Auckland Astronomical Society Inc

Monthly Meeting June - Is it Aliens? The Most Unusual Star in the Galaxy
2024-06-10 20:00 - 21:00 (Pacific/Auckland) | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
Boyajian’s star, a faint and unprepossessing presence in the constellation of Cygnus, attracted astronomers’ attention when it began to flicker alarmingly.
We will discuss explanations for its behaviour, from disintegrating comets to alien megastructures, and consider how modern astronomy hunts for the truly unusual objects in the Universe. For this task, the involvement of large numbers of volunteers – citizen scientists – is essential, for example via the Zooniverse platform, which invites you to participate in classifying galaxies and discovering planets.
This lecture was recorded by Chris Lintott on 29th April 2024 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.

Astrophotography Group June
2024-06-17 19:00 - 20:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
TBA

Practical Astronomy June - The Winter Night Sky
2024-06-17 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
This month will be one of our seasonal planetarium sessions where we will review the constellations of the winter night sky and the deep sky objects found within them.

Young Astronomers June - The Solar System
2024-06-24 19:00 - 20:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
Are you interested in the planets of the solar system? Why does Saturn have rings? Why is Mars red? Is Neptune truly deep blue like in Voyager 2’s image? This month’s meeting will focus on debunking the mysteries of the solar system. After the presentation, there will be a Kahoot quiz, so be sure to bring a device!

Film Night June
2024-06-24 20:00 - 21:15 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
We are running two films tonight
We look forwards to seeing you there.
Why Venera Went Silent on Venus | Astrum

What caused Venera Space Ship to fail so quickly after a successful landing on Venus. This documentary explains why and shows the only images of Venus ever to be captured from it’s surface.

Uncovering the Secrets of the International Space Station (Full Episode) | Superstructures

What makes up the ISS. How did we fly it all up into orbit. Did you know the ISS has emergency escape pods ready to un-dock at a moments notice, to drop towards Earth, and that the Astronauts have had to occupy these during recent potential catastrophic events. These subjects and more will be covered is this documentary.

Introduction to Astronomy July 2024
2024-07-01 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
New Ideas on the Moon’s Formation and its Importance to Life on Earth
How often do you look up at the Moon and think nothing more? Scientists have debated how Earth acquired our unique Moon for years, involving five possibilities. Chris Benton discusses these, including the most widely accepted Giant Impact Hypothesis and its troubling flaws, and reviews new high-resolution simulations that provide solutions. Following this, we will discuss why the Moon’s existence is critical to life on Earth and will forever change the way you appreciate the Moon when looking up!
Enjoy this vital planetary science and astrobiology topic, plus the discussion to follow.

Monthly Meeting July - The Pillars of Modern Cosmology: Theory and Observations
2024-07-08 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
This month’s speaker will be Professor Sergei Gulyaev.
Monthly Meeting July – The Pillars of Modern Cosmology: Theory and Observations
As we celebrate the centennial anniversary of Friedmann-Lemaitre-Hubble’s revelation that our universe is expanding, we will revisit pivotal moments and milestones in the history of cosmology. From the groundbreaking theory of general relativity to the observations of distant galaxies and the cosmic microwave background, this lecture will delve into the key discoveries that have shaped our understanding of the universe. Not only we will highlight the significant achievements of the past century but also look ahead to the exciting prospects and unanswered questions that continue to inspire astronomers and physicists today.
Professor Sergei Gulyaev, DirectorCentre for Radio Astronomy and Space Research,
School of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences,
Auckland University of Technology,
Auckland, New Zealand

Astrophotography Group July - Image Stacking
2024-07-15 19:00 - 20:00
This month Eric Chiu will do a presentation on astro image stacking using freely available software for planetary and deep sky photography.

Practical Astronomy July - Sky Charting Software
2024-07-15 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
The topic for this month will be Sky Charting Software.
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.

Film Night July
2024-07-22 20:00 - 21:30 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
We are running two films tonight on our Solar System
We look forwards to seeing you there.

