Auckland Astronomical Society Inc

Emerging Astronomers - How does a telescope work? And let's look through one.
2025-11-17 19:00 - 20:00 (Pacific/Auckland) | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
You might have seen or used a telescope, but how do they actually work?
This Monday, we will explore how telescope could make a dot in the sky look much more special like magic.
If the weather is good, we will run the EWB Zeiss telescope half way into the meeting and look at objects such as Saturn, Alpha Centauri, Tarantula nebula and more.
Hope to see you there!

Introduction to Astronomy November 2025
2025-11-10 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
The Depth of The Night Sky (An Introduction)
by guest speaker: Jonathan Park
When we look up at the night sky, it’s easy to imagine that all the stars are placed on a great celestial dome above us. But we know that they lie at vastly different distances, scattered across space, some near and others hundreds of light-years away. In this talk, we’ll look at some familiar groups of stars, using graphics to travel away from Earth to view them from different directions. This will help you to get a feel for these distances. While on the topic of how far away these stars are, here’s an interesting fact: the speed of light is exactly 299,792,458 metres per second (no additional decimal places, no uncertainty), and this means we can now define a light-year to 100% precision! You’ll find out how this works tonight. We will also learn a little about some of these stars – are any binary, triple, or more? How big and hot are they? Do some of them have planets? One is a fascinating system of at least five stars orbiting each other in a very complex pattern.
This talk includes a selection of familiar stars visible to the naked eye, and is suitable for all ages and levels of astronomy knowledge. It may even change how you think about the stars you see at night.

Monthly Meeting November - Strange Nature of Time across the Universe - how does time work in Einstein’s cosmos
2025-11-03 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
Strange Nature of Time across the Universe – how does time work in Einstein’s cosmos
Time. We never seem to have enough of it. Clocks tick reliably, one second at a time, as deadlines loom. Yet in our modern understanding of the universe, time loses its rigidity and reveals a more fluid nature. In this talk, we’ll explore the nature of time across the cosmos and examine the experiments that show how time once ran slower, much, much slower, when the universe was young. But what does this relative nature of time truly mean? Could it offer a way to gain more time to meet our deadlines? And what does it imply for one of the greatest mysteries in physics: is it possible to break the barrier and actually travel through time?
Geraint F. Lewis was born in Old South Wales and studied astrophysics at the University of London before earning his PhD from Cambridge in 1995. After research positions in the US and Canada, he moved to Australia in 2000, where he is now Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Sydney. His research spans the influence of dark energy and dark matter on cosmic evolution, the use of gravitational lensing to probe the nature of quasars and the distribution of dark matter, and the dynamics of galactic cannibalism in the Local Group. Geraint is also a passionate science communicator, with several books and numerous public talks exploring the deep questions of cosmology, physics and the meaning of reality.

2025 Annual Burbidge Dinner
2025-11-01 18:30 - 22:00 | Sorrento In the Park, Cornwall Park, Auckland, New Zealand
The after dinner speaker for this year’s Burbidge Dinner will be Professor Geraint Lewis.
Heavenly Tensions: Is modern cosmology in crisis?
In this talk, Professor Lewis will explore the growing tensions in modern cosmology—observational discrepancies that may signal cracks in the standard model. He will start with the Hubble tension, a persistent mismatch between early- and late-universe measurements of the expansion rate, which challenges our understanding of cosmic history. From there, we will examine the cosmological principle, the assumption of large-scale uniformity, and how emerging evidence of dipole anisotropies—directional patterns in distributions of galaxies—may undermine this foundational idea. He will conclude with a “state of the nation” overview, assessing whether cosmology is facing a genuine crisis or simply entering a new phase of discovery.
Geraint F. Lewis was born in Old South Wales and studied astrophysics at the University of London before earning his PhD from Cambridge in 1995. After research positions in the US and Canada, he moved to Australia in 2000, where he is now Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Sydney. His research spans the influence of dark energy and dark matter on cosmic evolution, the use of gravitational lensing to probe the nature of quasars and the distribution of dark matter, and the dynamics of galactic cannibalism in the Local Group. Geraint is also a passionate science communicator, with several books and numerous public talks exploring the deep questions of cosmology, physics and the meaning of reality.

