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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Auckland Astronomical Society Inc
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DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260209T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260209T200000
DTSTAMP:20260619T105018
CREATED:20260128T221746Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260128T221746Z
UID:2998-1770667200-1770667200@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthy Meeting February - From Mars with Love: Postcards from 50 Years of Exploring The Red Planet
DESCRIPTION:  \nThis meeting will be screening a Gresham College Lecture with Professor Chris Lintott \nDuring the fifty years since the launch of the Viking spacecraft to Mars\, our view of the red planet has changed from hostile desert to a world which was once covered in water\, and which may just possibly sustain life. Lavishly illustrated with the latest images from the fleet of spacecraft that have explored our neighbour\, this lecture considers how Mars’ fate\, like that of Earth\, was set in the Solar System’s first billion years\, and the chaotic environment the process of planet formation produced. \n This lecture was recorded by Chris Lintott on the 3rd of December 2025 at Conway Hall\, London. \n Professor Chris Lintott is a Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford\, and a Research Fellow at New College. Having been educated at Magdalene College\, Cambridge and University College London\, his research now ranges from understanding how galaxies form and evolve\, to using machine learning to find the most unusual things in the Universe\, to predicting the properties of visiting interstellar asteroids. He was the founder of the Zooniverse citizen science platform\, which provides opportunities for more than two million online volunteers to contribute to scientific research\, and which was the topic of his first book\, ‘The Crowd and the Cosmos’. His latest book is ‘Our Accidental Universe’. Professor Lintott is best known for presenting the BBC’s long-running Sky at Night program\, and as an accomplished lecturer. Away from work\, he cooks\, suffers through being a fan of Torquay United and Somerset cricket\, and spends time with a rescued lurcher\, Mr Max. 
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthy-meeting-february-from-mars-with-love-postcards-from-50-years-of-exploring-the-red-planet/
LOCATION:Stardome Observatory & Planetarium\, 670 Manukau Road\, Epsom\, Auckland\, 1345
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260309T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260309T210000
DTSTAMP:20260619T105018
CREATED:20260307T231107Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260307T231107Z
UID:3076-1773086400-1773090000@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting March 2026 - How can AI help us find exploding stars and Hungry Black Holes?
DESCRIPTION:Dr Heloise Stevance \nModern sky surveys can image the entire sky every night. In doing so\, they discover new cosmic explosions – from stars collapsing to stars being devoured by black holes. But the sky is vast and the alerts are many – far too many for humans to keep up with. When the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) begins in 2026\, millions of nightly discoveries will flood astronomers. Partnering with experts in sky surveys and applied machine learning\, I am developing a Virtual Research Assistant that harnesses A.I. to help experts find the cosmic explosions that made the space dust we come from. \nDr Stevance is a Schmidt AI in Science Fellow at the University of Oxford working with international sky surveys (ATLAS\, Vera Rubin) to find extragalactic transients (supernovae\, tidal disruption events). She works at the interface between Astronomy and AI\, developing “Virtual Research Assistants” to help astronomers find the needles in the cosmic hay stacks. She is an award winning science communicator and early career astrophysicist (Beatrice Tinsley Lecture Prize 2021\, Caroline Hearschel Prize 2024)\, and her talk will be an updated version of her Caroline Herschel Prize Lecture. 
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-march-2026-how-can-ai-help-us-find-exploding-stars-and-hungry-black-holes/
LOCATION:Stardome Observatory & Planetarium\, 670 Manukau Road\, Epsom\, Auckland\, 1345
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260316T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260316T210000
DTSTAMP:20260619T105018
CREATED:20260227T231442Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260227T231442Z
UID:3061-1773691200-1773694800@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Practical Astronomy March - The Autumn Night Sky
DESCRIPTION:This will be one of our seasonal Planetarium sessions. We will use the Planetarium to explore the Autumn Night Sky. This is a great way to improve your knowledge of the Autumn constellations and learn about some of the deep sky objects to be found in them.
