The blog is where we'll post news, updates, information about objects in our collection, #betterworkstories, profiles of staff members and visitors, pictures and videos, and really anything we think you'd find interesting. We hope you enjoy.
If there's a topic you'd like us to do a post about, or a post that you think needs a sequel, just let us know!
Some fun in the sun
As the run of poor night-time weather has continued here in Dunedin, since the turn of the year I’ve had to resort to daytime observing to get my fix of astronomical excitement. Luckily despite my ongoing nocturnal misery, Dunedin’s long summer days (this week nearly fifteen hours between sunrise and sunset) have occasionally stayed clear long enough for me to point a specially-equipped telescope at our nearest star. As I’ve mentioned previously, you must never look directly at the sun through a normal telescope or binoculars as you will damage your eyes. However, there are types of telescope (called solar telescopes)...
In search of the horse’s head
The past weeks haven’t been happy ones for Dunedin stargazers. Evening weather since Christmas has been dreadful, with few clear nights. With time off over the holiday period, and feeling astronomical withdrawal symptoms, I decided a stargazing road trip was in order...
Watch for a close approach of Venus and Neptune
I mentioned recently how readers who had access to binoculars or a telescope could spot Neptune, when it was relatively close to the planet Mars...
A close approach of Mercury and Saturn
As darkness falls this week, there’s a fine celestial display in the south-western sky as the planet Mercury pops into view and sails past Saturn. With the sun setting at about 9pm there really is no excuse for local stargazers not to hotfoot it to a local beauty spot with a good view to the south-west and enjoy the spectacle. Once the sun has set, the planet Venus will be the first object you will see as the sky darkens. Often mistaken for an unidentified flying object, the second planet from the sun is spectacularly bright; at sunset it stands just...
An epic night of astronomy
Back in July 2015, I described a difficult celestial challenge which I intended to overcome. I set out to spot a marvellous object which astronomers call the great galaxy in Andromeda – a collection of a billion stars some two million light years from Earth.
A Tour of the Deep South
The moon is new next Monday (31 October) at 6.40am, which means we are entering the part of the month known as ‘dark of the moon’. Of course with the nights getting shorter in the run up to the summer solstice, the amount of darkness is decreasing with each passing day, but with the sun setting just before 8.30pm and rising at around 6.15am, Otago skywatchers still get to enjoy almost ten hours of stargazing this week...
Planets in the evening sky
I’m certain that my commute along Otago Peninsula from Dunedin to Portobello is one of the world’s best. After three years of making the journey twice daily, the constantly-changing outlook across the harbour is still awe-inspiring, even on days which are grey and overcast
Supermoon and seventh planet
It’s full moon next Sunday 16 October at 5.23pm. Here in Dunedin, the moon will rise just after 8pm, and city dwellers should get a marvellous view as it slowly rises over the hills of the Otago Peninsula. Photographers should have their cameras ready for what will be, weather permitting, a lovely sight. If watching the full moon rise doesn’t sound exciting enough to raise you from your post-prandial Sunday repose, how about if I told you this week’s full moon will in fact be a supermoon? Just 19 hours after the moon is full, at 12.47pm on Monday, our closest...
Look North
The moon reaches first quarter next Sunday (9 October) at 5.33pm, so moonlight won’t be a huge distraction for Otago stargazers this week. This gives us an excellent opportunity to explore and learn about some fascinating constellations visible in the northern sky after sunset this time of year.
Reflecting on Crux
My aim in writing these posts is to encourage you to enjoy something interesting in the night sky – sometimes it’s a lunar eclipse, at others it might be a close approach between planets, or (as last week) a particularly beautiful celestial object like the lagoon nebula. Amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life, it can be easy to forget the simple pleasure of stargazing. Yet, when conditions are right, the combination of a crystal-clear sky and stunning Otago landscape can make for moments of transcendental splendour. I was reminded of this recently whilst driving around Hoopers Inlet, one of my...
About
Our blog aims to keep you informed of the latest happenings at the Otago Museum, through posts about our collections, our people and our work.
Disclaimer
The views expressed here are those of our individual contributors, and are not the views of the Otago Museum.
Copyright
All content of this blog is Copyright Otago Museum, 2017. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the Otago Museum, except for the purposes of private study, research, criticism, review, or education, as provided for in the New Zealand Copyright Act 1994.