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DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20230612T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20230612T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20230518T075713Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230518T075713Z
UID:1973-1686600000-1686603600@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting June - The Last Star Gazers
DESCRIPTION:A bird that mimicked a black hole. The astronomer that discovered microwave ovens. A telescope that can fly. The science of astronomy is filled with true stories (and tall tales) of the adventures and misadventures that accompany our exploration of the universe. Join Dr. Emily Levesque\, author of the critically-acclaimed popular science book The Last Stargazers\, to take a behind-the-scenes tour of life as a professional astronomer. We’ll learn about some of the most powerful telescopes in the world\, meet the people who run them\, and explore the crucial role of human curiosity in the past\, present\, and future of scientific discovery. \nEmily Levesque is an astronomy professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. Her work explores how the most massive stars in the universe evolve and die. She has observed for upwards of fifty nights on many of the planet’s largest telescopes and flown over the Antarctic stratosphere in an experimental aircraft for her research. She is currently a 2022-2023 Fulbright U.S. Scholar at the University of Auckland and her book\, The Last Stargazers\, was shortlisted for the 2021 Royal Society Science Book prize. She earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from MIT and a PhD in astronomy from the University of Hawaii.
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-june-the-last-star-gazers/
LOCATION:Fickling Convention Centre\, 546 Mt Albert Rd\, Three Kings\, Auckland\, 1042
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20230508T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20230508T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20230415T224949Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230415T225606Z
UID:1897-1683576000-1683579600@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting May - Join the Universe: We want YOU to become a Citizen Scientist 
DESCRIPTION:Join the Universe: We want YOU to become a Citizen Scientist \n \nI’ll share my journey from a very amateur astronomer to a Citizen Scientist active in the various Unistellar/eVscope network Citizen Science programmes\, and to my own asteroid occultation observations. Citizen Science is real science\, and my observations have ended up in scientific databases and been included in papers in Nature\, the Minor Planet Bulletin and others. Along the way I’ll share some observation highlights from the year\, including the DART mission\, and I will introduce some of the many facets of Citizen Science astronomy.  \nThere is a whole Universe waiting to be discovered from your sofa or back yard – anyone\, with or without equipment\, can be a Citizen Scientist.\n \nMichael Camilleri has had a long a varied career in Science and Technology and Data and Analytics. Originally studying Astrophysics (MSc) he switched to Atmospheric Physics (PhD) and built a research career in Climate Change and Energy Efficiency\, before leaving the scientific work for the business world of Data and Analytics. After a lifelong casual interest in Astronomy that went no further than binoculars (Astrophysics didn’t require a telescope)\, I started observing with a small visual telescope during Covid\, moved into Electronically Assisted Astronomy (EEA) and ended up with an eVscope which opened up the Citizen Science Universe to me.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n 
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-may/
LOCATION:Fickling Convention Centre\, 546 Mt Albert Rd\, Three Kings\, Auckland\, 1042
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20230313T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20230313T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20230311T202522Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230313T062941Z
UID:1838-1678737600-1678741200@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting March - Breakthrough-Listen Search for Intelligent Life
DESCRIPTION:For centuries\, humans have gazed at the night sky and wondered if any intelligent life forms like us might be out there. In 2015\, the Breakthrough Foundation gave a $100 million grant to the University of California at Berkeley to undertake the most comprehensive search for signals from an extra-terrestrial civilization. Dr. Croft describes the project\, introduces the many radio telescopes around the world it is using in the search\, and explains how modern technology\, including AI\, is being used to include more stars\, more frequencies (channels) and more ways a signal might be sent. \nThis is a rebroadcast of a recent Silicon Valley Lecture Series Lecture presented by Dr. Steve Croft (University of California\, Berkeley).
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-march-breakthrough-listen-search-for-intelligent-life/
LOCATION:Fickling Convention Centre\, 546 Mt Albert Rd\, Three Kings\, Auckland\, 1042
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20230220T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20230220T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20230217T210030Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230217T210030Z
UID:1811-1676923200-1676926800@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting February - Auckland Astronomical Society\, The First 100 Years.
