Introduction to Astronomy December 2025
2025-12-01 20:00 - 21:00 (Pacific/Auckland) | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
Annual Fun Quiz Night!
As we approach the end of the year, it’s time for our annual quiz. We’ll have fun reflecting on topics covered over 2025, including the search for exoplanets and extraterrestrial life, the Vera Rubin Observatory, lunar science and the Apollo moon landings, stellar and exoplanetary spectroscopy, and NASA’s Clipper mission to Europa. Most importantly, there are loads of yummy chocolates to win!
The quiz is designed for those who attended all, some or none of the talks during the year, so there’s no excuse to miss out! Come along and have fun reviewing and learning the main points from our regular sessions.
We look forward to seeing you all there, ready for chocolate!
This meeting will also be live-streamed on the AAS YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/c/AucklandAstronomicalSociety

Emerging astronomers - Scavenger hunt & quiz
2025-12-08 19:00 - 20:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
Are you ready for a recap of this year?
This month, we’re launching a scavenger hunt based on the topics we tackled this year.
Let’s work together, solve cosmic clues, and race the clock.
After that, be sure to bring your devices for a Kahoot.There’s something for the top team!
Don’t miss it, this is the final emerging astronomers meeting of the year!

Monthly Meeting December - The Modern Epicycles of Cosmology
2025-12-08 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
Cosmology is in crisis. We know very little about dark energy and dark matter, two things that cosmologists believe
are fundamental to the Universe and integral to the standard model of cosmology. With each new set of high-
precision observation, disagreements between data and the standard model grow. This year experiments like the
DESI survey have cast doubt on the nature of dark energy and how the Universe changed over time. Now the lead-
ing suggestions are that the strength of dark energy changes with time, adding yet more mystery to the phenome-
na. While these new models fit the data, are they true, or are they adding more complexity to a flawed concept? In
this talk we will explore the current landscape of cosmology and question the foundational assumptions of modern
cosmology.
Dr Ryan Ridden is a Rutherford Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Canterbury. His research is fo-
cused in the time domain of astronomy and covers a wide range of topics including supernovae, solar system ob-
jects, exoplanets, active galaxies, and cosmology. Ryan is leading the international Cosmic Cataclysms Collabora-
tion, using space telescope data to search for the fastest explosions and variable objects in the Universe. Earlier this
year Ryan was part of a collaboration which used supernova data to test models of the Universe that did not use
dark energy. Alongside research, Ryan has engaged in public outreach and education, frequently giving public lec-
tures and mentoring future scientists.

Practical Astronomy December - The Summer Night Sky
2025-12-15 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
This will be one of our seasonal Planetarium sessions. We will use the Planetarium to explore the Summer Night Sky. This is a great way to improve your knowledge of the Summer constellations and learn about some of the deep sky objects to be found in them.

Practical Astronomy February - an Introduction to Astrophotography
2026-02-02 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
This talk will cover the basics of Astrophotography including, composition, equipment and processing.
Note the date swap with the February Introduction to Astronomy talk

2026 Beatrice Hill-Tinsley Lecture Series - Astronomy vs. the Billionaire Space Race
2026-02-04 18:00 - 19:30 | University of Auckland – Physics Lecture Theatre 1, PLT1/303-G20, Science Centre, 38 Princes St, Auckland, New Zealand
The AAS, in conjunction with the University of Auckland are hosting one of the 2026 Beactrice Hill-Tinsley lecture series. Entry is free but please book to ensure your seat:
https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/astronomy-vs-the-billionaire-space-race-tickets-1979945182339?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Emerging astronomers - Scavenger hunt & quiz
2026-02-09 19:00 - 20:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
Are you ready for a recap of last year’s topics?
This month, we’re launching a scavenger hunt based on the topics we tackled last year.
Let’s work together, solve cosmic clues, and race the clock.
After that, be sure to bring your devices for a Kahoot.There’s something for the top team!
If you are joining us, please bring your devices and if you can, download Goosechase as we will be using Goosechase for our session.
Hope to see you there!

Monthy Meeting February - From Mars with Love: Postcards from 50 Years of Exploring The Red Planet
2026-02-09 20:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
This meeting will be screening a Gresham College Lecture with Professor Chris Lintott
During 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.
This lecture was recorded by Chris Lintott on the 3rd of December 2025 at Conway Hall, London.
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.

