Dr. Ragbir Bhathal
Patron of Macarthur Astronomical Society
 Dr Ragbir Bhathal is an award winning author and astrophysicist who carries out teaching and research in physics, astrophysics, radio and satellite communications and Australian Studies in Science at the University of Western Sydney. He has been a Patron and member of Macarthur Astronomical Society almost since it's inception and is Director of the UWS Rotary Observatory at the University of Western Sydney, Campbelltown Campus.  Awards
Dr. Bhathal was awarded the prestigious Nancy Keesing Fellowship of the State Library of NSW and the CJ Dennis Award for excellence in natural history writing.
PublicationsDr. Bhathal has published over 100 papers in international journals and six books on astronomy. His latest is Australian Backyard Astronomy. He was invited to be a guest editor for a special issue on SETI for the international refereed journal Acta Astronautica. He has also edited with Dr Sturat Kingsley the proceedings of an international conference on optical SETI which was held in the Silicon Valley in California.
Search for Extra-Terrestrial IntelligenceDr. Bhathal is the Project Director of the OZ OSETI Project, the only dedicated optical SETI search in the Southern Hemisphere. Located at the University of Western Sydney Campbelltown Rotary Observatory in Campbelltown, the Patron of the OZ OSETI project was the late Sir Arthur C Clarke (co-author of the best-selling novel 2001: A Space Odyssey). ProjectsDr Bhathal was a member of a team led by Professor Lister-Staveley Smith (University of Western Australia) which carried out the largest HI survey of the Southern Hemisphere using the Parkes Radio telescope.
He is carrying out a National Project to record the lives and scientific achievements of significant Australian astronomers and physicists. He is working on a book on Australian Frontiers of Astronomy which is based on this project. He is also undertaking a National Project on Aboriginal astronomy and is working on a project to improve the scientific literacy of Aboriginal students in the Western suburbs of Sydney.
He presented a paper at the IAU-UNESCO Symposium held at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris in January 2009 to mark the start of Europe's celebrations for the International Year of Astronomy. He has served as a UNESCO consultant and an Adviser to the Australian Federal Minister for Science. UWS Rotary Observatory, Campbelltown 
Dr. Bhathal is the first Director of the UWS Rotary Observatory, the only astronomical observatory in the Macarthur region. The Observatory was planned, designed and established in 2000 by Dr. Bhathal from funds raised through a research grant, the Rotary Club of Campbelltown and private sector sponsorship from companies in the South Western Suburbs of Sydney, including Campbelltown. The Observatory consists of two optical telescopes, both permanently mounted in a dedicated dome. It is located inside the grounds of the University of Western Sydney, Campbelltown. See location map >> Here << A CSIRO article about the UWS Rotary Observatory, which includes a detailed technical specification, can be found >> Here << The Observatory was opened on 15th July 2000 by the NSW Member for Campbelltown, The Hon. Michael Knight. The Opening Day Programme is >> Here << The Observatory runs Public Observing Nights in conjunction with Macarthur Astronomical Society. For details, go to our 'What's On" page >> Here << Ragbir Bhathal Links:Professor Bhathal CV 'Watch This Space' - an article in The Australian newspaper Ragbir's periodic articles in The Advertiser UWS - Staff Profile  Commemorative plaque at the UWS Rotary Observatory:
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