DESCRIPTION:In this meeting\, Society Vice President Dr Grant Christie will do a presentation on the significant events of the first 100 years of the Auckland Astronomical Society. \nVenue Address \nAs the Stardome Observatory is closed for renovations\, the meeting will be held at the Fickling Convention Centre. \n546 Mt Albert Road\,\nThree Kings\,\nAuckland 1042 \n 
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-february-auckland-astronomical-society-the-first-100-years/
LOCATION:Fickling Convention Centre\, 546 Mt Albert Rd\, Three Kings\, Auckland\, 1042
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20221212T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20221212T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20221107T020425Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20221107T020425Z
UID:1748-1670875200-1670878800@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting December - Big Science From a Little Country
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Professor Richard Easther\n \nDoing astronomy is as easy as stepping out and looking up. However\, ever since Stonehenge astronomy has been at the forefront of what is now called “big science” — branches of knowledge whose development relies on large\, shared research facilities rather than individual laboratories. Two examples of this are the European Space Agency’s LISA mission which is slated for launch in the early 2030s\, and the Legacy Survey of Space and Time – or LSST – which is currently getting underway at the new Vera Rubin Observatory.   New Zealand scientists (including me and my group) are contributing to LISA and the LSST and I will explain what we hope that this will tell us about the universe. And I’ll talk about how little countries like New Zealand can contribute to big projects\, how we can get involved\, and what we get out of it.\n 
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-december-big-science-from-a-little-country/
LOCATION:Stardome Observatory\, 670 Manukau Rd\, Epsom\, Auckland\, 1345\, New Zealand
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20221114T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20221114T213000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20221112T203504Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20221112T203504Z
UID:1756-1668456000-1668461400@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting November - The Fast Radio Sky: A New Window on the Violent Universe
DESCRIPTION:This month we will be screening a recent Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture with Dr. Victoria Kaspi (McGill University) \nThe Fast Radio Sky: A New Window on the Violent Universe \nIn this illustrated introduction\, Dr. Kaspi introduces us to a brand-new mystery in the skies — superfast bursts of radio waves whose source is still unknown. These energetic bursts come from all over the sky (and all over the universe\,) pack a huge amount of energy\, and typically last a few thousandths of a second. Like a detective in the middle of a case\, Dr. Kaspi fills us in on the story of how new observations (especially with the CHIME telescope project which she heads) have been revealing tantalizing new aspects of these bursts\, without yet giving us a solution to their ultimate cause. She shares both the thrills and frustrations of a new phenomenon in science\, still in the process of being explored. \nVictoria Kaspi is the inaugural director of the McGill Space Institute and holds the Lorne Trottier Chair in Astrophysics and Cosmology at McGill University. She is the winner of the 2021 Shaw Prize in astronomy and the 2022 Albert Einstein World Award in Science.