Ticket prices:

Members Early Bird price (paid by 17 Oct): $65
Members price after 17 Oct: $75
Non-members: $75 earlybird, $85 after 17 Oct.

Payment can be made to:
Auckland Astronomical Society
12-3061-0321397-00
Please use your surname and Dinner as references for the payment.

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Film Night October - The Planets - 25 Years Later : Star
2025-10-27 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
The Planets – 25 Years Later : Star

The sun is literally the centre of the Solar System – indeed, it takes its name from the Roman personification of the Sun as deity, in Latin.
For most of humanity’s time on the Earth, the sun has often been seen as the epitome of perfection of form, and agreed upon as the source of all light, warmth and energy – which it is.
But how does the sun relate to the Planets ? Starting with Galileo Galilei, we learned that the sun is not perfect – there are sunspots.
Father Giovanni Secchi at the Vatican observatory proved spectroscopically that the Sun is a star.
With time, we have come to know that the planets formed together with the sun – and the observed development of the planetary systems of other stars has confirmed this more and more as time goes by.
The influence of the sun is very great – even at the poles in complete darkness, the Solar Wind paints Aurorae on the skies above. Eugene Parker computed that there would be a supersonic solar wind – and exploration of
Mercury in the space age proved him to have been conservative – the sun is even more violent. The Skylab mission, and Voyager 2 have both expanded our conception of the limits of the Sun and
the Solar System in turn.

Since 1999, the Sun continues to fuel science and exploration :

Orbiting Observatories of the Sun – SOHO, Ulysses – and the mapping of the Corona, as well as the and discovery of new comets.
The Parker solar probe – in flight since 2018, doing Coronal dives
The Solar Space Fleet – STEREO, Parker, PUNCH, Hinode
Aurorae of the Gas Giants
Imaging the stars – The spots of Betelguese and other stars
Exoplanets and their aurorae visible from light years away
The Star Upon the Earth – controlled fusion reactors of the future.

Practical Astronomy October - Names and Catalogues
2025-10-20 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
This month we will be discussing the naming conventions for Celestial objects.

Monthly Meeting October - The Messy Eating Habits of Black Holes
2025-10-13 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
When an unsuspecting star wanders too close to a supermassive black hole, the star can be ripped apart by the black hole’s immense gravity. As the black hole messily feeds on the star, it produces an amazing display of light as bright as ten billion suns for many months. Using new surveys, astronomers are finding these hungry black holes throughout the Universe. Recently, it has been discovered that many years after feeding, these black holes sometimes produce a “heartbeat” of X-ray eruptions that repeat every several hours. Dr. Piro will describe some of the best theories to explain this mystery and what they can teach us about these enigmatic objects. Dr. Anthony Piro – Staff Scientist, Carnegie Science Observatories.

This is a rescreening of a Carnegie Science Lecture.

Meeting will be followed by tea, coffee and snacks.

Emerging astronomers - myths in Astronomy
2025-10-13 19:00 - 20:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
Are there aliens?
What happens if you get sucked into a black hole?
Will the universe end? And how?
Will a comet hit the Earth and end the world? (Hint: Not in our lifetime!)
Let’s find the answers to these awe dropping questions on Monday night!
Be sure to come early, you can’t travel faster than the speed of light!

Introduction to Astronomy October 2025
2025-10-06 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory
Charting the Changing Sky
Recently, with much media attention, the first images from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory were released to the press. Come along and learn what makes this telescope special and gets astronomers so excited about what it can do. Discover how its unique mirror design, in combination with the largest digital camera ever built, allows it to perform observations surveying the night sky like never before. Chris Benton will then discuss in depth its prime mission, the ten-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time, including the science it will perform, and how this will revolutionise our understanding of the Universe.

