Shevill Mathers has been a keen amateur astronomer / telescope and camera builder since the early 60’s, with a special interest in astrophotography. A member of the BAA, London (Lunar Section), his photographic expertise was greatly encouraged by Patrick Moore, with whom he has maintained a lasting friendship. Elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1969.

During the mid 60’s he published the results of his work developing full aperture aluminised glass optical filters for solar observing and photography. He has applied his medical science background and tertiary qualifications in scientific, electron & light photomicrography and X-Ray imaging, to astronomy with much success over the years. He enjoys using his skills to maintain a ‘cutting edge’ interest in astro imaging and its associated equipment. This is a good foil to his histopathology and forensic science related work. As a part time retinal angiographer, he has maintained a keen interest in new technologies, some of which he can apply to his astroimaging. 

Examples of his fine photography can be seen in books by Patrick Moore as well as numerous astronomical publications. During the early 70’s in Tasmania he produced a “Photographic Star Atlas of the Southern Skies”, which was a joint project with the late Walter Pennell (UK); Walter visited Shevill in Tasmania over several years at his first Southern Cross Observatory near Hobart.

Shevill joined the AST in 1968 and became its 10th president in 1970. He was again elected president in 2000. He also took on the role of Editor of the Bulletin and was responsible for its new design and format until 2005. He has been involved (as an amateur) with the University of Tasmania’s Mt Canopus observatory complex since early 1968, in the days of the 16” telescope and Dr Michael Waterworth.

In the late 80’s he began developing video systems for telescope use. Since 2000 he has employed his special video camera systems on the Mt Canopus 16” as well as his own telescopes - on the sun as well as night sky objects, to great advantage on public open days /nights. His video technology is very useful in his various ongoing astronomy outreach projects.

In 2000, Shevill became a contributing editor to SKY & SPACE magazine with his regular “Moonlighting” column, and in 2005 became an Associate Editor of the ‘New’ SKY & SPACE Magazine, Australia’s Premier magazine for southern observers. His regular column is now augmented by a wide range of articles including ATM articles, Astro News items and Activities from Tasmania as well as reviewing a wide range of astronomical equipment.

At the 21st NACAA held in Tasmania, Shevill presented papers/workshops and extensive equipment displays related to video applications in astronomy, with deep sky imaging, solar and All Sky (day & night), in real time, the main features of his work at his Southern Cross Observatory. He was the only Tasmanian presenter.

In 2005, after 5 years as AST President & Editor, Shevill stepped down to be able to spend more time writing and developing various projects, both work related and astronomical imaging / technology and telescope building. His final task as president was to initiate the weekly “Hands-On” Observing nights at Mt Canopus, which is proving to be a great success.
 
He enjoys a relaxed lifestyle with his partner, Gaye and their pets and a 1966 Mark 2 Jaguar, on a 5-acre rural property with dark skies just 12 km from Hobart and close to the Mt Canopus Observatory. His current 4-metre rotating observatory, built in the late 90’s now houses a wide range of telescopes of various types and sizes from a homebuilt fork mounted Newtonian 12” f/5 (soon to be replaced by a homebuilt 16” f/4.5 Newtonian) incorporating many unique features which are used mainly for astro imaging using film, digital, cooled CCD, web cams, and a wide variety of video systems. He also has some mobile and semi portable telescopes on EQ mounts. Another smaller observatory is in the pipeline. A good machine workshop and video / electronic studio adds to the ease of production of new or modified equipment. The main observatory instruments will be remotely controlled from a room in the house, some 50 metres away.

Over the past few years he has added to his solar imaging equipment which now includes the only Baader Planetarium Mark IV Coronograph (H-alpha prominence telescope) in Australasia as well as a modern Baader Herschel Wedge (white light), a Coronado 40 mm Solarmax filter unit on a William Optics 80 SD refractor and a Coronado PST to double stack the 40 mm Solarmax unit. Images from these instruments appear in various magazines and Internet forums.

He is a regular contributor to various magazines including the “New” SKY & SPACE, Tasmania 40 Degrees South magazine, Leatherwood On-Line, Discover Tasmania, Quasar Publishing ‘Astronomy Yearbook’, Universe Today and various overseas scientific forums. He is a local media source for TV, radio and the print media. His aim is to popularise astronomy within the general community and to develop video astronomy techniques still further. He is a member of the Astronomical Society of Tasmania Inc. and a country member of the Astronomical Society of Victoria.

His latest project is building another smaller observatory "OctaDome" (see details & images at http://picasaweb.google.com/AstroTasmania/OctaDomeScopes200708# ) to accomodate a separate multi-scope imaging system, based around an Anssen Technologies ALHENA mount, which carries a Takahashi Epsilon 180ED, Meade SN-10 and a Takahashi Mewlon 210. The Mewlon 210 will be equiped with a new piece of equipment, a Starlight Express Adaptive Optics unit with additional CCD attached guide camera. He plans to use a newly modified Canon 350D (Baader UV/IR filter + Peltier Cooler by: http://www.centralds.net/) on the Tak 180ED Astrograph and a modified (no filter) Nikon D50 on the SN-10.

The new observatory suitably called the “OctaDome” is of his own design and features a 8-petal roof which can be opened to suit the observing/photographic session, includeing 180-degree all sky views.

A portable EQ6 SkyScan mount with GPS and laptop EQMOD autoguider control, fitted with a William Optics Megrez 90 APO and a William Optics  ZS80 Petzval refractor is to be used for various off-site events

With his long time friend and fellow amateur astronomer, Laurie Priest, he will be using his equipment in various forms for extended public astronomy outreach events. Shevill's SCO was one of three observatories across Australia who contributed to a live broadcast on Discovery Channel TV, of the August 28, 2007 total lunar eclipse, which was visible from eastern Australia - see link below.

In 2007/8/9, Shevill & Laurie presented week-end astronomy displays/talks and demonstrations at the annual Antarctic Midwinter Festivals.

Since 2006 he has been involved with Pluto occultation events (Bruno Sicardy Paris Observatory) using the Mt Canopus 40cm" & 1.04 metre telescopes, in association with visiting overseas astronomers from USA, Germany & France. The 2009 event was only recorded by the Mt Canopus observatory, with excellent data being recorded.

The IYA 2009 has seen increased involvement with work on the 200 micron fibre optic spectrograph under the direction of Dr John Greenhill, testing new EMCCD camera's and planning for the 100 micron spectroscope on the new 50" telescope being located at Bisdee Tier in the Tasmanian Midlands.

International Year of Astronomy 2009, 10th September 2009.

On the recommendation of Head of School, Professor John Dickey, in recognition of contributions to astronomy, Shevill Mathers was appointed Honorary Associate in the School of Maths & Physics UTAS.

The title is conferred on persons, normally Tasmanian residents, who are contributing to the teaching /and or research programmes, or to community & outreach programmes of University Schools. These may include retired University staff, or persons on the staff of other institutions. The appointment carries the same privileges as full-time academic staff members in terms of the usual academic courtesies and privileges, including access to the Library, University Club, parking facilities, and email and Internet access.