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About us

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What we do

At 'The School of Astronomy and Astrophysics' (TSAA), we are committed to providing opportunities for students enrolled in 'Department of Education' (DoE) schools in Queensland to reach their maximum potential. Since 2007, our students have had the opportunity to extend their learning in the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subject areas of astronomy and astrophysics. We have created a tangible nexus between students, teachers and academic professionals with our global network of collaborative partners. Making use of our innovative online platform, we challenge every DoE student by delivering educational content up to university level.

Fast facts

  • Every student with a B or greater level of achievement in our Senior Astrophysics course has been enrolled in a scholarship program at a leading Australian university.
  • TSAA engages with community through community events and outreach.
  • University lecturers are beginning to facilitate our courses, which are part of ongoing research-based course development.
  • TSAA began as a virtual campus of Atherton State High School.

TSAA is not a textbook. Online courses typically are valuable as a resource to a teacher or other educational provider. Our courses provide everything that a traditional classroom learning experience would, except all information is available online, the courses are self-paced and our multi-faceted student support systems are integrated right into the course materials.

For more information about our course delivery, view our course documents.

Student involvement

Students in attendance of our annual student astronomy conference have the opportunity to network with professional academics in astronomy. During the week-long conference, students engage in research projects, lectures and partake in tours of our partner institutions.

Free resources for secondary DoE Queensland school teachers

Year 10 science teachers can contact us for information about our Year 10 astronomy course, which uses our innovative online delivery system. Our course aligns with the Australian curriculum for Year 10 science and allows teachers to focus primarily on facilitating each student's learning and monitoring assessment.

Location

TSAA is a virtual school, with its administration and observatory based at Atherton State High School, located in the town of Atherton on the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland.

The coordinates of the school’s observatory are latitude 17° 15' 30.33'' South, longitude 145° 29' 42.11'' East at an altitude of 752m (2,467ft) above sea level. Northeast Japan lies within this meridian in the Northern Hemisphere, with locations in Southwest Queensland and Central New South Wales and Victoria in the Southern Hemisphere.

The observatory witnesses its best viewings from July to November when clear skies are common throughout the region’s dry season.


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Last reviewed 20 January 2023
Last updated 20 January 2023