Just like “Open sesame”, “Open April” is a pleonasm but we might have forgotten it is because the word April was invented long ago and far, far away, all the way to the other side of the world in Ancient Rome.
We often give the Moon magical properties it simply does not have. The amount of illumination it provides changes and that’s about it.
Happy Birthday Leaplings! As they are affectionately known, leaplings navigate a world where their official birthdays come only once every four years. Why did this happen and whose fault is it?
Images of objects in space are often coloured to help astronomers work out what’s going on. This post looks at what we can work out.
This month’s space exploration column takes us from the frosty terrains of ancient Earth to the latest technological feats in Mars’ atmosphere and beyond. Discover the vital insights shared by astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and journey with us through groundbreaking discoveries about black holes, the intriguing potential for life on Titan, and the innovative strategies powering Artemis moon missions. Engage with the cultural significance of space exploration through Indigenous art and marvel at the celestial dance of orbital resonance. Dive into the cosmos with us at Milky-Way.Kiwi, where the universe is closer than ever.
We get inspired by the remarkable journey of Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, from the depths of the ocean to the vastness of space, and her visit to Wellington meeting with Women in Space and teachers at Hutt Valley High School.
Get your dustpan out and prepare your vacuum cleaners! February might be famous for Valentine’s Day but it is really all about cleaning!
This post explores the star Sirius A and its companion white dwarf, Sirius B. Discovered in 1862, Sirius B is a dense remnant of a larger star. The post discusses mass transfer between the two stars and explains the formation of white dwarfs. Sirius B’s density, surface temperature, and estimated age of 150 million years are also highlighted.
Where did January get its name? The first month of the Gregorian calendar, ushers in the new year with a blend of anticipation and nostalgia. But have you ever wondered why it’s called January and what significance this month holds in various cultures around the world? Let’s journey through time and across continents to explore the origins of “January” and discover other names and customs associated with this pivotal time of year.
Born in 1944 at the dawn of the space age, Jay McCoy grew up fascinated by rockets and science. As a teenager he built experimental rockets, explored the counterculture of the 1960s, and eventually travelled across the world in search of adventure, music, and knowledge.
From stage lighting at New Zealand’s legendary Sweetwaters and Nambassa festivals to building an off-grid observatory on the slopes of Mauna Kea in Hawai‘i, Jay’s life was guided by a deep curiosity about the universe and humanity’s place within it.
This memoir, written by his wife Delyse McCoy, traces the remarkable journey of a man who never stopped exploring the cosmos.
Recently published research has demonstrated that the expansion of the universe and black holes may be linked.
Stardate South Island was held 17-19 Feb 2023 at Staveley, near Christchurch. It was a fantastic weekend and you can read all about it here.
Venus doesn’t capture a lot of press time as it’s often overshadowed by the more hospitable Mars and the more photogenic planets of Saturn and Jupiter. It’s not all quiet around Venus, as JAXA has Akatsuki orbiting Earth’s twin and sending back some great images and building our understanding of Venus.
We got AI to describe Einstein’s theory of general relativity, and the results are pretty good. We also got some AI images created.
Cool things to look at in the May night sky. We describe 5 of our favourite ones, you may not have seen all of them before.
(And we can do something about it.)
Life needs CHNOPS, the six essential elements Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, and Sulphur. Curiosity found them on ancient Mars, but a new study shows Earth was born without them. Only a lucky impact with Theia made our world habitable. In contrast, Venus never stood a chance. Meet the three planetary siblings and discover why only Earth became a cradle for life.
Mars’s mantle contains ancient fragments up to 4km wide from its formation—preserved like geological fossils from the planet’s violent early history.
Cosmic rays are hitting the atmosphere constantly. One of the products of the collisions is muons, and we can detect muons on the surface of the Earth to learn about the cosmic rays.
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