bulge is not observable. The Skymapper telescope, operated by the ANU, is currently mapping the entire southern sky, completing each map over a period of 3 months. The survey will record more than a billion stars and galaxies. This fully automated telescope also uses a series of filters enabling the camera to record the spectral type of stars, giving astronomers information about their age, mass and temperature. The 1.35m telescope has been used in the hunt for Planet 9 and more trans Neptunian objects, supernovae and also finding the oldest known star in the universe. Solaris 3, operated by the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center as part of a network across the Southern hemisphere, is a single 0.5-metre telescope, using a new method referred to as eclipse timing to search for exoplanets. They have also added an astrograph to their telescope, giving it dual purpose. Jaxa, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, operate four 0.25-metre telescopes, searching and tracking space debris and near-Earth objects in the Southern hemisphere. Huntsman Telephoto Array is operated by the AAO & Macquarie University to take images of faint galaxy structures using commercial lenses. Initially it will use a 0.28-metre Celestron Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph (RASA) telescope with seven 400 mm Canon f/2.8 camera lenses. bRing-AU, operated by a collaboration of Universities and astronomers will search for circumplanetary material, studying disks of dust in early history and the formation of icy satellites. They use 2 small modified cameras, with Kodak CCD chips. 2013 Bushfire On 13 January 2013 the facility was threatened by a huge bushfire and firestorm. Eighteen staff were evacuated to Coonabarabran. Three buildings were destroyed: 'The Lodge' accommodation used by visiting researchers, the Director's Cottage and the Fire Station. Bushfire prevention measures had been implemented and were credited with the protection of the telescopes. Though smoke, ash and other air-borne debris entered some domes, all telescopes survived the inferno. The first telescopes back in action were those of the iTelescope Remote Observatory on 20 January. The Anglo-Australian Telescope resumed normal operations in mid-February 2013. Visitors There is a visitors' gallery and exhibition area open to the public which also incorporates a café and souvenir shop. During NSW school holidays, guided tours of the site are offered. Groups of over 15 adults may apply for behind the scenes walking or bus tours. An Open Day is held annually in October, offering talks about astronomy and tours