RASNZ

On Thursday morning 15 August 2024, Mars (Matawhero) and Jupiter (Hine-i-tīweka or Pareārau) will be in conjunction (close to each other). As the chart shows, the distance between them is not much larger than the distance between the Galilean moons of Jupiter. The two planets rise in the North around 3 am so the best time to view them would be an hour before sunrise which happens around 7:15 am for Wellington. Matariki or the Pleiades lies to the left and slightly above the two planets.

The Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand (RASNZ) disagrees with a recent personal Facebook post by Nga Whetu concerning ‘Amadeo Ballestero’. Nga Whetu’s Facebook profile described themself as ‘Newsletter Editor of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand’. This was a personal post, not endorsed by RASNZ.

If you want to find Saturn, it will be by the Moon tonight Wednesday 24 July 2024. Rising together in the East after 9 pm, the Moon will move closer towards Saturn over the night. Its closest point will be after sunrise around 9 am before the Moon sets. The best time to see it at its closest would be before 7 am Thursday morning.

The RASNZ Newsletter for August 2024

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Tq2ZnWg2JVei57bg4AKgicj9zrzytaeZ/view?usp=drivesdk

Could this be New Zealand's next dark sky reserve? "An increasing number of those visiting want to experience and take photos of the amazing aurora lights."

Visual Observing vs. Smart Telescopes — Finding Harmony The latest smartscope astrophotography craze opens the door to some incredible opportunities for both beginners and seasoned observers.

Moon cave discovered that could one day house humans It is the first cave to be discovered on the Moon and could protect astronauts from radiation.

Kiwi student’s stunning photo short-listed for worldwide prize There were more than 3500 entries, and one local 21-year-old made the cut.

Today Friday 5 July 5:06 pm, the Earth will be at aphelion, the farthest point away from the Sun in its eliptical orbit. It will be 152,099,968 km from the Sun. Six months from now on 5 January, it will be at perihelion, its closest point from the Sun at 147,103,686 km. That's a difference of nearly 5 million km.
Aphelion and perihelion occurs roughly 2 weeks after the solstices, our longest night and day here in the Southern hemisphere.

Perihelion, Aphelion and the Solstices Earth is closest to the Sun two weeks after the December solstice and farthest from the Sun two weeks after the June Solstice.

In the very early morning of Matariki day Friday 28 June from 1:05 - 2:08 am, the Moon will pass in front of the planet Saturn. It will be visible for those of you in the top part of the North Island. For the rest, the Moon can be seen passing close to Saturn. It is a rare event so definitely worth taking a look. Exact times will vary depending on your location.
https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20240627_16_100

Matariki is in our Winter solstice morning sky. This image was taken today 21 June by RASNZ member Chris Monigatti from Tawa, Wellington.
To locate Matariki, find the 3 belt stars of Orion, Tautoru. Look to the left to find the orange coloured red giant star Aldebaran, Taumata-kuku, among the Hyades cluster, Te Kokotā, an upside down V of stars.
To the left is the bright planet Jupiter, Hine-i-tīweka or Pareārau. About the same distance from Aldebaran to Jupiter to the left of Jupiter is the small cluster of stars the Pleiades, Matariki.
Matariki is a cluster of about 1000 stars, 440 light years away so we are seeing it as it was 440 years ago. Naked-eye we can see 7 - 9 of the biggest brightest hot blue stars.

Friday 21 June 2024 is our Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Southern hemisphere and the longest in the Northern hemisphere. At 8:50 am the poles of the Earth will be directly in line with the Sun's axis.
Times vary for different locations but the following day, in Wellington, there will be an additional 2 secs of daylight as we head back into longer daylight hours. By the time we reach the September equinox (equal day and night), Wellington will be gaining 2 mins 44 secs of daylight per day.

June Solstice: the Longest (and Shortest) Day The June solstice is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the shortest day in the Southern Hemisphere.