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-november-the-fast-radio-sky-a-new-window-on-the-violent-universe/
LOCATION:Stardome Observatory\, 670 Manukau Rd\, Epsom\, Auckland\, 1345\, New Zealand
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20221031T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20221031T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20221026T070122Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20221026T070143Z
UID:1731-1667246400-1667250000@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting October - The Habitability of Planets\, Galaxies and Universes
DESCRIPTION:Finding other Earths and potentially other life forms is a major\, increasingly reasonable scientific goal. Our search for habitable planets and inhabited planets is now in high gear. But what is life? And what is the best way to look for it. Are there specific places and times in our galaxy where life is more probable? I will review the general idea of habitability as it applies to planets\, galaxies and universes in the multiverse scenario. \nDr Charley Lineweaver is an honorary associate professor at the Australian National University’s Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics and Research School of Earth Science and this year’s Burbidge Din-\nner speaker. \n 
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-october-the-habitability-of-planets-galaxies-and-universes/
LOCATION:Stardome Observatory\, 670 Manukau Rd\, Epsom\, Auckland\, 1345\, New Zealand
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20220912T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20220912T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20220910T104605Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220910T104755Z
UID:1670-1663012800-1663016400@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting September - Dark Star: The Invisible Universe of Brown Dwarfs
DESCRIPTION:This month will be a screening of one of this years Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures. \nPresented by Dr. Adam Burgasser (University of California\, San Diego) \nIn this illustrated talk\, Dr. Burgasser explains what happens when a newly forming star doesn’t have “what it takes” to produce energy in its core in an ongoing way. This results in “failed stars” or brown dwarfs — objects that were predicted in theory\, but only discovered in the 1990’s. Today\, many thousands of these brown dwarfs are known\, spanning a wide range of temperatures and masses\, and occupying a unique niche at the intersection of stars and planets. Dr. Burgasser discusses how such faint objects are discovered\, highlights their exceptional properties\, and describes what this (mostly) invisible population can tell us about the formation and history of our Milky Way Galaxy. \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-september-dark-star-the-invisible-universe-of-brown-dwarfs/
LOCATION:Stardome Observatory\, 670 Manukau Rd\, Epsom\, Auckland\, 1345\, New Zealand
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20220808T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20220808T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20220802T051033Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220803T111634Z
UID:1601-1659988800-1659992400@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting August - The James Webb Space Telescope – An introduction to the first images
DESCRIPTION:Speaker Dr Chris Benton. \n  \nLast month NASA released the first highly-anticipated images from the James Webb Space Telescope\, stunning the world with their clarity and previously unseen objects. Tonight Chris Benton outlines the telescope’s design features enabling these images and the importance of observing in the infrared\, followed by a study of the first five pictures. The review includes discussing the astrophysical processes involved with each photograph\, what new detail we can see and how this will help us understand the relevant area of astronomy. \n  \nThis session covers a variety of astronomy fields with something for everyone. Come along and enjoy learning more about this fascinating and current topic that has everyone talking. \n 
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-july-the-james-webb-space-telescope-an-introduction-to-the-first-images/
LOCATION:Stardome Observatory\, 670 Manukau Rd\, Epsom\, Auckland\, 1345\, New Zealand
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20220711T180000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20220711T190000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20220623T042613Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220629T023008Z
UID:1521-1657562400-1657566000@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting July
DESCRIPTION:Dr Steve Goldman \nObservatory Scientist\, SOFIA/USRA \nMonday 11 July\, 6.00 pm \nWG403\, Sir Paul Reeves Building\, AUT City Campus \nAbstract \nWhere did the material that makes us up come from? It boils down to understanding how stars affect their surroundings\, and vice-versa. We think that a lot of Earth’s Carbon and Oxygen originally formed during the final stages of ancient sun-sized stars called Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars\, but exactly how much remains unclear. These stars pass this material on to the Universe in the form of dust. The dust in the interstellar medium is then pulled together by its own gravity to create stars and planets like the Sun and Earth. Understanding the origin of dust may allow us to better-understand the formation of our Solar System\, and how Earth-like planets may form across the Universe. During this talk\, I will discuss recent results targeting dusty evolved stars in nearby galaxies with the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes\, as well as the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). I will also discuss the status and recent achievements of SOFIA\, currently on deployment in New Zealand. \nBio \nDr Steve Goldman did his PhD at Keele University (Staffordshire UK)\, followed by a Postdoc position at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STSI\, Baltimore\, MD USA). Currently\, Steve works as a SOFIA Observatory Scientist at the NASA Universities Space Research Association (USRA\, Mountain View\, CA US). \n  \n 