Introduction to Astronomy February 2026
2026-02-16 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
Astronaut Radiation Exposure
How safe is deep-space travel?
This month, humans are returning to the Moon for the first time since 1972. NASA’s Artemis II mission is sending four astronauts as a stepping stone towards a Moon base and, eventually, Mars by 2030 and 2040, respectively. Radiation exposure is a major challenge to astronauts. How much radiation will Moon- and Mars-bound astronauts be exposed to, including traversing Earth’s Van Allen Belts, and what is their risk of radiation-related illness or diseases from such journeys?
Come along for an in-depth discussion on what radiation is, where it comes from, how it affects the body, and how much is considered acceptable. Finally, we discuss current and future countermeasures, including data from the 2022 Artemis I mission. Learn about NASA’s current research that benefits astronauts, cancer patients, and society in general. All attendees receive a comprehensive multi-page handout.
See you all there!

Special General Meeting - New Constitution
2026-02-23 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
For the purpose of reregistering the Society under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022.
What is happening?
In 2022 the Government passed a law that changes the way incorporated societies like ours work and are structured. Each society is required to update their constitution to include language mandated by the Act, and reregister by 5th April 2026 in order to remain on the register.
What has changed?
Where possible, the proposed Constitution (including our purpose, AGM timing, quorum size, and overall structure) has been kept the same as our current Rules. Key changes include a clearer process for dispute resolution, more flexible ways to participate in General Meetings, clearer governance and transparency requirements, and a number of smaller clarifications particularly regarding notice periods. As a result of the requirements of the Act, the new proposed Constitution has many more clauses than our current Rules. In addition, the Regulations formulated by Council in 2022 are being adopted as Bylaws of the Society under the Act.
How have the changes been made?
A subcommittee of Council has met several times to combine our existing Rules with the changes required by the Act. This has been an exhaustive process requiring much deliberation. A draft Constitution was presented to Council in late 2025 for review, and many amendments were made over several rounds of revision. Council has approved Version 10 of the Constitution as suitable to be brought to the Society membership for ratification.
What is needed from me?
Please read the documents! Though Council has approved the version of the Constitution to be presented at the SGM, it is not binding until formally approved by the Society membership. We want you to be well informed on what is changing, so that any questions or concerns you may have can be addressed. It’s also possible that you have never heard of the Society Regulations (called Bylaws under the new Act), in which case a review is highly recommended. A link to the meeting agenda and documents has been sent to all members via email
Please come to the SGM! This is a very significant meeting for the Society, as we must reregister by 5th April 2026 to remain on the register, so high attendance is critical to achieve the required quorum to pass the necessary motions. If the new Constitution is not passed at the SGM, it will put a lot of pressure on us to meet the April deadline. If there are any amendments still to be made, the earlier the better.
The following motions are to be put at the SGM:
That the Auckland Astronomical Society be reregistered under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022.
That the document ‘AAS Constitution Version 10 – 24Jan26’ be ratified as the new Constitution.
That the existing Council members be the Officers of the Society under the Act.
That the submission of the contact details of the current President, Vice-President and Treasurer as the AAS contact persons be approved.
That the document ‘AAS Bylaws – 28 January 2026’ be approved as the Bylaws of the new Constitution.
No other business will be transacted at the meeting.
Hope to see you there.
Mitchell Clark
AAS President

Introduction to Astronomy March 2026
2026-03-02 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
Gamma Ray Bursts
by guest speaker Dr Nick Odom
Gamma ray bursts were discovered serendipitously in the 1960s. They remained a mystery for many years. Since 1997, satellite technology has enabled their nature to be better understood, thereby providing insight into the most distant and energetic explosions in the universe. Come along and learn about these fascinating events and what they tell us about the Universe.
This meeting will also be live-streamed on the AAS YouTube channel
See you all there!

Monthly Meeting March 2026 - How can AI help us find exploding stars and Hungry Black Holes?
2026-03-09 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
Dr Heloise Stevance
Modern 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.
Dr 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.

Practical Astronomy March - The Autumn Night Sky
2026-03-16 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
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.

Introduction to Astronomy April 2026
2026-04-06 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
The Origin of the Elements
The making of everything – from us to gold rings
Everything and everyone around you is made up of atoms from combinations of up to 118 elements. From the iron in your blood, the calcium in your bones, the silicon in your phone, to the gold and silver in your jewellery.
What are atoms and elements? Where did they come from and how were they made? Tonight, Chris Benton will answer these questions, including how stars live, collide, and die, and importantly, how many of them end their lives as massive supernova explosions. You will learn all of this and much more, showing how the famous astronomer, Carl Sagan, was right in saying that we are all made of starstuff.
All attendees will receive a comprehensive, multi-page handout that covers and expands on everything we discuss. Don’t miss out!

