First-quarter a great time for the moon
The moon reaches the first quarter just after 10am on Thursday, which means our closest celestial neighbour will be relatively high in the northwestern sky at sunset.
skywatch
Return of the sunspots
Return of the sunspots
For people who don’t enjoy late nights, there’s a whole branch of astronomy that takes place during the day — it’s called solar astronomy.
Ratepayers paying to illuminate the heavens
Ratepayers paying to illuminate the heavens
Rules relating to lighting control in New Zealand are lax. writes Ian Griffin.
Signpost of summer
Signpost of summer
Happy cross-quarter day! Today marks the halfway point between spring equinox and summer solstice.
Gas-fired colours of the southern sky
Gas-fired colours of the southern sky
One of the sheer joys of stargazing in this part of the world is spotting an aurora australis glowing in the southern sky.
Fireworks from space
Fireworks from space
The moon was new just after 8.30 Saturday morning.
Prime time to see red
Prime time to see red
If you do one thing this week, you really must try to spot Mars.
Mars blooms as equinox looms
Mars blooms as equinox looms
The sun’s centre crosses the celestial equator moving from north to south at 1.30am on Wednesday. This marks the exact moment of the spring equinox in the southern hemisphere.
Twinkle, twinkle little stars
Twinkle, twinkle little stars
This week, instead of drawing your attention to something high up, I’d like to do quite the opposite. I want you to try to find the fifth and sixth brightest stars, which will be near the horizon...
Mercury setting
Mercury setting
The moon reaches the last quarter phase at 9.26pm on September 10. This means moonlight will be absent for the early part of the night, making the hours between sunset and midnight prime time for...
Somewhere over the moonbow
Somewhere over the moonbow
Compared to their daytime siblings, moonbows are rare, writes Ian Griffin.
Last days to spot fading comet
Last days to spot fading comet
A couple of weeks back, I encouraged you to find a relatively bright comet, writes Ian Griffin.
Celestial visitor passes on its 4500-year journey
Celestial visitor passes on its 4500-year journey
David H. Levy knows a thing or two about comets. He has discovered or co-discovered more than a dozen of them during his comet-hunting career, writes Ian Griffin.
Celebrate Matariki with Maori-themed tour of the pre-dawn sky
Celebrate Matariki with Maori-themed tour of the pre-dawn sky
Today (Sunday) marks the end of the Puaka Matariki Festival. Celebrations have been taking place across Dunedin this week with a wonderful programme of events. Before European contact, Maori looked...
Saturn, Jupiter putting on quite the show
Saturn, Jupiter putting on quite the show
This week, as the sun sets in the northwestern sky, Jupiter rises in the southeast. You can't miss the biggest planet in the solar system. It looks like an incredibly bright yellow-white "star".
A long way from the sun
A long way from the sun
The Earth reached the high point of its orbit - our greatest distance from the sun this year - at the weekend. Astronomers call this moment aphelion, writes Ian Griffin.
A good week for early risers
A good week for early risers
If you do anything this week, get up early and enjoy the sight of Venus and Matariki in the pre-dawn sky, writes Ian Griffin.
Crescent moon meets Venus and Matariki
Crescent moon meets Venus and Matariki
As we head towards winter solstice on June 21, sunrise is steadily getting later each day, writes Ian Griffin in Skywatch
Jupiter’s great storm not to be missed
Jupiter’s great storm not to be missed
For the past few weeks, I have had enormous fun observing Jupiter, Saturn and Mars, all of which are high in the sky in the run-up to dawn. While getting out of bed at 4am can be a bit tiring, any...
Shadow to fall across the moon
Shadow to fall across the moon
The moon is full a week today, on Saturday, June 6, at 7.12am. At that moment, as seen from Otago, our closest celestial neighbour will be 100% illuminated and will be visible low in the western...