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/nasa-sofia-telescope/
LOCATION:AUT  WG403\, 55 Wellesley Street East\, Auckland\, 1010\, New Zealand
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20220613T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20220613T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20220514T222646Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220530T052215Z
UID:1438-1655150400-1655154000@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting June
DESCRIPTION:Precision Metrology of the Sky: Advances and Problems of VLBI Astrometry \nThe use of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) technique revolutionizes modern astrometry. It surpasses Gaia’s positional accuracy and allows conducting distance (parallax) measurements in the galactic plane far beyond the reach of optical telescopes. In this talk I will describe the method and report on some recent developments at the Warkworth Radio Astronomical Observatory in the field of radio (VLBI) astrometry. We will discuss problems of positional measurements in radio astronomy\, talk about effects of radio source structure on determination of its precise position on the sky\, about the perspectives of mapping spiral arms beyond the Galactic Centre with the use of methanol maser emission sources\, learn about the “Gaia Sausage” as well as of a new class of pulsars based on rotating white dwarfs (rather than neutron stars). \nProfessor Sergei Gulyaev is the founder and director of AUT’s Institute for Radio Astronomy and Space Research (IRASR). Under his direction\, the institute has built an observatory at Warkworth\, north of Auckland\, equipped with a 12-metre and a 30-metre radio telescope. \nA hallmark of Professor Gulyaev’s research is his collaborative approach with the IRASR forging working relationships with radio astronomy and national aeronautical organisations around the world\, including NASA\, SpaceX\, ESA (European Space Agency) and JAXA (Japanese Space Agency). \nIn one of many collaborative projects Professor Gulyaev and his team have used a technique known as Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) to link the Warkworth radio telescope with observatories across Australia\, including ASKAP (Australian SKA Pathfinder). Acting as one virtual radio telescope they were able to get greater resolution or sharper cosmic images from their observations.
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-june-2/
LOCATION:Stardome Observatory\, 670 Manukau Rd\, Epsom\, Auckland\, 1345\, New Zealand
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20220509T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20220509T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20220507T211109Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220507T212716Z
UID:1417-1652126400-1652130000@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthy Meeting May - Cosmobiology: Recent Progress in Cosmology\, Exoplanets\, and the Prerequisites for Life in the Universe
DESCRIPTION:In this talk\, astrobiologist Dr Charles Lineweaver discusses the history of life on Earth and what we can deduce from our understanding of the universe about the existence and history of life elsewhere. He recounts the ongoing discovery of large numbers of exoplanets — planets orbiting other stars — and what we can learn from the varieties of planets that are being found. He challenges us to think about what parts in the development of intelligent life on Earth would necessarily happen elsewhere and what parts might be unique to our planet. \nThe venue will be the Auckland Stardone Obersvatory \nThis is a rebroadcast of one of the recent Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures. \n 
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthy-meeting-may-cosmobiology-recent-progress-in-cosmology-exoplanets-and-the-prerequisites-for-life-in-the-universe/
LOCATION:Stardome Observatory\, 670 Manukau Rd\, Epsom\, Auckland\, 1345\, New Zealand
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20220321T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20220321T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20220312T213616Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220319T203658Z
UID:1341-1647892800-1647896400@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting March - Te Awamutu Space Centre
DESCRIPTION:Dave Owen (AKA “Space Dave”) is the owner/manager of Te Awamutu SpaceCentre\, an interactive museum that features space memorabilia\,astronomy displays and activities. Customers include the generalpublic as well as schools\, businesses\, health organisations andspecial interest groups. Over the years Dave has developed a range ofreal-world and virtual resources to help promote astronomy and generalscience education. In his presentation\, he’ll talk about his work andsome of these resources. \nhttps://www.youtube.com/c/AucklandAstronomicalSociety \n 
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-march/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:Monthly Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20220215T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20220215T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20220203T202909Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220208T071949Z
UID:1275-1644955200-1644958800@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting February - Kumeu Observatory - Note the change to Tuesday evening.