Film Night September - The Planets - 25 Years Later : Moon
2025-09-22 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
The Planets – 25 Years Later : Moon
The Earth’s moon has been the companion in the sky, marking the seasons, the year, the tides, and even the biology of all life on earth. But what is it ? From rock, to a dust ball – to green cheese – speculation has abounded until 1957 when the first spacecraft of human construction, Sputnik 1, opened the Solar System to human exploration. The moon was one of our earliest targets, as the nearest – and most arrestingly mysterious yet beautiful – celestial body. Men flew around the moon in 1968 with Apollo 8 at Christmas time that troubled year, and landed on the moon in July 1969 with the success of Apollo 11 – and humanity at last touched, and walked on the moon. Since that time, and since 1999, there’s been a lot of exploration of the moon – and there is more to come. And that’s before we consider the other moons of the Solar System, still more amazing…
Refinements in lunar exploration, with low orbits, pioneered with Clementine (after which a lunar orbit is named)
Irrefutable proof we went there – photos of the landers from the exploration ships of multiple countries
Still going strong since 1969 – the ALSEP laser reflectors. Dusty, but working…
Captures of lunar impacts by amateurs in recent years – there are new craters being made all the time…
The discovery of water ice at both poles of the moon.
The rediscovery of the concept of the ‘Lunar Arecibo’ on the Dark Side
Triumphs of the Kerbal Space Program in terms of recent lunar mishaps of landers ….
Forthcoming explorations of the moon by robot probe and manned missions in the years to come

Practical Astronomical September - The Spring Night Sky
2025-09-15 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
This will be one of our quarterly Planetarium sessions, where we will review the Spring Night Sky. We will go over the main constellations of the Spring Night Sky and some of the deep sky objects to be found in them

Emerging Astronomers September – How small are we?
2025-09-15 19:00 - 20:00
Imagine this: if the Sun were shrunk to the size of a beachball, Earth would be no bigger than a peppercorn, rolling around 30 meters away. That’s how tiny our world really is compared to the universe!
This Monday, we’ll dive in the size of the universe. From the size of you and me, to planets, stars, galaxies, and the largest structures in the universe. Along the way, we’ll use fun comparisons and visuals to help you feel the immensity of space.
We are very small.
Smaller than you might think.

Monthly Meeting September - The most surprising discoveries from our universe – with Chris Lintott
2025-09-08 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
This is a screening of a Gresham College Astronomy Lecture.
When capturing the first glimpses of the earliest galaxies, the Hubble Space Telescope was focused on a region of space presumed to be vacant. However, the image it produced was anything but – the iconic Hubble Ultra-Deep Field image revealed at least 10,000 galaxies.
Another astonishingly accidental discovery was the hidden story of Enceladus, one of Saturn’s myriad moons. Very little was known about Enceladus until NASA’s Cassini probe revealed its environment in more detail, including its capabilities as a potential haven for life.
The narrative continues with the revelation of pulsars, the remnants of colossal stars long extinguished. They were not uncovered through meticulous observation but rather as hidden gems within the unassuming data, disguised as background noise in the measurements of faint celestial radio signals.
As new observatories and state-of-the-art technology continue to develop, Chris calls for scientists to keep an open mind as the potential for discovery grows, allowing us to unravel the mysteries of the universe.
—-
Christopher John Lintott is a British astrophysicist, author and broadcaster. He is a Professor of Astrophysics in the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford, and since 2023 is the Gresham Professor of Astronomy at Gresham College, London. Lintott is involved in a number of popular science projects aimed at bringing astronomy to a wider audience and is also the primary presenter of the BBC television series The Sky at Night.

The meeting will be followed by tea, coffee and snacks.

Introduction to Astronomy September 2025
2025-09-01 20:00 - 21:30 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
Exploring the Moon
What we learned from the Apollo Programme

Exploring the Moon
What we learned from the Apollo Programme
Whether you attended the two previous talks on the Apollo Moon landings or not, this presentation is for you. In this special, extended discussion, Chris Benton expands on the topic, reviewing in depth the Apollo experiments conducted from both lunar orbit and the surface, as well as the types of rocks from different regions of the Moon returned by the twelve moonwalkers. Come along and learn how scientists correlated the invaluable data to determine a timeline detailing the Moon’s origin and evolution to how we see it today, including why the near and far sides differ in appearance and geology.

