<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:x="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0cm;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
p.xmsonormal, li.xmsonormal, div.xmsonormal
{mso-style-name:x_msonormal;
margin:0cm;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-fareast-language:EN-AU;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style>
</head>
<body lang="EN-AU" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal">Dear colleagues,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto">I am writing to let you know that the University of Sydney will be closing scientific operations at the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope at the end of June 2023. This decision
has been made in consultation with radio astronomy staff from the School of Physics and Professor Matthew Bailes, who has been leading the Swinburne University research at Molonglo.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black">Since opening in 1965, the Molonglo radio telescope has been a leading instrument for radio astronomy, with many research discoveries attributed to work
undertaken at the site. </span>Highlights range from the detection of quasar scintillation; the mapping of the entire southern sky in the Sydney University Molonglo Sky Survey and the Molonglo Galactic Plane Survey; to the
<span style="color:black">first discovery of a pulsar associated with a supernova remnant (Vela). Most
</span>recently, Swinburne University led research that has resulted in the discovery of several Fast Radio Bursts.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="xmsonormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black">The site has also played host to approximately 50 PhD students, t</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt">raining generations of radio astronomers under the leadership and direction of many academic
staff members, including the late Professor Bernard Mills, Professor of Physics (Astrophysics), the late Professor Richard Hunstead, Emeritus Professor Anne Green and Professor Elaine Sadler. Research at the site has also allowed for many collaborations, including
most recently with the CSIRO and Swinburne University. </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt">The University is especially thankful to Dr Duncan Campbell-Wilson, and more recently Dr Tim Bateman and Dr Chris Flynn for their on-site professionalism and devotion
to the instrument.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt">The telescope’s design has allowed for upgrades over the past half century, but with next-generation telescopes coming online, at sites more suited to radio astronomy, it is time for Molonglo to be retired. The contribution
of the Molonglo Observatory to radio astronomy must be recognised, with the site operating as a vital testbed for technology for the Square Kilometre Array.</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto">In closing the site, the Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney will ensure that items indicative of its unique place in the history of Australian radio astronomy are catalogued
and curated with a view to preservation for the future. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto">A proper celebration befitting Molonglo’s contribution to science will also take place later in the year – an opportunity to come together to celebrate the site, staff and students
who have ensured continued operation and great scientific discoveries over the course of the last 50 plus years.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto">For questions in relation to the closure of the site, please email
<a href="mailto:science.communications@sydney.edu.au">science.communications@sydney.edu.au</a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I look forward to seeing some of you when we celebrate Molonglo later this year,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tara<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">--<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">For Head of School matters, please email
<a href="mailto:physics.hos@sydney.edu.au"><span style="color:#0563C1">physics.hos@sydney.edu.au</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">For meeting bookings and signatures, please copy
<a href="mailto:physics.ea@sydney.edu.au"><span style="color:#0563C1">physics.ea@sydney.edu.au</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">For research and personal email, please email
<a href="mailto:tara.murphy@sydney.edu.au"><span style="color:#0563C1">tara.murphy@sydney.edu.au</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">-- <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222;background:white;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">PROFESSOR TARA MURPHY | Head of School</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><br>
<span style="background:white">School of Physics | Faculty of Science</span><br>
<br>
<span style="background:white">THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY</span></span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Room 217, Physics Building A28<br>
The University of Sydney | NSW | 2006<br>
T +61 2 9351 3041<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">E
<a href="mailto:tara.murphy@sydney.edu.au"><span style="color:#0563C1">tara.murphy@sydney.edu.au</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><br>
<a href="http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~tara" target="_blank"><span style="color:#1155CC">http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~tara</span></a><br>
<a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/DEe-C71R2NTzmL161S8YHmJ?domain=coursera.org"><span style="color:#0563C1">https://www.coursera.org/learn/data-driven-astronomy</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>