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|organization = [[University of Canterbury]]
|code = [[IAU code#400–499|474]]
|location = [[
|coords = {{coord|43|59.2|S|170|27.9|E|region:NZ-CAN|display=inline,title}}
|altitude = {{convert|1029|m|ft}}
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[[File:Marko Mount John Observatory New Zealand.jpg|thumb|262px|UCMJO site at sunset in 2007]]
'''University of Canterbury Mount John Observatory''' ('''UCMJO'''), previously known as Mt John University Observatory (MJUO), is New Zealand's premier astronomical research [[observatory]].<ref name="hearnshaw">{{Cite journal |year=2006 |title=Mt John Observatory: the first 50 years |journal=Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania |volume=150 |pages=1-8 |doi=10.26749/rstpp.150.1.1 |issn=0080-4703 |number=1|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="ODT_tranquil" /> It is situated at {{convert|1029|m|ft}} [[Above mean sea level|ASL]] atop Mount John at the northern end of the [[Mackenzie Basin]] in the [[South Island]], and was established in 1965.<ref name="ODT_tranquil"/> There are many telescopes on site including: one 0.4 metre, two 0.6 metre, one 1.0 metre, and a 1.8 metre MOA
UCMJO is operated by the [[University of Canterbury]], and is the home of HERCULES (High Efficiency and Resolution Canterbury University Large [[Echelle Grating|Echelle Spectrograph]]), and the observational wing of the Japanese/New Zealand MOA collaboration ([[Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics]]) led by Yasushi Muraki of [[Nagoya University]]. A Japanese funded, 1.8 metre telescope was used initially by the MOA Project, before handover to the University of Canterbury at the conclusion of the MOA Project in 2012.
In June 2012 an area of {{convert|430,000|ha|sqmi}} around the observatory was declared as the [[Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve]] by the [[International Dark-Sky Association]], one of only four such reserves around the world at that time.<ref name="darksky-1" /> The area has a [[Bortle Scale]] of 2.<ref>{{cite
== Facilities ==
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=== Boller & Chivens telescope ===
This is a 0.61 m reflecting telescope run at either f/13.5 or occasionally f/6.25. Photometry is usually carried out using an FLI CCD camera.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 March 2022 |title=Research Fellow Physics – Telescopic Communication |url=http://www.maoripacificjobs.co.nz/jobs/research-fellow-physics-telescopic-communication |access-date=5 September 2023 |website=Maori and Pacific Jobs}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Tobin |first1=William |url=https://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1991IAUS..148..381T |title=First CCD Observations of Magellanic Cloud Variable Stars from the MT John University Observatory, New Zealand |last2=Gilmore |first2=A. C. |last3=Wadsworth |first3=Alan |last4=West |first4=S. R. D. |year=1991 |access-date=5 September 2023}}</ref>
=== Optical Craftsmen telescope ===
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=== Dark Sky Project telescope ===
This telescope, used exclusively for visual tourist operations is a 0.4 m [[Meade Instruments|Meade]] LX200 telescope.{{cn|date=December 2023}}
== Discoveries ==
In June 2008 it was reported at the meeting of [[American Astronomical Society]] that using their new MOA-II telescope, the observatory discovered what was at the time the smallest planet known outside of our [[Solar System]]. The planet [[MOA-2007-BLG-192Lb]] is just 3.3 times larger than [[Earth]] and is orbiting a small star, MOA-2007-BLG-192L (3000 light years from Earth). There is some possibility the planet has a thick atmosphere and a liquid ocean on its surface.<ref Name="Rincon" />
== Climate ==
{{Weather box|width=auto
|metric first=y
|single line=y
|collapsed = Y
|location = Mount John, elevation {{convert|1027|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1981–2010)
|Jan high C = 19.6
|Feb high C = 19.5
|Mar high C = 16.8
|Apr high C = 13.0
|May high C = 9.2
|Jun high C = 6.2
|Jul high C = 4.9
|Aug high C = 6.3
|Sep high C = 9.9
|Oct high C = 12.6
|Nov high C = 14.9
|Dec high C = 17.4
| year high C =
|Jan mean C = 13.9
|Feb mean C = 14.1
|Mar mean C = 11.7
|Apr mean C = 8.9
|May mean C = 5.6
|Jun mean C = 3.0
|Jul mean C = 1.6
|Aug mean C = 2.9
|Sep mean C = 5.6
|Oct mean C = 7.8
|Nov mean C = 9.9
|Dec mean C = 11.7
| year mean C =
|Jan low C = 8.1
|Feb low C = 8.6
|Mar low C = 6.5
|Apr low C = 4.7
|May low C = 2.0
|Jun low C = -0.2
|Jul low C = -1.7
|Aug low C = -0.5
|Sep low C = 1.3
|Oct low C = 2.9
|Nov low C = 4.9
|Dec low C = 5.9
| year low C =
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm = 42.3
|Feb rain mm = 32.9
|Mar rain mm = 51.7
|Apr rain mm = 56.5
|May rain mm = 53.6
|Jun rain mm = 50.7
|Jul rain mm = 44.8
|Aug rain mm = 60.9
|Sep rain mm = 43.3
|Oct rain mm = 57.5
|Nov rain mm = 40.8
|Dec rain mm = 50.9
|year rain mm =
|source 1 = CliFlo (rain 1971–2000)<ref name= CliFlo>
{{cite web
|url = http://cliflo.niwa.co.nz
|title = CliFlo – National Climate Database : Mt John
|publisher = NIWA
|access-date = 10 May 2024}}</ref>
}}
== Notable people ==
Notable people who have been associated with the Mount John University Observatory include:
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Frank Bateson]]
* [[Alan C. Gilmore]]
* [[Gerard F. Gilmore]]
* [[John Hearnshaw]]
* [[Pamela M. Kilmartin]]
* [[Alister McLellan]]
* [[Norman Rumsey]]
* [[William Tobin (astronomer)|William Tobin]]
{{Div col end}}
== References ==
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|archivedate = 10 July 2012
}}</ref>
<ref Name="Rincon">{{cite web
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== External links ==
{{Commons category|Mount John University Observatory}}
* [https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/science/facilities/field-and-research-stations/mount-john-observatory/ University of Canterbury Mount John
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041011131927/http://www.phys.canterbury.ac.nz/research/mt_john/index.shtml Mount John University Observatory - 2004 webpage]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050818010814/http://www.phys.canterbury.ac.nz/research/astronomy/hercules/ HERCULES website]
* [http://www.phys.canterbury.ac.nz/moa/index.html MOA website]
* [https://archive.org/search.php?query=%22mount%20john%20university%20observatory%22 ''Stars in a Cluster'' and other documents relating to the Observatory on archive.org]
* [https://www.darkskyproject.co.nz/ Dark Sky Project website]
{{University of Canterbury}}
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[[Category:1960s architecture in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Astronomical observatories in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in
[[Category:Buildings and structures of the University of Canterbury]]
[[Category:Mackenzie District]]
[[Category:Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve]]
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