DESCRIPTION:The Society operate the Kumeu Observatory\, which over recent times\, has been upgraded with a GSO 400mm Ritchey–Chrétien telescope and full frame cooled CMOS camera (QHY 600M) fitted with a filter wheel. The Society purchased these using funds from the Trixie and Barry Menzies bequest. Society member Tony Cooper will be bringing us up to date with the progress at the observatory\, including resolution of issues with the dome\, the equipment\, software and the correct setup and calibration of the new camera. He will also report on the first scientific results from the new setup.
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-february-kumeu-observatory/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20211213T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20211213T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20211124T111641Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211124T111641Z
UID:1226-1639425600-1639429200@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting December - Backyard Observing with Jennie McCormick
DESCRIPTION:How does observing from your garden turn into serious astronomical research? \nWe all know that astronomy is a diverse and exciting science\, that is probably what got us into it in the first place. However\, it also offers numerous opportunities for amateur astronomers to be part of important research discoveries and at times\, can produce some unexpected surprises. \nThis presentation is a pictorial look at how backyard observing turned into serious research observing from a suburban backyard in Farm Cove\, Auckland. \n\n\n\nJennie is an amateur astronomer who conducts astronomical research from her observatory in Farm Cove\, Auckland. She has been involved in the collaborative discovery of more than 20 distant planets\, including a new solar system and Binary Star Solar System.She takes regular data on Cataclysmic Variable stars for the Center for Backyard Astrophysics and measures the positions of comets and asteroids for the Minor Planet Center.  \nIn September 2009\, Jennie discovered her first asteroid and officially named it\, New Zealand! \nIn the late 1980’s she joined the Auckland Astronomical Society and for 15 years\, worked as an educator at Auckland Observatory.Jennie is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand (RASNZ) and sits on the RASNZ Council as the Fellows Representative. \nIn 2008/2009 she coordinated the International Year of Astronomy 2009’s\, 100 Hours of Astronomy event. This became the largest global science outreach event held to date and gave millions of people the chance to look through a telescope for the very first time while highlighting the wonders of astronomy to an extensive global audience. \nWhen not observing\, Jennie manages a community House in East Auckland\, can be found growing vegetables\, caring for native birds\, photographing sunrise and sunsets from her Farm Cove garden and spending as much time as possible with her three young grandchildren.
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-december-backyard-observing-with-jennie-mccormick/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20211108T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20211108T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20211001T094234Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211103T052133Z
UID:1176-1636401600-1636405200@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:2021 Burbidge Lecture and New Zealand Astrophotography Competition Results
DESCRIPTION:Burbidge Lecture: Diving through exoplanet atmospheres 8:00pm The study of exoplanets\, planets that orbit stars other than the Sun\, is fascinating new field of research. The question “how do stars and planetary systems form and evolve?”” is one of the biggest in Astronomy\, and is at the root of one of the most important questions in science today: “How did we get here?”. I will take us on a journey to explore how we measure and understand the nature these strange new worlds beyond our Solar System. We will dive into the atmospheres of alien planets to discover the truly wild nature of planets in the universe from chains of rocky worlds around ultra-cool stars\, to exotic clouds of molten rock in the atmosphere of ultra-hot gas giants. \nHannah Wakeford is a lecturer in Astrophysics at the University of Bristol\, UK where she leads a group researching the atmospheres of exoplanets using observations from space telescopes. Hannah’s work focuses on the exotic clouds of giant hot Jupiters\, down to chains of small rocky worlds around ultra-cool stars.  She studied for a Masters in Planetary and Space Physics at Aberystwyth University with field studies in Svalbard to measure the aurora\, and completed her PhD thesis on exoplanets at the University of Exeter before heading to the USA to work at NASA and STScI. Alongside her research she runs the monthly podcast Exocast all about exoplanet science and hosts the #ExoCup twitter competition for the public to crown the champion exoplanet of the year. New Zealand Astrophotography Competition Results We will be announcing the winners of the individual categories and well as the overall winner who receives the Harry Williams Trophy   \nhttps://www.youtube.com/c/AucklandAstronomicalSociety
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/2021-burbidge-lecture-and-new-zealand-astrophotography-competition-results/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Burbidge Dinner,Monthly Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20211011T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20211011T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20210929T123932Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210929T123932Z
UID:1173-1633982400-1633986000@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting October - Outdoor Lighting - sky glow\, human health and ecosystems with Steve Butler
DESCRIPTION:This talk will cover the change in outdoor lighting over the past decade with reference to the “new” technology of LED light sources. Included will be the implications of light colour on sky glow\, human health and ecosystems. The monitoring of these new sources will be touched on as well as recent developments in New Zealand. \n  \nSteve is  a long time advocate for reducing light pollution including as the leader of the RASNZ Dark Skies Group since 2004. I am the current RASNZ President and am Chair of the Board for the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve.
