For over 150 years, the Sydney Observatory has sat atop the city gazing at the stars in the hopes of telling us more about them. Its uninterrupted run of gazing upwards towards the stars above Sydney may be about to come to an end thanks to a new skyscraper project.
In a submission to the NSW Government, Sydney Observatory has raised concerns over a nearby redevelopment project. The region being redeveloped is called Barangaroo, and the project would see a massive new skyscraper erected that will block out the Observatory’s view of the Southern Cross, for starters.
The Observatory expressed concerns that the blocking of the Southern Cross would interrupt the nightly star viewings for tourists.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that other astronomical objects will also be blocked by the skyscrapers, including Alpha Centauri and the Jewel Box star cluster.
The skyscrapers will also increase the level of light pollution in front of the telescope, further hampering sky observations.
Sure we won’t be able to see the stars anymore, but at least we’ll have another casino in Sydney. Thanks billionaires. [SMH]