Gravity Discovery Centre
Coordinates: 31°21′22″S 115°42′46″E / 31.356184°S 115.712696°E
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The Gravity Discovery Centre and GDC-Observatory Gingin is a "hands-on" science education centre, situated on the site of the Australian International Gravitational Observatory, near Gingin, north of Perth, Western Australia.
The centre is operated by the University of Western Australia and provides information and displays regarding physics and astronomy, specialising in gravity and cosmology. The site of the public centre is located far enough from the gravitational wave detector to prevent any interference. Smoking is banned, as the centre is in an area at high risk of a bushfire; it was almost burnt down during a bushfire in November 2006.
The Department of Environment and Conservation manages the bushland surrounding the Discovery Centre and the observatory, and strives to keep the area untouched (from weeds, litter, etc.). The surrounding area is abundant in seasonal wildflowers.
In 2005 the Gravity Discovery Centre was awarded the Eureka Prize for "promoting [the] understanding of science."[1] The GDC is the most efficient of all Australian science education centres in terms of financial subsidy per visitor.
Exhibits
- The Discovery Centre
- Magnetic Skateboard
- AIGO Model
- Bernoulli Ball
- Space Capsule
- The Cosmology Gallery, topped with a 20 metres (66 ft) diameter Buckyball dome
- Niobe, the first southern hemisphere gravitational wave detector.
- Timeline from the Big Bang to the present
- Penrose Floor
- Astrophotography
- The Australian Shaman Exhibition
- Coherence to Chaos Exhibition
- Multicultural artwork
- Southern Cross Cosmos Centre, home to the GDC Observatory
- The Zadko Telescope, a robotic optical telescope.
The Leaning Tower of Gingin
The Leaning Tower of Gingin is a purpose built 45 metres (148 ft) tall steel structure, designed so that visitors can recreate the experiments of Galileo Galilei. There are 222 steps to the top from where balloons filled with water can be dropped through chutes. The tower leans at an angle of 15 degrees and held in place by 180 tons of concrete.[2]