained and the reactions of the course participants. In particular, some of the wide variety of project work undertaken by the participants will be described.