New documentary to highlight WA's emergence as global star gazing capital

Star Tracks has been filming across Western Australia's Wheatbelt, Mid West and Murchison regions.

Funded by The University of Western Australia, Curtin University and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), the documentary aims to provide an insight into how Western Australia is fast becoming the astronomy and stargazing capital of the world.

It will bring the most modern of space science endeavours together with WA's most ancient knowledge of the night sky.

Local Astrophotographer Michael Goh has been travelling far and wide to capture WA's beautiful night sky through amazing time-lapse sequences for the project.

"WA's night sky is one of the darkest on the planet and it's one of the best locations to see the Milky Way," he said.

"We have low populations in regional WA and low levels of light pollution. Our regions are a magnet for astrophotography."

Star Tracks creator and Beam Me Up Media director Donna Vanzetti said the documentary was an opportunity to showcase the state's value as an "astro hotspot" and had potential to be developed into a regular TV series.

"With our pristine dark night skies, the Square Kilometre Array, our ancient Aboriginal astronomy heritage, and many other cutting-edge space science projects, WA has many wonderful stories to tell," she said.

The documentary also focuses on mega space science project the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), whilst travelling the state to feature the characters and places which meld high-tech science with ancient Aboriginal Astronomy.

The SKA project, half of which will be built in WA's Murchison region, has already attracted over 200 radio astronomy professionals to the state and will be the largest and most capable radio telescope ever constructed.

It aims to expand our knowledge of the universe and drive technological advancement across the globe.

The production team has travelled to locations such as the Murchison Radio Observatory, the site for the Square Kilometre, the Pinnacles Desert, and the stunning landscapes of Cervantes and Moora for the project.

More filming is planned with the program set to be completed in coming months.

For more information about some of WA's best stargazing spots, click here.