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-october-outdoor-lighting-sky-glow-human-health-and-ecosystems-with-steve-butler/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20210809T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20210809T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20210719T002216Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210719T002523Z
UID:1094-1628539200-1628542800@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting August - The Most Luminous Supernovae: It Takes Two To Tango
DESCRIPTION:Guest Speaker : \nDr. Heloise F. Stevance\,  MPhys\, AFHEA\, PhD\n\nResearch Fellow in Astrophysics\n\n  \nWhen massive stars reach the end of their lives they undergo a supernovae explosion powered by the collapse of their core. In the past decade and a half\, a small subset of these events have been found to be brighter and more powerful: They are called super luminous supernovae. Work is ongoing to understand the power source of these extreme transients and in particular here I focus on SN 2017gci which showed evidence for a central magnetar and potential shells of hydrogen around the progenitor system. State of the art binary models were used to search for star systems that could evolve to re-create this explosion. \nDr. Heloise F. Stevance \nOriginally born and raised in France\, I moved to the UK to study Physics and Astronomy at the University of Sheffield. After working as a support astronomer at the Isaac Newton Group in La Palma for a year\, I obtained my Masters of Physics in 2015. I subsequently started a PhD studying the 3D shape of Core Collapse Supernovae\, and earned my title in Spring 2019. In July of that year\, I joined the University of Auckland as a Research Fellow to research the evolution of massive stars to better understand how they die and produce Supernovae and Kilonovae. \nI also started my public outreach work during my doctorate studies\, in early 2016\, and I have not stopped since.
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-august-the-most-luminous-supernovae-it-takes-two-to-tango/
LOCATION:Stardome Observatory\, 670 Manukau Rd\, Epsom\, Auckland\, 1345\, New Zealand
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20210712T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20210712T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20210624T014122Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210624T014122Z
UID:1067-1626120000-1626123600@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting July - "The Possum comes out at night": The latest happenings at Possum Observatory\, near Gisborne.
DESCRIPTION:Guest Speaker: John Drummod. \nJohn owns and operates the Possum Observatory complex at Patutahi\, 12km west of Gisborne. He owns a 50cm diameter\, two 41cm\, a 35cm and smaller telescopes. He also runs Gisborne Astro Tours (www.gisborneastrotours.com). In this talk\, John will be sharing what he is doing with these telescopes and how they are contributing to science. He will also speak about how the astro tourism business is going and what his latest academic studies in astronomy are. \nJohn Drummond has been fascinated with astronomy ever since his mother pointed the ‘Pot’ in Orion out to him when he was ten. John soon developed an interest in photography and it wasn’t long before the two passions were combined into astrophotography. He has been involved in astrophotography for many years and has had photos published in books and magazines around the world – and even on some New Zealand stamps. \nHe has used his telescopes at Possum Observatory\, near Gisborne\,  to image targets for Ohio State University in order to co-discover exoplanets via the microlensing method. John also does astrometry of newly discovered comets and asteroids – as well as those of more well-known orbits. \nJohn completed his MSc (Astronomy) in 2016 with Swinburne University of Technology. Currently he is doing his PhD with the University of Southern Queensland’s (USQ) Centre for Astrophysics. His work is on New Zealand’s historical role in the observation and study of comets. He is also heavily involved with the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand and was made a Fellow in 2018. He teaches science at high school and loves surfing Gizzy’s great waves!
