Outback Astronomer: The extraordinary story of how an amateur astronomer's unwavering passion for the...

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Trevor Barry Ali Smith

Outback Astronomer

The extraordinary story of how an amateur astronomer's unwavering passion for the cosmos propelled...

Trevor Barry, Ali Smith, Liz Hayes

$35.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

HARPER360
18 June 2025

Memoirs; Rural communities; Astronomy, space & time; Galaxies & stars; Popular astronomy & space; Biography - Australian

Born and raised in remote Broken Hill, Trevor Barry left school after year ten to work in the mines. Years later, a single glimpse of Saturn through a colleague's telescope knocked Trevor's world completely off its axis, turning his whole life upside down.

With his newfound passion and armed with decades of outback know-how, Trevor set about building an observatory in his backyard using bits and pieces from his shed, a second-hand washing machine motor, rainwater tank parts and an old catamaran wire. It took some canny negotiations with his wife, Cheryl, 'the Gorgeous and Adorable', whose prized garden took a battering - especially when he decided to add a second storey - but before long Trevor was not just gazing at the stars but capturing extraordinary images of the planets.

Over the years, Trevor's love affair with Saturn, 'the ringed jewel of the solar system', only grew more passionate, and in his early fifties he did a degree in astronomy, topping his class. When he recorded a massive storm on Saturn from his backyard observatory, he alerted NASA. The world's greatest space agency took note and invited Trevor to contribute to its interplanetary research - leading to opportunities far beyond Broken Hill and even Trevor's wildest dreams.

Today, when he's not tending the greens at his local bowls club, Trevor can usually be found in his backyard, collecting data for international research projects. His work is held in high regard by professional astronomers, and his observations are published in peer-reviewed scientific journals around the world.

By: Trevor Barry
With: Ali Smith, Liz Hayes
Imprint: HARPER360
Country of Publication: Australia
ISBN: 9781460765449
ISBN 10: 1460765443
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 18 June 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Trevor Barry has called Broken Hill home his whole life - working in the local mines for over 34 years, marrying his high school sweetheart, and building a good life there. But 20 years ago he experienced a different kind of love at first sight - not with his wife Cheryl, but with a planet: Saturn. After more than three decades working in the mines Barry made the decision to follow the stars full time and at 51 years of age he enrolled at university to study astronomy. He now works with NASA and is leading astronomical authority on Saturn.