Sky watch

The clocks go back one hour tomorrow at 3am. As a result, for those of us who commute at the same time each day, mornings suddenly get lighter and evenings darker as a result of the time change.

A few weeks ago, I was visiting the University of Canterbury’s Mount John Observatory. I was there to use one of the larger telescopes to take pictures of distant galaxies.

Early rising stargazers are in for a real treat this week. If the weather gods co-operate and if you can find a spot with an unobstructed view towards the horizon, you will get to enjoy a gathering...

The moon reaches last quarter on Thursday morning. Earth’s natural satellite will be in the constellation Sagittarius, rising just after 1am. The hour or so before dawn is the best time to head out...

The moon reaches its last quarter phase on January 26. To see our closest celestial neighbour this week, you will therefore have to stay up well past midnight when it clears the horizon.

The first full moon of 2022 occurs at 12.48pm on Tuesday.

Stargazers are in for a treat after sunset on Tuesday.

This week Ian Griffin would like to encourage you to join him on a hunt for a remarkable spiral galaxy.

This week I would like to encourage you to head out after sunset and explore some of the constellations on show in the northern sky. The moon was new yesterday morning which means its light will...

Since its launch in 1998, the International space station (ISS) has become a familiar sight. Many have seen it as a very bright “star” slowly crossing the sky in the hours after sunset or before...

The moon is full at 3.57am on Thursday in Dunedin. It rises the previous evening at 7.38pm just to the north of east. It should be a beautiful sight opposite the setting sun as the sky darkens.