Monthly Meeting April - Little Red Dots
2026-04-13 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
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.
This lecture was recorded by Chris Lintott on 18th March 2026 at Conway Hall, London.
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. He can often be found at the helm of Oxford’s science comedy night, ‘Huh, That’s Funny’.

Northern Star Party – April 17th to April 19th 2026
2026-04-17 16:30 - 2026-04-19 11:00
Dark Sky Weekend
We are excited to announce the dates for the Northern Star Party for 2026 to held at Waharau Regional Park and hosted by the Auckland Astronomical Society. We are holding the event over the nights of Friday 17th and Saturday 18th of April. Packing up on the morning of Sunday the 19th.
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. For rental enquiries, please email rental@astronomy.org.nz

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.

Prices
Members
Non-members

Early Bird paid by 12th April
$30
$40

Late bookings
$50
$60

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: 1:00pm to 2:30 pm.
Solar Viewing during the day on Saturday.

Time
Activity
Details

13:00
Dwarf Mini and Dwarf 3 compact Smart Telescopes by Dwarf Lab
This presentation outlines their design, operation, and real-world performance in imaging deep-sky objects. Also covered is tracking, image capture, stacking, processing and using their Stellar Studio processing suite.

14:00 – 14:30
Easy Image Stacking for Beginners

Why stack?
Stacking demonstration
Stacking tips
Survey of stacking software

16:30 – 18:00
Telescope trail
Telescope trail

For the full information pack, click here.
Some possible visual observations on the nights
Some visible with the naked eye, some through small telescope

Practical Astronomy April - Variable Stars
2026-04-20 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
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.

2026 Annual General Meeting
2026-04-27 20:00 - 22:00
The Auckland Astronomical Society 2026 Annual General Meeting. The agenda will include reports from Society Officers, Stardome report, Astronomy NZ Ltd report and election of officers for the AAS Council 2026/2027
All members are encouraged to attend.

Practical Astronomy - The study of Occultations
2026-05-11 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
In this meeting Michael Camilleri will give a presentation on Occultations and what can be learned from them.
An 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

Monthly Meeting May - Rocks from Space
2026-05-18 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
Rocks from Space
with Professor Jonti Horner
Jonti first became interested in astronomy at the age of five, after seeing the BBC TV programme ‘The Sky
at Night’, and soon became an enthusiastic amateur astronomer. He joined his local astronomical society
in the UK, WYAS (the West Yorkshire Astronomical Society) at the age of eight, and is currently honoured
to serve as the society’s honorary president. To pursue his dream of turning his hobby into a career, Jonti
studied a Masters’ degree in Physics and Astronomy at the University of Durham, before moving to the
University of Oxford to undertake his doctoral studies. Once his PhD was complete, Jonti worked as a
postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Bern and the UK’s Open University before moving to
Australia in 2010 to work at UNSW. In 2014, he moved to Toowoomba, to join the University of Southern
Queensland, where he is now Professor of Astrophysics. His research ranges from the study of our own
Solar system to the search for planets orbiting other stars, as well as trying to understand the different
factors that could come together to make one planet more or less suitable as a target in the search for life
beyond Earth.

Film Night May - Cosmos - 45 years Later - The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean
2026-05-25 20:00 - 21:00
The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean
Subject: 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:

Hubble Space Telescope (1990–) and JWST (2022–) have mapped billions of galaxies and precise cosmic distances; universe age refined to 13.8 billion years.
Discovery of cosmic microwave background anisotropies (COBE/WMAP/Planck) and accelerating expansion (dark energy, 1998).
Exoplanets: from zero in 1980 to >6,100 confirmed; billions likely in the Milky Way alone.

Introduction to Astronomy June 2026
2026-06-01 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
NASA’s Perseverance Rover
Searching for Ancient Life on Mars
NASA’s Perseverance Rover landed on Mars in February 2021, exploring Jezero Crater. Come along for this special evening to learn about the rover, its instruments, and how it conducts its science, then take a visual journey through this fascinating crater. Hear about Perseverance’s key discoveries and their implications for our understanding of Mars and its past ability to support life. You will be surprised by how this incredible rover is helping scientists solve the ultimate cold case: Did Life Exist on Mars? A scaled model will also be available to view.
All attendees will receive a comprehensive, multi-page handout that covers and expands on everything we discuss. Don’t miss out!

