MicroFUN is an informal consortium of observers from 5 continents, both professional and amateur, dedicated to photometric monitoring of interesting microlensing events in the Galactic Bulge.

The MicroFUN observing season runs from May through September each year when the Galactic Bulge is visible in the night sky. Because the Bulge is at RA=18h Dec=–30°, most of the sites are in the Southern Hemisphere, or at relatively low northern latitudes (at or just below 30° North latitude).

 In New Zealand, the Galactic Bulge runs high overhead during the winter months.

The collaboration is led from The Ohio State University Astronomy Department and is headed by Professor Andrew Gould.  The primary scientific objective of this group is to observe high-magnification microlensing events that give the best potential for detecting extra-solar planets orbiting distant stars.

Dec 2008, MicroFUN members in Auckland for the first MicroFUN meeting.

Back row from left: Barbara Pogge, Greg Bolt, Guy Thornley, Dave Moorhouse, Byeong-Gon Park, Tim Natusch, John Drummond, Marc Bos.

 Front: Grant Christie, Andy Gould, Cheongho Han, Chung-Uk-Lee, Rick Pogge,  Scott Gaudi and Jennie McCormick

3x Jupiter Mass Planet

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Neptune Mass Planet

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Jupiter and Saturn Analogue

Editorial Cartoon of the NZ Parliament building following the press release announcing the discovery of

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