The literature contains numerous predictions of an X-ray pulse associated with the emergence of the shock-wave at the surface of a star undergoing a supernova explosion. Applied to supernova 1987a, these suggest a small, solar-flare like event lasting about a minute with a terrestrial flux of order 1 μWm-2 and a black-body temperature between 106K and 107K occurring between 0900 and 1000 UT on February 23, 1987. Unfortunately, no direct X-ray observations appear to have been made. However, such an event would be expected to give rise to an observable enhancement of ionization in the upper D-region of the ionosphere. The absence of a detectable perturbation in VLF radio signals propagating in the earth-ionosphere waveguide sets upper limits to the X-ray flux and temperature below those predicted.

The structure of the radio source 1308-441 has been determined with the Molonglo and Fleurs radio telescopes. The nuclear component has been identified with a magnitude 15 galaxy and an optical spectrum, obtained with the Anglo-Australian Telescope shows galactic absorption features with a redshift of 0.0515 but no emission lines. The radio image shows the nuclear component linked by a well defined bridge to diffuse lobes extending for 11 arcmin west and 6 arcmin east. The asymmetry is believed to be due to projection effects. The projected size is 670 kpc (Ho = 100 km s-1 Mpc-1). The bridge contains several peaks with one strong unresolved peak 90 kpc from the galaxy.

We report on the identifications of 15 new X-ray selected Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). The AGN have been discovered during an ongoing program to identify and study the optical counterparts of X-ray sources detected by the HEAO-1 satellite. The new AGN add to our existing data base of 26 making a sample of 41 objects which are the subject of a multiwavelength study including radio, infrared, optical, UV and X-ray observations. As part of this study 8.4 GHz flux measurements have been made at Parkes. Radio-optical-X-ray continuum spectral index comparisons are presented.

Daily rainfall data for Sydney, Prague and Moscow for singularities around 26 May and 9 November were examined by an autocorrelation method. Intervals between 2 and 7 days were used for the autocorrelation. In all three samples the wider the interval used the later the date of the best autocorrelation. The shift is discussed from the point of view of the Bowen hypothesis on meteor-rainfall correlation. Also new results supporting the Bowen hypothesis and its new version on bacteria from space, published recently, are briefly discussed.

The research now under way with the real-time 275 km Parkes-Tidbinbila interferometer is used as a guide to the initial science to be undertaken with the 319 km Australia Telescope (AT) Long Baseline Array. On the other hand, it is risky to guess at the new science likely to be attempted with the 6 km AT Compact Array at Culgoora; instead the potential that has been built into this array is discussed and a selection of basic questions in astrophysics is posed as a guide to significant science that might yield to new observers on a fresh instrument under the southern skies. In conclusion two questions are probed: Can discoveries be made by users of national facilities? Does the AT cross into new domains in the phase space of observations?

Sir William Herschel and his sister, Caroline, had swept the skies over England as members of the court of George III. They had made amazing discoveries: a new planet in our solar system, the movement of the solar system with respect to the fixed stars, and hundreds of new nebulae and star clusters.

Then Sir William’s son John swept the southern skies from Cape Town, South Africa (1834 to 1838), mapping and sketching many more stars and nebulae.