The Apollo Programme transformed our knowledge of the Moon. Come along to discover, understand and enjoy our moon, plus receive a comprehensive handout. This talk is for you!

Film Night August 2025 - The Planets , 25 years later : Giants
2025-08-25 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
The gas-giant planets of our Solar System have been the subject of interest and study for millennia. Their light and brightness gave them titles from that of Ancient Roman gods. When Galileo Galilei turned his telescope to Jupiter, he was able to prove that not everything revolves around the sun, and so started the development of Astronomy as one of the cornerstones of science and knowledge. After learning to fly, we started to explore the Solar System soon thereafter. The best ships we had could get us to Jupiter, and it was supreme good fortune that the Grand Opportunity arrived in the 1970’s to allow Pioneer 10 & 11, and then Voyager 1 and 2 to visit the giant planets, and their moons, for the first time.
Since then, humanity has returned to the Giants, and there are more plans to do so. Observations from the earth, and earth orbit, continue to reveal new things about the giants, both in this solar system, and beyond.
Understanding why we are here : Jupiter, the asteroid belt, and gravitational sweeping.
Returning to the Giants : Juno, and more to come.
Jupiter and Saturn’s growing retinue of moons (there are hundreds now !)
The Vera C. Rubin observatory and the Giants – more moons are likely.
Looking for life – exploration of Europa and Titan
The outer worlds – the Jupiter-class gas giants orbiting other stars – the Space Oddities.

Practical Astronomy August - Names and Catalogues.
2025-08-18 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
Names and Catalogues
Ever wondered about the designations Astronomical Objects such as M 22, NGC 104, HD 207098, or the names given to comets and asteroids. In this talk we will be discussing the IAU naming conventions for celestial objects along with the star and deep sky catalogues commonly encountered by amateur astronomers.

Monthly Meeting August - Celestial Songs: A Cosmic Spacetime Symphony
2025-08-11 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
The Universe sings an intricate melody composed of gravitational waves, the cosmic echoes of cataclys-
mic events. Yet it’s only in recent years that we have begun to listen to this space-time symphony. In this
talk, we’ll embark on a journey through the revolutionary advancements in gravitational wave astronomy.
First, we’ll trace our understanding of the subject from the conceptualisation of cosmic ripples in 1916
through to the Nobel Prize-winning gravitational wave discovery of the merger of two black holes. We’ll
then discuss Aotearoa’s contributions to this work. Join us as we uncover the cosmic symphony, tracing
our evolution from theory to discovery in our quest to understand the Universe’s celestial songs.
Dr Avi Vajpeyi is a research fellow working at the University of Auckland and a member of the scientific
collaborations Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and Laser Interferometer
Space Antenna (LISA). His work involves “listening” to gravitational waves emitted from black holes collid-
ing with each other.

Emerging Astronomers August - Life Beyond Earth
2025-08-11 19:00 - 20:00
Many of our love for astronomy started from one of the most magnificent questions in mankind: Are we alone?
There are:
4,000,000,000,000 galaxies in the universe
~200,000,000,000 stars in our galaxy
8 planets in the solar system
But the only planet we know that has life is Earth.
But if the cosmos is so vast… how could we be the only civilisation?
Would you like to join me as we journey through the latest discoveries, daring theories, and wild possibilities that might answer the biggest question of all: Who else is out there?

Introduction to Astronomy August 2025
2025-08-04 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
10 Things You Didn’t Know About Apollo 11
by guest speaker John Burkett
From previously unexplored technical challenges to lesser-known moments with the astronauts, this fascinating presentation offers a unique perspective on one of humanity’s greatest achievements. Come along and discover surprising facts and untold stories behind the historic first manned Moon landing in July 1969.