A Deep Dive Into The Mysteries Of Mars | Astrum – 4K

A refresh of the Astrum ‘Our Solar System’ series, updated to reflect all we’ve learned about our planetary neighbourhood in the last few years

Eight Wonders Of Our Solar System | The Planets | BBC Earth Science

Discover the most memorable events in the history of our solar system. Travel to the surface of these dynamic worlds to witness the moments of high drama that uniquely shaped each one.

Introduction to Astronomy August 2024
2024-08-05 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
What Meteorites Tell Us About The Early Solar System
by guest speaker Joel Schiff
Meteorites are Solar System material that has landed on Earth. Most of it comes from the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter, although some specimens are from the Moon and Mars. How this material lands on Earth and why it is scientifically important for studying the origins of the Solar System will be the subject of the talk. Numerous samples belonging to the author will be available for perusal.
This is a fascinating and important topic of astronomy. We look forward to seeing you all there!
Best regards, Chris Benton

Monthly Meeting August - My lessons from the RASNZ conference
2024-08-11 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
The Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand (RASNZ) Conference is an unique opportunity for astronomy enthusiasts, professionals, and researchers in New Zealand to meet, discuss and learn about astronomy from each other. In this talk, I will share my experience attending the RASNZ Conference, highlighting the unique opportunities it offers for networking, learning, and exploring the latest developments in astronomy. From engaging presentations by leading experts to hands-on workshops and thought-provoking discussions, I will discuss how the conference deepened my understanding of the universe and inspired new avenues for exploration. Whether you’re a seasoned astronomer or just starting your journey, this talk will illustrate why the RASNZ Conference is a valuable experience for anyone passionate about the stars.
Alex Liang is the presenter and organiser of the AAS Young Astronomers Group. The AAS Council awarded Alex a student sponsorship to attend the 2024 RASNZ Conference in Nelson.

The talk will be followed with refreshments.

Young Astronomers Group August
2024-08-12 19:00 - 20:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
Have you ever sat down on your balcony and gazed up at the skies and asked questions? Such as what happens if I get sucked into a black hole? Why are some stars red and some are blue? Is there life on any other planets? Why does Saturn have rings? Did you know that every star has its own story?
Come and join us for a fun session where we will discover the answers! We will explore the myths one by one from our familiar Sun to mysterious galaxies far far away! And we will explore planets with an endless desert or a giant gas ball with beautiful rings. Whether you’re a kickstarter of astronomy or a junior expert, there is a place for all of you.

Practical Astronomy August
2024-08-19 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
Names and Catalogues
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.
The Messier Catalogue

Film Night August
2024-08-26 20:00 - 21:15 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
We are running two films tonight on our Solar System
We look forwards to seeing you there.

We are Star Dust & Everything we see is in the Past | Astronomical Space Documentary Episodes 1 & 2

Damon Scotting spent six years making this very engaging documentary. We are viewing episodes 1 & 2 of 6

The Search for Alien Life | BBC The Sky at Night

The Sky at Night team investigate the latest science in the hunt for extraterrestrial life. Scientists have never been more obsessed …

Introduction to Astronomy September 2024
2024-09-02 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
The Planets & Moons of the Solar System Through Modern Eyes
Tonight, we will review the Solar System’s eight planets, exploring their general and exciting features, including new ideas on how Mercury acquired a large iron core and the special features of many moons. We’ll then discuss why we see four minor rocky inner planets and four giant gas/ice outer planets, including recent supercomputer simulations showing new insights into how the migratory movements of the giant planets in the early Solar System shaped the dichotomy we see today.
If you’re interested in current ideas on the planets, moons and the Solar System, this talk is for you! We look forward to seeing you all there.
This meeting will also be live-streamed on the AAS YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/c/AucklandAstronomicalSociety

