Bok lecture with astronomer Chris Tinney

When

Saturday 3 October 2026, 5pm to 9pm.

Where

Canyon picnic area, Warrumbungle Visitor Centre, Warrumbungle National Park

Accessibility

Medium

Grade

Easy

Price

Fees per person: Adult $30. Concession $26. Child $21. A 10% family or group discount applies for 4 or more people. Terms and conditions apply.

Entry fees

Price includes park entry fee

What to
bring

Drinking water, blankets, suitable clothing, snacks, torch

Bookings

Bookings required. Phone 1300 072 757 for more information or book online.

Make your booking for the annual Starfest Bok lecture, where a renowned astronomer discusses cosmic wonders to educate and inspire you. Professor Chris Tinney will take you on a fascinating journey into how planets form, how we discover them around other stars and why finding them is so challenging. Drawing on 30 years of researching exoplanets (planets outside our solar system), Chris will share what these discoveries reveal about the possibility of Earth-like worlds elsewhere in the universe.

A professor of astronomy at the University of New South Wales, Chris has dedicated his career to searching for some of the universe's most elusive objects, from brown dwarfs (often described as the ‘little stars that couldn't’), to planets orbiting distant suns. Since returning to Australia from the United States and Europe in the mid-1990s, he has used the Anglo-Australian Telescope and collaborated with world-leading teams in California, Hawaii and Chile to discover planets beyond our solar system.

Evening schedule

• 4pm: Arrival
• 5.30pm to 6pm: Professor Chris Tinney: Bok Lecture
• 6pm to 6.45pm: Explore the night sky presentation
• 6.45pm to 7.30 pm: Q&A session with the Warrumbungle Dark Sky Park Committee – hear local perspectives from Branioc Rankin (Coonabarabran Stargazing) and NPWS
• 7.30pm to 9pm: Explore the night sky presentation and telescope stargazing.

Dress warmly, including gloves and beanies. For added comfort, bring a torch, chair, blanket and, if you wish, a thermos with a hot drink.

In the event of poor weather, the program will be relocated to the Warrumbungle National Park Visitor Centre. Attendees will be notified if this occurs. Please note that chairs will not be permitted inside the venue.

Bok background

The Bok lecture is named after Bart Bok. He was the Director of Mount Stromlo Observatory from 1957 to 1966 and crucial in the development of optical astronomy in Australia. Due to the ever-increasing threat of light pollution from Canberra, he established Siding Spring Observatory in 1962. He also supported the Anglo-Australian Telescope, Australia’s largest optical telescope, which turned 50 last year.

The Bok lecture is run every year during Starfest. It acknowledges Bart’s enormous contribution to Australian astronomy, his tireless work in promoting astronomy to the general public and his work in protecting our dark skies from light pollution.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info