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-july-the-possum-comes-out-at-night-the-latest-happenings-at-possum-observatory-near-gisborne/
LOCATION:Stardome Observatory\, 670 Manukau Rd\, Epsom\, Auckland\, 1345\, New Zealand
CATEGORIES:Monthly Meeting
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20210614T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20210614T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20210413T113414Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210601T011128Z
UID:1003-1623700800-1623704400@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting June - Imaging magnetic fields using polarization
DESCRIPTION:Imaging magnetic fields using polarization with Prof Willem Van Straten.\n \nAbstract: The polarization state of electromagnetic radiation from the Universe around us is rich with additional information about the physics of the emitting sources\, their environments\, and any intervening media through which signals propagate on their way to Earth.  In this talk\, I’ll introduce the basics of polarization (what it is\, how it is produced\, and how it is measured)\, and then review some of the ways in which it is applied in the field of astrophysics (e.g. Zeeman splitting\, Faraday rotation\, Thomson scattering\, curvature radiation\, synchrotron radiation\, etc.).  Topics covered will range from the large scale structure of magnetic fields in the cosmic web between galaxy clusters\, to the magnetic fields that power jets of relativistic plasma near the event horizons of supermassive black holes\, to the compact fields of neutron stars known as magnetars\, where the energy density in the magnetic field is sufficient to create a virtual plasma of matter and antimatter. \n  \nWillem van Straten is an Associate Professor in the Institute for Radio Astronomy and Space Research at Auckland University of Technology.  As an undergraduate in Canada\, he was preparing for a job in the space industry when he learned about radio astronomy and became obsessed with pulsars. Willem then completed his PhD on high-precision pulsar timing in Australia before undertaking post-doctoral and academic staff appointments at the Netherlands Foundation for Research in Astronomy (ASTRON)\, The Centre for Gravitational Wave Astronomy (The University of Texas)\, and the Centre for Astrophysics & Supercomputing (Swinburne University of Technology). He works closely with international teams on large\, long-term projects\, he led the development of three scientific data analysis software packages that are used by the international community of pulsar astronomers\, and he successfully led the design of the pulsar timing instrumentation for the Square Kilometre Array.
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-june/
LOCATION:Stardome Observatory\, 670 Manukau Rd\, Epsom\, Auckland\, 1345\, New Zealand
CATEGORIES:Monthly Meeting
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20210510T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20210510T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20210505T020733Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210505T020913Z
UID:1024-1620676800-1620680400@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting May - Ngā Whetū O Matariki
DESCRIPTION:This will be a special Planetarium Presentation for the AAS by the Auckland Stardome. \nNgā Whetū O Matariki\n \nJoin us at the Stardome for a presenter-led\, Matariki kōrero under the planetarium stars. You’ll hear about ngā whetū (the stars)\, ngā aorangi (the planets)\, Maramataka (lunar cycle) and the many stories written in our night skies passed down from generation to generation.\n \nPresenter: Olive Karena-Lockyer\, Stardome Planetarium Presenter\n 
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-may-nga-whetu-o-matariki/
LOCATION:Stardome Observatory\, 670 Manukau Rd\, Epsom\, Auckland\, 1345\, New Zealand
CATEGORIES:Monthly Meeting
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20210412T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20210412T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20210218T103329Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210324T232533Z
UID:887-1618257600-1618261200@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting April