The RASNZ newsletter for July 2024 is now available on the RASNZ website https://www.rasnz.org.nz or go directly to this link for the PDF version
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kiPWtY6AaLB7F4mn5f # # -W6kF2dE/view?usp=drivesdk

It contains articles on:
- the latest international and local astronomical news
- an article on an Affiliated Society
- a special photogallery of the RASNZ Conference 2024
- an article on recent NZ-linked Astronomical Scientific Research
- Observing Chart and Guidance on the Evening Sky in July,
- and various Notices about upcoming events and activities

We had a fantastic RASNZ Conference in Richmond, Nelson last weekend. Great presentations, great venue, and a enjoyable Conference dinner. It was a time to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. A special thanks to the Nelson Astronomical Society for hosting such a wonderful Conference.
Photo credit: Otto Gruebl & Nevin Amos

Even though there is a planetary alignment of 6 planets and the Moon, trying to see most of them naked-eye is going to be difficult.

On the morning of the 3 and 4 June, there will be an alignment of 6 planets and the Moon. The time to see some of the planets would be early morning till before the Sun rises. Seeing Tangaroa (Neptune) and Rangipō (Uranus) is difficult without binoculars or a telescope, however you should be able to see Pareārau (Saturn), Matawhero (Mars), and te Marama (the Moon) easily. Whiro (Mercury) and Hine-i-tīweka (Jupiter) will be difficult to spot in the dawn light. Jupiter will continue to rise over the next few weeks and become more visible with time.

So spectacular!

Kiwis’ stunning Milky Way photos named among world’s best Three New Zealanders were among more than 5000 entrants from around the globe to have images showcased in a prestigious competition.

The RASNZ Conference is this coming weekend in Nelson, 24-26 May. If you aren't able to attend in person, you can still join in through the online streaming at a very reasonable price. Check out the registrations https://www.rasnzconference.org.nz/event-details-registration/2024-rasnz-conference-2

The RASNZ newsletter for June 2024 is now available on the RASNZ website https://www.rasnz.org.nz or go directly to this link for the PDF version https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lL2j3DBKKRteaMukCAh90mjRbS23FJWg/view

It contains articles on:
- the latest international and local astronomical news
- an article on an Affiliated Society
- an article on recent NZ-linked Astronomical Scientific Research
- Observing Chart and Guidance on the Evening Sky in June, and
various Notices about upcoming events and activities

There is a prediction for strong auroral activity this weekend Saturday 11 May and Sunday 12 May. Saturday is predicted to be the best night. Get those cameras ready!
Image: Jonathan Usher.

Early-bird registrations will end shortly for this year’s RASNZ Conference (24 – 26 May) to be held at Richmond, Nelson. From 1 May, the registration fees will increase by $40. Visit the registration page at: https://www.rasnzconference.org.nz/registration to secure your attendance.

Come and see a rock from space: We are excited to announce that Fireballs Aotearoa is bringing the recently found Tekapo/Takapō meteorite to Nelson.

Those wishing to present a talk at the conference and/or submit a poster paper can use the submission forms available on the registration page. Acceptance of talks will be at SCC’s sole discretion and submitters will be advised accordingly in due course.

Pre-conference tour options:

Pic's Peanut Butter World (11:30am Friday)
Nelson Pine Industries (1:30pm Friday)
For further details visit https://www.rasnzconference.org.nz/pre-conference-tours]

Visit the conference website at https://www.rasnzconference.org.nz/ for information about:

• The location of the conference venue (Club Waimea)
• The conference schedule
• Details about our Invited and Fellows' Speakers
• Airport transfer/public transport options
• Accommodation options, including a code to use to get the best rate when booking directly with specified providers

The conference organisers are grateful for the support provided by Astronz , Nelson Pine Industries and Club Waimea.

We look forward to seeing you in Nelson.

Comet Pons-Brooks has been visible in the northern hemisphere morning sky in recent weeks. It hasn’t been prominent, mostly described as faintly visible to the eye in dark locations but nicely seen in binoculars.
The comet appears in the southern hemisphere evening sky in mid-April. It will be low in the twilight at first. On April 17 it will be just left and above of Jupiter but probably too faint to be seen in the bright sky. It slowly moves higher night to night but is expected to fade as it moves away from the Sun. (The brightness of a comet is hard to predict as they can flare or fade erratically.)
Comet Pons-Brooks moves in an elongated orbit like most comets. It returns to the Sun every 71 years. It is closest to the Sun on April 21st at 117 million km, about 3/4ths Earth’s distance or a bit further out than Venus. At this return the comet is toward the far side of the Sun from us when it is closest to the Sun. (Halley’s comet was similarly placed at its 1985-6 return.) At its furthest distance it is 34 times Earth’s distance from the Sun, a bit further out than Neptune.
The comet was first discovered by French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons in 1812. It was rediscovered at its 1884 return by the American astronomer William Robert Brooks, hence its name Pons-Brooks. Its last predicted return was in 1954. Reports of the comet have been found in historical records from 1385 and 1457. Comets that regularly return are called periodic comets. They are given a P designation. This comet is formally 12P/Pons-Brooks, indicating that it was the 12th periodic comet to be identified. Halley’s comet is 1P. Nearly 500 periodic comets are known, most of them very faint.
Image by James Peirce, 8 March, Utah