Film Night July - The Planets - 25 years Later
2025-07-28 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
Terra Firma
Last month, members of the society were interested in the difference between a volcano crater and meteor crater, as both of these are structures we can see on the surfaces of the earth, and the moon using even the smallest of telescopes. Space travel has let us find vulcanism everywhere in the Solar System, and we are starting to find evidence of it on exoplanets.
Vulcanism on the Earth and Moon
The mighty volcanoes of Mars, and the formation of Mariner Valley
The lava plains of Venus, and its mapping
Vulcanism of the Galilean Moons of Jupiter
The geysers of Triton
Developments since 1999 :
Vulcanism of Venus – observed eruptions
The changing face of Io
Evidence of geological processes of the Exoplanets

Practical Astronomy July - Sky Charting Software
2025-07-21 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
Sky Charting software can be used for planning your observing sessions, previewing sky events and even telescope and dome control control. They are also a great educational resource for learning and gaining understanding of some of the jargon used in astronomy. We will use the Open Source desktop application Stellarium to investigate some of these features and also demonstrate the use of a mobile device using the Sky Safari app.

Monthly Meeting July
2025-07-14 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
The JWST is the most expensive and powerful telescope astronomers have ever constructed. Its launch in 2021 started a new phase in our exploration of the cosmos, with the observatory’s golden mirrors producing instantly iconic images of the Solar System’s giant planets, nearby star-forming regions and galaxies, and our distant universe. The lecture includes the latest news from its studies of the early universe, a place lit up by what appears to have been a much more spectacular burst of activity than anyone expected.
This lecture was recorded by Chris Lintott on 28th May 2025 at Conway Hall, London
Chris is Gresham Professor of Astronomy.
He is also a Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford, and a Research Fellow at New College.

Emerging Astronomers July - Quiz Night
2025-07-14 19:00 - 20:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
For all teens and passionate kids, do you want to test your knowledge? Join us for a fast-paced Astronomy Quiz Night packed with mind-blowing space trivia and epic prizes. Meet other teens who love the stars as much as you do and maybe make a few new friends. Bring your curiosity and a competitive spirit. Which star cluster is going to outshine the room?

Introduction to Astronomy July 2025
2025-07-07 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
The Apollo Moon Landings
The Lost Missions
In July 1969, Apollo 11 rightfully garnered a great deal of media attention and will forever be enshrined in history. However, five successful landings followed from November 1969 to December 1972, which history has all but forgotten. Chris Benton reviews all six missions, illustrating how each one was more technologically and scientifically advanced than the previous. Come along and learn what these pioneering missions achieved, who the astronauts were, plus enjoy a visual tour with lesser-known photographs from each mission, including panoramic views of the lunar landscape, and what the landing sites look like today. We will also discuss the findings of the many surface experiments and what the lunar rocks tell us about our Moon’s past.
There’s something in this talk for everyone, from those curious about all six landings, members wanting to know more about lunar science, to everyone who likes to enjoy high-definition moonscape images on our big screen. Come along to learn, enjoy and have fun!

Film Night June 2025 - The Planets 25 Years Later
2025-06-23 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
The Planets – 25 years later
Different Worlds
Shotrt slideshow : The Solar System – Still under construction
Beyond Pluto : Nix & Hydra, bigger stuff with more moons, Eris & Dysnomia, and others
Astro-webcams – the legacy of Dr. Bob Leighton
Agglommeration experiments on the ISS
Cometary impacts in the solar system since Shoemaker-Levy 9
Amatuer video captures of asteroid hits to the Moon – accretion in action
Interstellar objects entering the solar system

Practical Astronomy June - The Winter Night Sky
2025-06-16 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
This will be one of our seasonal Planetarium sessions, where will will review the constellations and deep sky objects of the Winter Night Sky.