Monthly Meeting June - The NASA Psyche mission: First Journey to an Unknown World
2026-06-08 20:00 - 21:00
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.
This is a rebroadcast of a Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture.

Practical Astronomy June - The Winter Night Sky
2026-06-15 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345

Film Night June - The Cosmos - 45 years later.
2026-06-22 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
One Voice in the Cosmic Fugue
Subject: Evolution by natural selection; Heike crab story; origin of life; DNA and the unity of life. 45 Years Later:

Genomic sequencing revolution (Human Genome Project 2003; thousands of species sequenced); horizontal gene transfer and RNA world hypothesis strengthened.
Laboratory synthesis of self-replicating RNA and protocells; complex organics detected on comets (Rosetta) and asteroids (Ryugu samples).
JWST detecting prebiotic molecules in protoplanetary disks.

Introduction to Astronomy July 2026
2026-07-06 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
Classifying Stars & Tracing Stellar Evolution
Arguably, the most important diagram in astronomy, the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram (HRD), shows how plotting the brightness of stars against their surface temperature enables the classification into different stellar types and maps their life cycles.
Learn how astronomers measure the true brightness or luminosity of stars and their surface temperature, followed by how this is used to construct an HRD and interpret the information provided, including what’s going on inside stars at each stage of their lifespan to cause them to expand and change colour.

Monthly Meeting July - Pluto Isn’t a Planet
2026-07-13 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
In 2006, the International Astronomical Union adopted a definition of a planet that demoted Pluto to just one of what is likely hundreds of dwarf planets in our Solar System. Exploring the remote Kuiper Belt, this lecture challenges us to think about what kinds of scientific questions are worth our attention, what it means to name something – and why Pluto is worth caring about anyway.
This lecture was recorded by Chris Lintott on the 3rd of June 2026
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. He can often be found at the helm of Oxford’s science comedy night, ‘Huh, That’s Funny’.

Practical Astronomy July - Equatorial Mounts: Why We Use Them and How They Work
2026-07-20 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
Why does a telescope need an equatorial mount, and what makes it different from simpler fixed or altitude–azimuth designs? This beginner-friendly talk starts with the basic problem of following objects across the night sky, then uses practical examples and simulations to explain tracking, field rotation and the deceptively simple idea behind an equatorial mount.
Curator of Instruments, Steve Hennerley, follows the development of telescope mounts from early transit instruments and seventeenth-century helioscopes through to modern computer-controlled equipment. He then moves into the practicalities of setting up an equatorial mount in the Southern Hemisphere, including finding true south, levelling the mount, polar scopes, drift alignment and electronic polar-alignment tools.
No previous knowledge is assumed, making this an accessible introduction for visual observers and anyone beginning to explore astrophotography.

Film Night July - Harmony of the Worlds
2026-07-27 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, 670 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland, 1345
We continue our revisiting of The Cosmos Series.

Episode 3:
Subject: History of astronomy from astrology to Kepler’s laws; Ptolemy, Copernicus, Brahe, Galileo; scientific method triumph. 45 Years Later:
Kepler Space Telescope (2009–2018) discovered thousands of exoplanets using transit method, validating Kepler’s laws on a galactic scale.
Gaia mission (2013–) mapped precise positions and motions of >1 billion stars, refining galactic structure.
General relativity tests passed with ever-higher precision (e.g., gravitational waves, LIGO 2015).

Introduction to Astronomy August 2026
2026-08-03 20:00 - 21:00 | Stardome Observatory, 670 Manukau Rd, Epsom, Auckland, 1345, New Zealand
Titan: Earth’s Frozen Twin
Guest speaker: Jonathan Park
In many ways, Saturn’s moon Titan looks uncannily familiar: dunes like those in Earth’s deserts, mountains, branching river channels, rain, lakes, and seas. But here, methane takes the place of water, and frozen water stands in for solid rock. Beneath Titan’s thick orange haze lies a world near minus 180 °C, where chemistry, climate, and the possibility of life follow entirely different rules. This presentation explores how we get there, what we find, and what NASA’s Dragonfly mission hopes to discover when it arrives in the 2030s.
