Moon meets Mars in constellation Gemini
Moon meets Mars in constellation Gemini
The past couple of months have been an extraordinary period for anyone interested in the planet Mars.
Sky watch
Finding star cluster worth the effort
Finding star cluster worth the effort
The early part of the night is really dark, making it prime time for stargazing.
The hole that just keeps giving
The hole that just keeps giving
What are you doing on May 14? If you are at a loose end, and the sky is clear, it may well be worthwhile heading out after dark because I think there’s an excellent chance an aurora will be visible...
Leo the Lion roaring in southern skies
Leo the Lion roaring in southern skies
Last week, I wrote about the distinct curve of stars forming the tail of a supernatural scorpion. This week, I’d like to encourage you to explore another prominent stellar arc.
Scorpius rising
Scorpius rising
A few weeks ago, I was sitting beside Hoopers Inlet, enjoying the tail end of what had been a rather beautiful auroral display, writes Ian Griffin.
Equinox best time for auroras
Equinox best time for auroras
Every encounter with the southern hemisphere’s autumnal equinox makes my heart beat with excitement, writes Ian Griffin.
Planets bomb the Sea Goat’s celestial pool
Planets bomb the Sea Goat’s celestial pool
As we approach the autumn equinox, the nights are lengthening. The sun is rising later each morning and setting earlier each evening. This makes astronomers very happy as there’s more time to...
Exploring strange new worlds
Exploring strange new worlds
Two decades ago, I had (what I then considered to be) my dream job.
Earthshine to brighten the night
Earthshine to brighten the night
A new moon occurred yesterday at 8.06am. The next few evenings are an excellent time to hunt its young waxing crescent.
Plethora of planets to peruse
Plethora of planets to peruse
This week is the perfect time to get up early and enjoy views of a beautiful crescent moon that is close to Saturn, Venus, and Jupiter, says Ian Griffin.
Fast-moving meteors on show until February 21
Fast-moving meteors on show until February 21
Continuing for the next couple of weeks, if you are out and about and the sky is clear, keep an eye out for fast-moving meteors, writes Ian Griffin.
Sky Watch: Colours reveal secrets
Colours reveal secrets
While any clear night at Hoopers Inlet on Otago Peninsula is impressive, it really comes into its own on calm, moonless evenings, writes Ian Griffin.
Something special for sky-watchers
Great conjunction something special for sky-watchers
Jupiter and Saturn will be so close to each other in the sky on Monday night that they will appear as a single star to the unaided eye.
Blue moon combines with penumbral eclipse
Blue moon combines with penumbral eclipse
November’s second full moon occurs at 10.30pm on Monday. Two full moons in the same calendar month is not something that happens very often, writes Ian Griffin.
So many reasons to look at the moon
So many reasons to look at the moon
The moon reached first quarter at 2.23am today. At sunset, it will be high in the northern sky. Our closest celestial neighbour’s 59% illuminated disc will be perfectly positioned for observation.
Keeping an eye on the night sky
Keeping an eye on the night sky
Astronomy compulsives sometimes get a tad upset when our day jobs mean we can’t stay up quite as late as we want, writes Ian Griffin.
A tour of the rising scorpion
A tour of the rising scorpion
This week Ian Griffin takes us on a tour of one of his favourite constellations.
A tale of two asteroids
A tale of two asteroids
In 1998, I was working at a science centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida. To a space nut like me, witnessing launches from the Kennedy Space Center was a real thrill.
A parade of naked-eye planets
A parade of naked-eye planets
As the sun rises on November 12, skywatchers across NZ will view a tiny black dot transiting the face of our nearest star.That's Mercury.
Moon approaches Saturn
Moon approaches Saturn
One of the hardest things to do when starting in astronomy is learning what is up in the sky.