Young Astronomers Group
2024-09-09 19:00 - 20:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
Let’s answer some “what if” questions in this lesson!
Ever wondered what would happen if the Sun exploded today? Or what if someone fell into a black hole? How about forgetting to put on your spacesuit before jumping out of a space station? 🤯
In this exciting session, we’ll dive into all your wild and crazy “what if” questions and explore the incredible possibilities of the universe! 🚀 This is your chance to ask those mind-boggling space questions and discuss them with other young, curious minds just like you!
We’ll end with a super fun kahoot quiz or a special booklet activity to test your space smarts, so don’t forget to bring your devices! 📱
If you love space and want to explore the craziest “what if” scenarios, this lesson is for you! Let’s go beyond the stars together. ✨

Monthly Meeting September
2024-09-09 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
District Court Judge Alan Goodwin, the Author of the novel Greene Lyon, will discuss his book on Sir Isaac Newton.
The novel tells the ‘true’ story of Isaac Newton and the falling apple, one of the great historical myths. The book combines real aspects of Newton’s life with entirely fictionalised parts and explores the murky divisions between magic beliefs and early scientific discovery. The story centres around Newton’s obsessions and secretive nature. He wants to understand the universe, which he believes is the manifestation of God’s power, but is haunted by darker impulses and a passion for Alice Cutler, a girl from his youth, who bears the mark of a witch. When Alice’s life is threatened by a witch finder, Isaac’s life unravels, driving him to scientific creation and a choice to banish Alice with fatal consequences.
Born in England in 1963, Alan Goodwin was educated at Friends’ School, a Quaker school, in Saffron Walden, Essex, before taking a degree in Social Science. When qualified as a solicitor, he practised Criminal and Family law in West London. In 1994 Alan emigrated to New Zealand and worked for many years at Corban Revell Lawyers in West Auckland where he became a managing partner of the firm. From 2011 to 2016 he worked as a barrister specialising in Family law, acting for parties and working as a Lawyer for Child. Over the years he presented at legal seminars and conferences. In 2016 Alan was appointed as a District Court Judge, sitting in the Family and Criminal courts in Manukau, Auckland. Writing has been Alan’s passion since he was a teenager; he is also an avid reader with an enduring love of both fiction and non-fiction, especially history and biography. He has a particular interest in science, its history and impact on the way we live. When not reading and writing, or enjoying family time, Alan is a keen follower of sports, especially football (he is a lifelong supporter of Tottenham Hotspur) and has also coached over the years. Greene Lyon is Alan’s second novel. His previous publications are Gravity’s Chain, HarperCollins, 2006, and Working with Psychologists, co-authored with Llewelyn Richards-Ward, New Zealand Law Society, 2002.
The book can be purchased at https://quentinwilsonpublishing.com/product/greene-lyon-a-novel-by-alan-goodwin/

Astrophotography Group September
2024-09-16 19:00 - 20:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
Astrophotopgraphy Show-and-Tell
Please do feel free to bring all your favourite and best astrophotos on USB drive, to share with the attendees.
The provided system has industrial-grade antivirus software, to protect data integrity.
Please also do feel free to provide all the details of location, camera, processing, and your experience.

Unguided Dobsonian-mount Newtonian Digital Astrophotography
– How to take an off-the-cuff snapshot with your smartphone, with and without a smartphone mount
– F/ratio considerations
– Digital guidance for faint stuff – the freeware Astrohopper
– The optimum eyepiece focal length for planets
– The optimum eyepiece focal length for bright deep-sky objects
– Inexpensive CMOS cameras for instruments of 4″ – 8″ aperture
– Getting serious – CMOS cameras for instruments of 8″ aperture and up
– The limit of the state of the art

Martin La Grange

Practtical Astronomy September
2024-09-16 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
The Spring Night Sky
This will be one of our quarterly planetarium sessions where we will review the Spring Night Sky. The the weather is suitable we will follow the meeting with telescope observing.

Film Night September
2024-09-23 20:00 - 21:30 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
We are running two films tonight. We look forwards to seeing you there.

