On the evening of Friday, 20 August, a full moon will be visible, with Jupiter and Saturn nearby.<\/p>\n
To celebrate, the Ballarat Municipal Observatory and Museum is hosting a Fire & Stars Full Moon Feast, catered by Peter Ford.<\/p>\n
The Observatory\u2019s Judith Bailey said Jupiter will be the nearest on that night to the earth.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven though it\u2019s a full moon, Jupiter will be beautiful with Saturn very close, and we\u2019ll be able to look through the telescope,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The previously postponed feast is the first event of its kind, seeing attendees rug up in their woollies and pull their outdoor boots on to enjoy food cooked over an open flame, under the planets on the unique Observatory grounds.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll open with a mulled wine, share oysters, and eels from the western districts. We\u2019ll wander through the little forest and arrive at a cauldron where we\u2019ll serve bouillabaisse,\u201d Ford said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere will be western Plains porchetta, Spring Creek Organics roast veggies, and we\u2019ll have some street-style food in the form of golden syrup dumplings, all cooked over the fire.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe baby telescope will open and Sallie Harvey will sing us a song from there, before Richard Cornish narrates some stories of the Observatory and its history. On a winter\u2019s night in Ballarat, open fires will keep us warm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although an invaluable volunteer-run educational facility, Ford said many people aren\u2019t aware the \u201cwonderful historic site\u201d exists.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Observatory volunteers built the only disabled-access telescope in the country, so we can all celebrate the beauty of the celestial bodies,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The August Full Moon Feast will begin at 7pm on Friday, 20 August, running until 10pm at 439 Cobden Street, Mount Pleasant.<\/p>\n
The event has been postponed twice, originally planned for earlier in the year. A list of overflow bookings will be honoured at another feast currently set for Friday, 17 September.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On the evening of Friday, 20 August, a full moon will be visible, with Jupiter and Saturn nearby. To celebrate, the Ballarat Municipal Observatory and Museum is hosting a Fire & Stars Full Moon Feast, catered by Peter Ford. The Observatory\u2019s Judith Bailey said Jupiter will be the nearest on that night to the earth. […]<\/p>\n