Earlier this year, the members of the Tamworth Regional Astronomy Club were deeply saddened by the sudden passing of one of our club's founding members, Stuart Goff.
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Stuart was a great friend over many years and a highly regarded local builder, amateur astronomer, telescope maker and astrophotographer whose photos of the night sky were truly stunning.
At the time of his passing, Stuart was in the process of completing the construction of a high quality, short focus telescope which he was planning to install on an equally high quality computer controlled telescope mount with the intention of taking high resolution digital images of deep sky celestial objects such as galaxies, nebulae, star clusters and other astronomical wonders.
In the weeks that followed, Stuart's family indicated to TRAC they would like to see his collection of astronomical instruments being used as they were intended, and TRAC subsequently offered to purchase Stuart's telescope, together with another telescope he had also recently re-built for visual observing.
These were acquired with a view to installing them at the Astronomy and Science Education Centre and Planetarium Theatre complex (AASEC) to be constructed at Victoria Park, Tamworth next year. The club then began to look at raising some additional funds to make an offer to purchase Stuart's computer controlled mount.
It was around this time our club received the fantastic news that the Lions Club of Tamworth had made a decision to donate $2000 to TRAC to assist with our aim to promote the science of astronomy in the Tamworth region.
This generous donation allowed the club to acquire Stuart's computerised mount and will now see his imaging telescope and mount assembled and put to very good use by TRAC.
On Thursday, 11 October, Stuart's wife Sharon and daughter Amber, along with the immediate past president of the Lions Club of Tamworth, Mick Evans, attended a special evening with members of TRAC at which our club extended its sincere thanks to the Tamworth Lions Club members and the Goff family for the opportunity to acquire these high quality astronomical instruments, which will be used for research, public outreach and educational purposes at the AASEC complex.
The club also expressed its thanks to TRAC member Steve Rogers, who is also a member of the Tamworth Lions Club, for arranging an astronomy evening and dinner with local Lions Club members last year and who has fostered the wonderful links between our organisations.
Our members will be forever grateful for Stuart's many contributions to the establishment of TRAC, having served as our inaugural treasurer, coordinated and conducted the club's first two astrophotography courses and provided an enormous amount of technical, construction, observational work and advice on just about every facet of the club's operations.
Stuart always enthusiastically and freely shared his many years of experience in the field of astronomy and astrophotography for the benefit of anyone interested in learning more about our amazing universe.
The club will always be grateful too for the generosity of the Lions Club of Tamworth and the Goff family for their wonderful assistance in enabling TRAC to acquire Stuart's telescopes and mount, which will carry his name in the AASEC facility, and will be a very important part of the array of telescopes to be installed at the complex. Once again, a sincere thank you to all involved.
Finally, vale and thank you Stuart - mate, we miss you.
If you would like to learn more about astronomy and view the many wonders of the night sky, please feel free to attend one our monthly astronomy meetings and telescope viewing nights which are held at the Botanic Garden Training Room, Victoria Park, top end of Piper Street, Tamworth on the first Saturday of each month from 7 pm (apart from January). Visitors are always welcome! Details of our meetings and events are on our website at www.tamworthastronomy.com.au