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/practical-astronomy-march-the-autumn-night-sky-4/
LOCATION:Stardome Observatory & Planetarium\, 670 Manukau Road\, Epsom\, Auckland\, 1345
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Practical Astronomy
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260413T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260413T210000
DTSTAMP:20260619T105018
CREATED:20260411T213615Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260411T213615Z
UID:3095-1776110400-1776114000@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting April - Little Red Dots
DESCRIPTION:100 years ago this year\, Edwin Hubble published the first conclusive evidence that there were galaxies beyond the Milky Way. This lecture\, using new results from our latest space telescopes and ground-based instruments\, surveys the diversity of systems that we’ve found since\, from giant and beautiful spirals to mysterious Little Red Dots. \nThis lecture was recorded by Chris Lintott on 18th March 2026 at Conway Hall\, London. \nProfessor Chris Lintott is a Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford\, and a Research Fellow at New College. \nHaving been educated at Magdalene College\, Cambridge and University College London\, his research now ranges from understanding how galaxies form and evolve\, to using machine learning to find the most unusual things in the Universe\, to predicting the properties of visiting interstellar asteroids. He was the founder of the Zooniverse citizen science platform\, which provides opportunities for more than two million online volunteers to contribute to scientific research\, and which was the topic of his first book\, ‘The Crowd and the Cosmos’. His latest book is ‘Our Accidental Universe’. \nProfessor Lintott is best known for presenting the BBC’s long-running Sky at Night program\, and as an accomplished lecturer. Away from work\, he cooks\, suffers through being a fan of Torquay United and Somerset cricket\, and spends time with a rescued lurcher\, Mr Max. He can often be found at the helm of Oxford’s science comedy night\, ‘Huh\, That’s Funny’.
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-april-little-red-dots/
LOCATION:Stardome Observatory & Planetarium\, 670 Manukau Road\, Epsom\, Auckland\, 1345
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260420T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260420T210000
DTSTAMP:20260619T105018
CREATED:20260418T225311Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260418T225311Z
UID:3102-1776715200-1776718800@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Practical Astronomy April - Variable Stars
DESCRIPTION:Observation of variable stars has a long history with amateur astronomy. We will discuss the types of variable stars and how to observe them to obtain scientifically useful data. This is still a valuable activity even with the large survey telescopes\, as amateurs can obtain data for stars that are too bright for the large telescopes\, or for certain types of variable stars where changes are happening rapidly\, the survey scopes cannot be dedicated for short cadence observing of a single star.
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/practical-astronomy-april-variable-stars/
LOCATION:Stardome Observatory & Planetarium\, 670 Manukau Road\, Epsom\, Auckland\, 1345
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Practical Astronomy
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260511T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260511T210000
DTSTAMP:20260619T105018
CREATED:20260510T010700Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260510T010700Z
UID:3116-1778529600-1778533200@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Practical Astronomy - The study of Occultations
DESCRIPTION:In this meeting Michael Camilleri will give a presentation on Occultations and what can be learned from them. \nAn occultation in astronomy is an event where one astronomical object\, such as the Moon or a planet\, passes in front of another object\, like a star\, blocking it from view. Measuring precise timing from multiple locations of these events can reveal much information about the occulting object 
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/practical-astronomy-the-study-of-occultations/
LOCATION:Stardome Observatory\, 670 Manukau Rd\, Epsom\, Auckland\, 1345\, New Zealand
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260518T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260518T210000
DTSTAMP:20260619T105018
CREATED:20260516T221531Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260516T221531Z
UID:3119-1779134400-1779138000@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting May - Rocks from Space
DESCRIPTION:Rocks from Space \nwith Professor Jonti Horner \nJonti first became interested in astronomy at the age of five\, after seeing the BBC TV programme ‘The Sky\nat Night’\, and soon became an enthusiastic amateur astronomer. He joined his local astronomical society\nin the UK\, WYAS (the West Yorkshire Astronomical Society) at the age of eight\, and is currently honoured\nto serve as the society’s honorary president. To pursue his dream of turning his hobby into a career\, Jonti\nstudied a Masters’ degree in Physics and Astronomy at the University of Durham\, before moving to the\nUniversity of Oxford to undertake his doctoral studies. Once his PhD was complete\, Jonti worked as a\npostdoctoral research fellow at the University of Bern and the UK’s Open University before moving to\nAustralia in 2010 to work at UNSW. In 2014\, he moved to Toowoomba\, to join the University of Southern\nQueensland\, where he is now Professor of Astrophysics. His research ranges from the study of our own\nSolar system to the search for planets orbiting other stars\, as well as trying to understand the different\nfactors that could come together to make one planet more or less suitable as a target in the search for life\nbeyond Earth.