Monthly Meeting June
2025-06-09 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
Matariki – Ngā Whetū o te Tau Hou / The Stars of the New Year
Join us at Stardome as we celebrate Matariki in 2025— a time of remembrance, reflection, and renewal under the rising stars of the Māori New Year.
In this immersive planetarium experience, you’ll journey through the night sky to explore the Matariki star cluster and its importance in Aotearoa and te ao Māori. Discover the rich purākau (stories), science, and traditions connected to each of the nine whetū, learn about the Maramataka (the Māori lunar calendar), and reflect on how Matariki guides us through the cycles of the year along with many other significant stars.
Whether you’re reconnecting with Matariki or experiencing it for the first time, this show is a great way to honour the season and gain a deeper appreciation of Māori astronomy and our place within the cosmos.
Mānawatia a Matariki!

Introduction to Astronomy June 2025
2025-06-02 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
Stellar & Exoplanetary Spectroscopy
Learning to Read the Light
Tonight, you will learn how astronomers read the light from stars to measure their temperature, composition, rotation and much more, plus the atmospheres of distant exoplanets.
We start by explaining how and why atoms absorb and emit light at specific wavelengths before discussing how a prism splits light into its various colours to determine a star’s many properties. This will include a demonstration of a prism and calculating our Sun’s surface temperature, plus images and step-by-step analysis of spectra taken with a local amateur spectrograph. Our discussions will then delve deeper into measuring magnetic fields and surface gravity of stars using this simple technique, before discussing the process and frustrations with analysing the atmospheres of planets beyond our solar system.
Come along and see how you can take some of these measurements yourself. This session is for everyone, from beginners to experienced members, who want to learn more about reading the light from stars and other objects.

2025 Beatrice Hill-Tinsley Lecture - How Artificial Intelligence is changing the way we do astronomy
2025-05-28 19:00 - 20:00 | University of Auckland – Physics Lecture Theatre 1, PLT1/303-G20, Science Centre, 38 Princes St, Auckland, New Zealand
The AAS is co-hosting with the University of Auckland Faculty of Science, one of the lectures of the 2025 Beactrice Hill-Tinsley Lecture Series.
How Artificial Intelligence is changing the way we do astronomy – and why that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

This is a free lecture but booking tickets is essential otherwise you might miss out.
https://BeatriceHillTinsley.eventbrite.co.nz
Anna is a Professor of Radio Astronomy at Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics and one of the five inaugural AI Fellows of the UK’s Alan Turing Institute. Previously she has worked at the University of Southampton, the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies and the University of Cambridge. She has a PhD from the University of Cambridge and an undergraduate degree from the University of Bristol.
She is part of a team working on the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio-telescope, and she led the design of the computing and storage for the European SKA Regional Centre. She is currently the UK representative to the International Union of Radio Sciences for Radio Astronomy and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Royal Astronomical Society’s Techniques & Instruments (RASTI) journal.
In 2014, Anna was honoured by the World Economic Forum as one of thirty scientists under the age of 40 selected for their contributions to advancing the frontiers of science, engineering or technology in areas of high societal impact. In 2017 she was awarded the Blaauw Chair in Astrophysics (prize chair) at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands for excellence in research, broad knowledge of astronomy and an outstanding international status in astronomy. In 2019, Anna received the Jackson-Gwilt Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, awarded for outstanding invention, improvement, or development of astronomical instrumentation or techniques.
Lecture Trust Home Page:
https://www.rasnz.org.nz/rasnz-info/rasnz-lecture-trust-bht-1

Monthly Meeting May - The search for Takapō Meteorite
2025-05-26 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
The search and finding of the Takapō Meteorite and what we have since learnt about it. And Fireballs Aotearoa’s activities over the last year including the search for the Mahoe Meteorite.

Steve Wyn-Harris is a sheep and beef farmer in Central Hawkes Bay. He wrote a weekly national rural column for nearly three decades and has been a broadcaster for as long. He is on the executive of Fireballs Aotearoa, the meteorite search co-ordinator and media liaison for the organization. In 2023 he was awarded an ONZM for services to farming and rural communities.

Steve has also published a children’s book: ‘The Day I Crashed to Earth’ (target audience 5-13) about the finding of the Takapō Meteorite and for $20 anyone is welcome to a copy!