DESCRIPTION:With Rolf Wahl Olsen. \nMy talk will be about latest images and achievements in the last two years\, including the first amateur image of light echoes of Supernova 1987A and a new collaboration with NASA on a multi-wavelength image of Centaurus A. \nI have been interested in astronomy for as long as I can remember and have observed the night sky visually for decades with both binoculars and telescopes. In 1990 I got my first telescope\, a 60mm alt-az refractor. A couple of years later I upgraded to a 100mm refractor on an equatorial mount and in 1995 I got a 10 inch f/5 Newtonian reflector. This telescope was used extensively for both planetary and deep sky observing and in 2003 I ventured into the world of astrophotography and began taking images with a long-exposure modified webcam. In 2011 I built a Serrurier truss 12.5 inch f/4 Newtonian and then upgraded the webcam to a highly sensitive QSI683wsg CCD camera which I now use to take all my images. \nThe modified webcam was a great opportunity to learn as it required me to really work on developing processing skills in order to achieve good results. It also forced me to think carefully about my choice of subjects\, given the webcam’s limited resolution and low sensitivity. My later images taken with the CCD camera greatly benefited from these early lessons. \nI enjoy photographing all astronomical subjects but perhaps my favourites are galaxies\, especially peculiarly shaped ones or distant galaxy clusters\, or those engaged in dramatic mergers such as the famous pair of Antennae galaxies. I enjoy taking images that are unusual\, either being of a rarely imaged object\, or perhaps a familiar object presented in a new way. Among my images you will find exotic objects like the circumstellar disc of Beta Pictoris\, gravitational lenses\, quasars\, distant galaxy clusters and extragalactic globulars. I find that these obscure targets often have a very interesting story to tell. \n  \n 
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-april/
LOCATION:Stardome Observatory\, 670 Manukau Rd\, Epsom\, Auckland\, 1345\, New Zealand
CATEGORIES:Monthly Meeting
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20210308T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20210308T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20210301T034556Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210306T194823Z
UID:893-1615233600-1615237200@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting - The Life and Death of Stars - the life cycle of stars in our galaxy
DESCRIPTION:With Associate Professor and Dean\, Karen Pollard\,  Director of The University of Canterbury Mt John Observatory. \nThe Life and Death of Stars – the life cycle of stars in our galaxy \nStars are key components of galaxies: they are hosts for families of planets; they create the chemical elements deep in their interiors; they evolve and explode\, providing the physical feedback mechanism to kickstart new generations of star formation. \nIn this talk I will take you on a journey to understand our place in the universe and how we came to be\, concentrating on the crucial role stars play in the evolving universe. \nKaren Pollard is an associate professor at the University of Canterbury and Director of the University of Canterbury Mt John Observatory. Her research areas are in stellar astrophysics\, with specific interests in investigating the structure\, formation and evolution of stars and planetary systems. Karen was born and raised in Christchurch\, New Zealand\, and did her BSc (Hons) and PhD degrees in Physics and Astronomy at UC. She has worked as an astrophysicist in South Africa\, the US\, Chile and New Zealand. \nWatch online at 8pm Monday 8th March on the AAS youtube Channel \n  \n  \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-the-life-cycle-of-stars/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:Monthly Meeting
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20201109T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20201109T210000
DTSTAMP:20260501T055405
CREATED:20201029T063441Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20201029T063609Z
UID:762-1604952000-1604955600@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting November
DESCRIPTION:Music and Astronomy. \n  \nWe will talk about mathematical and psycho-physical foundations of music; what makes it beautiful — tones\, octaves\, intervals\, consonances\, and cords; about types of musical instruments\, temperaments\, and the art of musical tuning. From this we will draw connection to the “sounds” and harmony of the Cosmos\, discuss problems of resonances and stability of planetary systems\, motions of moons and geometry of rings. Together we will try to discover the unique “melody” of our Solar system. I’ll use my violin to illustrate my talk. \nOur speaker\, Sergei Gulyaev\, is Professor of Astronomy and Space Science and Director of the Institute for Radio Astronomy and Space Research at Auckland University of Technology.
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-november/
LOCATION:Stardome Observatory\, 670 Manukau Rd\, Epsom\, Auckland\, 1345\, New Zealand
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
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