Tomorrow before dawn Thursday 11 April, Mars (Matawhero) and Saturn (Pareārau) are in conjunction, closer than the width of the Moon (Marama). Venus (Kōpū / Tāwera) and Neptune (Tangaroa) are in the sky too. The charts are for 6 am in Wellington. If you have clear skies, it would be worth checking it out.

The view of the total solar eclipse from the International Space Station!

Eclipse, but in space: See NASA astronauts' view from the International Space Station View of the solar eclipse from the International Space Station.Read more at https://nypost.com/2024/04/08/us-news/live-updates-solar-eclipse-2024-in-new-york...

This morning's total solar eclipse in Cleveland, Ohio!

Solar eclipse in Northeast Ohio: Cleveland experiences totality How cool was that? The April 8 total solar eclipse -- a moment we've been waiting years to experience -- put multiple Northeast Ohio locations like Cleveland...

Have you experienced a night sky filled with thousands of stars? If so, where?

With 80% of the world's population living beneath light-polluted skies (90% for those living in North America and Europe) most children today will grow up never seeing the Milky Way.

Unfortunately, our view of the stars continues to vanish at an astonishing rate, nearly 10% each year, as light pollution rapidly grows.

At DarkSky we are committed to reversing the alarming trends of light pollution. Join us in our mission to reclaim the night.

https://bit.ly/3U0zrNy

Did you know 70% of mammals and over half of all insects are considered to be nocturnal?

With habitat loss being the leading factor in the extinction of thousands of endangered species, we need to bring awareness to the role artificial light at night plays in this great devastation.

During International Dark Sky Week, we invite you to learn more about light pollution's impact on wildlife and what you can do to protect the night.

https://bit.ly/3U0zrNy

The Great Solar Eclipse, where the Moon blocks out the Sun, takes place today 8 April in the US and we won't be able to see it in Aotearoa New Zealand. We will see one in Dunedin on the 22 July 2028.

Today's eclipse starts around 3:42 am 9 April NZST so the best way to see it is on live stream.

Here are a couple of sites which are live streaming the event. There are many others but be aware of scam sites

NASA - https://www.youtube.com/live/2MJY_ptQW1o

TimeandDate - https://www.youtube.com/live/P9M_e3JbpLY

Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024 (Great North American Eclipse ) Total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024: Where and when is the Sun eclipse visible? Path map, animation, and local times.

UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY -
IAU National Outreach Coordinator for NZ

On behalf of the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU’s) Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO) i.e. IAU OAO, the Royal New Zealand Astronomical Society (RASNZ) is seeking a suitable person to nominate to take on the voluntary role of National Outreach Coordinator (NOC) for New Zealand. This is an important international role with the IAU OAO carrying out their work at a national level.

The ideal NOC we are seeking is a seasoned astronomy outreach practitioner or professional astronomer with substantial outreach experience.
The new appointee will have the opportunity to work closely and in coordination with the RASNZ’s arms undertaking education and outreach including its 26 affiliated societies nationally spread around New Zealand.

This role offers a great opportunity for someone to contribute to the nationwide support and promotion of astronomy and science education.
Please send in your expressions of interest before the closing date 24 April 2024.
Contact: Nalayini Davies, President RASNZ ([email protected]).

Suitable expressions of interest received will be passed on to the IAU OAO Director via RASNZ Councillor and Director of RASNZ's Professional Astronomers' Group, Nicholas Rattenbury, acting on behalf of the IAU National Committee of Astronomy (NCA) for New Zealand.

More information here:
https://www.iau.org/public/noc/