It’s the Winter of the Planets and in the early evening this week you can see Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. Then there is the Lunar Eclipse on Saturday morning as well.
World space news and astronomy outreach through (Milky Way) Kiwi eyes.
Category: Deep Sky
How far from the Earth to the Sun – the Astronomical Unit
Next year is the 250th anniversary of James Cook’s voyage to the Pacific Ocean. One the things he did was contribute to a more accurate calculation of the distance between the Earth and the Sun by observing the transit of Venus.
The night sky this week – 17 to 22 Jul 18
The night sky this week is still all about the planets but if you’re quick, you can still spot some deep sky objects before the Moon gets too bright.
The Night Sky – 9 to 15 July 2018
A great week for deep sky observing, why not try and see if you can Barnard’s Galaxy or the Saturn Nebula.
The Week in Space to 5 July 2018
Some interesting news about space in the last week.
Where is Vesta now (4 July 2018)?
Vesta reached opposition on the 20 June but is still quite easy to see and well worth a look if you get the chance.
The Week in Space, In a Minute, 11-17 June 2018
A really quick round up of the week in space including a black hole swallowing a star, the Mars dust storm and Hayabusa’s journey to Ryugu.
How to blow up an asteroid – Hayabusa 2 and 162173 Ryugu
Hayabusa2 is about to have a close up and personal experience with the asteroid Ryugu. In this mission the spacecraft will collect a bit of the asteroid and return to Earth.
Finding stuff to see in the eyepiece
Now that your telescope is all ready, take it outside and start viewing the night sky.
Getting your telescope ready for its first use
Using a telescope for the first time can be quite daunting. So it’s worth taking the time to get familiar with the telescope and the mount and all of the accessories, so that you can make the most of your time outside and don’t hurt yourself or your new expensive equipment.
New Horizons and beyond Pluto
New Horizons will make its next encounter on 1 January next year as it approaches the Kuiper Belt Object Ultima Thule, formerly known as 2014 MU69.
Melotte 22, Messier 45, Pleiades, Subaru, Chicken and Hen, Matariki and the Seven Sisters
The Pleiades are a fascinating star cluster that is easily spotted not far from the Hyades cluster in Taurus and is visible in the Southern Hemisphere summer, Northern Hemisphere winter.
The night sky, this week, 11-17 June 2018
The night sky this week is a great opportunity to get your binoculars and telescopes out to see the fantastic nebulae that sit between Scorpius and Sagittarius.
The week in space, in a minute, 28 May to 3 Jun 2018.
A summary of the week in space in a minute. This week it was the return of Expedition 55 from the International Space Station, a meteorite puts on a display over Botswana and SOFIA arrives in New Zealand.
The sky at night this week, 4-10 June 2018
The night sky this week has a few treats including the asteroid Vesta, Mars and the Moon getting close, Jupiter’s moons crossing the planet and the fantastic nebulae in Sagittarius showing off.
How to find Vesta
Vesta is at opposition in June and will be easy to spot with binoculars.
The night sky this week, 28 May to 3 Jun 2018
The night sky this week will be dominated by the Moon, so it’s a good time to get out and appreciate the planets that are getting into a more favourable position for viewing.
Milky-Way.Kiwi interviews Ian Cooper – A giant of New Zealand astrophotography
Ian Cooper is a giant in New Zealand astrophotography. He has been capturing the night sky since the 1970s and in this article he takes us through some of the highlights and give us some tips.
Failed Supernovae
Stellar evolution is a fascinating topic and what happens in the last phases of a star’s life is mind boggling. Some stars are so big that their collapsing core turns straight into a black hole that suppresses the supernova.
ESA’s CHEOPS exoplanet hunting mission
ESA is planing on launching the CHEOPS satellite later this year. It will be used to collect more accurate information on exoplanets from systems known to already have exoplanets.
Spinoff technologies from space exploration
Space exploration drives a lot of technological development that has spinoffs for Earth-bound applications.