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-may-rocks-from-space/
LOCATION:Stardome Observatory & Planetarium\, 670 Manukau Road\, Epsom\, Auckland\, 1345
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260525T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260525T210000
DTSTAMP:20260619T105018
CREATED:20260516T221832Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260524T005447Z
UID:3123-1779739200-1779742800@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Film Night May - Cosmos - 45 years Later - The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean
DESCRIPTION:The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean\nSubject: Introduction to the scale of the Cosmos using the “Ship of the Imagination”; cosmic calendar; Eratosthenes and the Library of Alexandria; humanity’s place in the universe. 45 Years Later: \n\nHubble Space Telescope (1990–) and JWST (2022–) have mapped billions of galaxies and precise cosmic distances; universe age refined to 13.8 billion years.\nDiscovery of cosmic microwave background anisotropies (COBE/WMAP/Planck) and accelerating expansion (dark energy\, 1998).\nExoplanets: from zero in 1980 to >6\,100 confirmed; billions likely in the Milky Way alone.
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/film-night-may-3/
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Film Night
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260608T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260608T210000
DTSTAMP:20260619T105018
CREATED:20260605T232237Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260606T153130Z
UID:3137-1780948800-1780952400@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Monthly Meeting June - The NASA Psyche mission: First Journey to an Unknown World
DESCRIPTION:The NASA Psyche mission is on its way to orbit a small but immensely ancient world in our asteroid belt: A metallic object\, the first humans will ever have visited. When our solar system was in its infancy\, thousands of planetesimals (tiny planet-like objects) formed in less than a million years. Many planetesimals later melted\, allowing metal cores to form inside rocky mantles. One of these metal cores may be revealed in the asteroid (16) Psyche. Dr. Elkins-Tanton\, the Mission Lead\, takes us behind the scenes in planning and carrying out this remarkable mission of exploration\, which launched in 2023\, and updates us of where we are over two years post-launch. \nThis is a rebroadcast of a Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture. \n 
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/monthly-meeting-june-5/
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Monthly Meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260615T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260615T210000
DTSTAMP:20260619T105018
CREATED:20260516T221736Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260516T221736Z
UID:3121-1781553600-1781557200@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Practical Astronomy June - The Winter Night Sky
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/practical-astronomy-june-the-winter-night-sky-4/
LOCATION:Stardome Observatory & Planetarium\, 670 Manukau Road\, Epsom\, Auckland\, 1345
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Practical Astronomy
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260622T200000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20260622T210000
DTSTAMP:20260619T105018
CREATED:20260605T232109Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260605T232109Z
UID:3135-1782158400-1782162000@www.astronomy.org.nz
SUMMARY:Film Night June - The Cosmos - 45 years later.
DESCRIPTION:One Voice in the Cosmic Fugue\nSubject: Evolution by natural selection; Heike crab story; origin of life; DNA and the unity of life. 45 Years Later: \n\nGenomic sequencing revolution (Human Genome Project 2003; thousands of species sequenced); horizontal gene transfer and RNA world hypothesis strengthened.\nLaboratory synthesis of self-replicating RNA and protocells; complex organics detected on comets (Rosetta) and asteroids (Ryugu samples).\nJWST detecting prebiotic molecules in protoplanetary disks.
URL:https://www.astronomy.org.nz/event/film-night-june-the-cosmos-45-years-later/
CATEGORIES:AAS Meetings,Film Night
END:VEVENT
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