Are We Alone | Astronomical Space Documentary Episode 3

Damon Scotting spent six years making this very engaging documentary. We are viewing episode 3 of 6

Back to the Moon – Part 1 ｜ VOANews

After the Apollo program ended, the US took a long hiatus from lunar exploration. What happened during this time, and what has NASA been doing? This documentary explores the multiple attempts to return to the Moon. This is Part 1 of 2

Northern Star Party – October 4th to 6th
2024-10-04 17:00 - 2024-10-06 11:00 | Waharau Regional Park, 1748 East Coast Rd, Orere Point, Whakatiwai, 2473
Dark Sky Weekend
We are excited to announce the dates for the second Northern Star Party for 2024 to held at Waharau Regional Park and hosted by the Auckland Astronomical Society. We are holding the event over the nights of Friday 4th and Saturday 5th of October. Packing up on the morning of the 6th.
It will be a weekend of practical astronomy and dark sky observing. It is great opportunity to spend a weekend viewing the sky from a dark site, on Moonless nights, though a range of different telescopes. Bring your telescope or binoculars, but if you don’t have any there will be plenty there for you to look through. Also the society has telescopes available for hire though the hire will have to be set up prior to the camp. Refer to the club for further details.

During the day on Saturday, there will be a full program of practical astronomy – how to use equipment and various types of telescopes, new equipment demonstrations and an astrophotography workshop.
Films will be shown in the early evening on Friday and if appropriate on Saturday.
The full information pack and agenda will be released shortly. We just wanted to get the dates out so that you can lock them in now!

Prices
Members
Non-members

Early Bird paid by 1st October
$20
$40

Late bookings
$30
$50

No one night price.
To book, please log into Hello Club……….Click here for link.
From the Hello Club page, you will need to log in.
Program:
Friday: Viewing, movie (TBC)
Saturday:
Workshops: Midday to 4:30 pm.
Solar Viewing during the day on Saturday.

Time
Activity
Details

13:00 – 14:00
TBC
TBC

14:30 – 15:00
Practical Astronomy
TBC

16:30 – 18:00
Telescope trail
Telescope trail

For the full information pack, click here.

Introduction to Astronomy October 2024
2024-10-07 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
Solar System Surprises
by guest speaker Jonathan Park
We know a great deal about our Solar System – there are eight planets, several dwarf planets, over 300 moons, countless asteroids (some with moons!) and other small objects… the list goes on. Of course, there is sure to be more to discover and many mysteries still to be solved. But in the vast amount of current Solar System knowledge, there are some facts that will surprise you! For example, you will learn what plutinos, twotinos and cubewanos (“Q-B-waanos”) are. This talk includes something for all age groups and all levels of astronomy knowledge, so come along to hear about a selection of these “Solar System Surprises”!
This meeting will also be live-streamed on the AAS YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/c/AucklandAstronomicalSociety

Young Astronomers Group October - Let's answer some more what if questions.
2024-10-14 19:00 - 20:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
Ever wondered what would happen if the Sun exploded today? Or what if someone fell into a black hole? And what’s that new comet coming towards us? No! Not just C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), a brand new and brighter one! (C/2024 S1) 🤯 In this exciting session, we’ll dive into all your wild and crazy “what if” questions and explore the incredible possibilities of the universe! 🚀 This is your chance to ask those mind-boggling space questions and discuss them with other young, curious minds just like you! We’ll end with a super fun kahoot quiz or a special blooket activity to test your space smarts, so don’t forget to bring your devices! 📱 If you love space and want to explore the craziest “what if” scenarios, this lesson is for you! Let’s go beyond the stars together. ✨

Monthly Meeting October - Black Holes and the Technology to Find Them
2024-10-14 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
The population of black holes, objects left over from dead stars, is almost entirely unexplored. Only about two dozen black holes are confidently known in our Galaxy. As a result, some of the most basic properties of black holes remain unknown, including the true number of black holes in the Galaxy, their masses and sizes, and how the black holes were formed. Dr. Lu discusses how she and other astronomers are using “gravitational lensing” — something predicted by Einstein’s work — to open a new window onto black holes, and how the first free-floating black holes are now being discovered. She explains, in everyday language, why astronomers expect that the number of known black holes will increase by a factor of 100 over the next decade.
Talk by Dr. Jessica Lu (University of California, Berkeley)
This is a rebroadcast of one of the SVA Lecture Series.
The meeting will be followed by supper.

