Early interest in astronomy
It may at first seem strange, but Tanya’s interest in astronomy began as a small child when she was afraid of the dark. Her father showed her the constellations of the Southern Cross, Scorpius and Orion to ward away the fears. A decade later, Tanya as a high school student had the chance to look through a telescope for the first time. The occasion was the return of Halley’s Comet to the sky. She was captivated by how many stars could be seen through the telescope’s eyepiece. It was just a tiny bit of the Universe but she was eager to see more.
University studies
As an undergraduate at Sydney University, Tanya successfully landed a vacation scholarship at the Anglo-Australia Observatory. She was thrilled to be working at the home of Australia’s largest telescope and the instrument used by famous astrophotographer Prof. David Malin to create stunning images of the Universe. She worked with an inspiring astronomer, Dr Charlene Heisler, who guided her from research student to postgraduate studies.
Postgraduate studies
In 2002, Tanya graduated from her PhD in astrophysics at the University of Sydney. Her thesis proposed the question “How can we tell if a distant galaxy contains a supermassive black hole?” To find an answer she compiled a detailed study of 25 galaxies using a range of Australian telescopes including the Anglo-Australian Telescope, the Australia Telescope Compact Array, the Parkes Radio Telescope and the Tidbinbilla Radio Telescope. During the course of her work, she discovered clear evidence for supermassive black holes at the centre of five of these galaxies.
While studying for her PhD, Tanya also worked as a Guide Lecturer at Sydney Observatory. This is where her passion for science communication developed, as she led tours of the historic observatory and introduced others to their first glimpse of the stars and planets through a telescope.
Employment at the Melbourne Planetarium, Museum Victoria
Tanya moved from Sydney to Melbourne in January 1999 to take up her current position at the Melbourne Planetarium. She watched the Planetarium take shape at Scienceworks and learnt how to draw together its eclectic array of equipment to create entertaining planetarium shows. Tanya helped guide the Planetarium through its most recent upgrade to a fulldome system in 2005. Planetarium shows are now seamlessly projected onto the planetarium’s domed screen to produce an immersive experience like no other.
A dozen Planetarium shows have been created in Melbourne since 1999. A stand-out for Tanya is the 2007 production Black Holes: Journey into the Unknown, which draws together research from her postgraduate studies to bring to life all that is fascinating and extreme in the world of black holes.
Memberships and societies
In 2006, Tanya convened the 18th biennial meeting of the International Planetarium Society. It was the first time the Society had met in the Southern Hemisphere and over 300 delegates from 28 countries came together to discuss all things planetarium related. The conference was a great success and a highlight of Tanya’s planetarium career.
Tanya serves on a number of astronomical committees across Australia:
- Prizes and Awards Coordinator, Astronomical Society of Australia;
- International Year of Astronomy 2009 Advisory Committee;
- Monash University’s Centre for Stellar and Planetary Astrophysics Advisory Board;
- Astronomical Society of Australia’s Education and Public Outreach Chapter;
- Australasian Planetarium Society.