Practical Astronomy October - Telescope Mounts
2024-10-21 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
This month’s talk will be about the various types of telescope mounting systems and how they are used.

Film Night October
2024-10-28 20:00 - 21:15 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
We are running one full length film tonight. We look forwards to seeing you there.

The film we are playing tonight covers many different subjects. It looks at SpaceX Projects, Space Communications, how partnerships with private companies like Boeing and SpaceX are reshaping space travel and much more. This is a well put together, very interesting film.

Introduction to Astronomy November 2024
2024-11-04 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
What Meteorites Tell Us About The Early Solar System
by guest speaker Joel Schiff
Meteorites are Solar System material that has landed on Earth. Most of it comes from the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter, although some specimens are from the Moon and Mars. How this material lands on Earth and why it is scientifically important for studying the origins of the Solar System will be the subject of the talk. Numerous samples belonging to the author will be available for perusal.
This is a fascinating and important topic of astronomy. We look forward to seeing you all there!

2024 Burbidge Dinner
2024-11-09 18:30 - 22:00 | Waipuna Events Center, 58 Waipuna Road, Auckland, 1060, New Zealand
The Burbidge Dinner is held annually in honour of the main founder of the Auckland Astronomical Society, Professor Percy Burbidge. Proceedings will commence with a welcome followed by the announcement of the winners of the 2024 New Zealand Astrophotography Competition. One of this year’s judges, Dylan O’Donnell will be present to award the prizes. The prize giving will be followed by a buffet dinner and an after dinner lecture by Dylan O’Donnell.
Not just Pretty Pictures – The intersection between Science and Astrophotography.
Astrophotography is regarded as one of the most difficult forms of photography. The skills required for many branches of specialized astrophotography overlap with the skills required for professional astronomy. Most of the time there is a clear distinction between these two groups but in many cases collaboration between them yields scientific results that could not have been achieved otherwise.
Dylan O’Donnell is an Australian award winning astrophotographer with a popular YouTube channel and social media following. He is a brand ambassador for Celestron telescopes and the founder & host of the Star Stuff astronomy event in Australia. He holds a masters degree in computer science and a bachelor degree in Astronomy and hosts a weekly space segment on ABC radio. Dylan also releases his astrophotography from the Byron Bay Observatory freely to the public domain.

Tickets for the 2024 Burbidge are now available.
Member Ticket prices – Early Bird price until 12th October $70. Ticket price after 12th October $75
Non member ticket prices – Early Bird price until 12th October $75. Ticket price after 12th October $80
To order tickets please email events@astronomy.org.nz
Doors Open 6:30pm
Welcome to members and guests 7pm
A cash bar will be available.
Event Venue
Waipuna Hotel and Conference Center
58 Waipuna Road
Mt Wellington
Auckland
The Cosmic Bat LDN 43 (Captured and processed by Dylan O’Donnell)

Monthly Meeting November -Dot to Dot in the Sky – The Nature of Night
2024-11-11 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
Early cultures sought connections between what happened on Earth and what occurred overhead. They told stories to explain the stars, auroras, and other night sky phenomena. Discover legends of the night sky, as well as the relationship between art, science, and nature in our Earth-sky environment.
Joan Marie Galat is an award-winning author in Canada who shares her love of the night sky in books that include the Dot to Dot in the Sky series, Dark Matters—Nature’s Reaction to Light Pollution, and the National Geographic Kids title: Absolute Expert: Space. Joan’s 2024 release—Make Your Mark, Make a Difference—includes issues relating to outer space and the night sky. Visit www.joangalat.com for additional information.
