Observations

On Jan 21st 2011 the Sun will cross from Sagittarius into Capricorn

Astrology is all mixed up

January 17, 2011

Geoff Wyatt
There has been much talk about the dates of the star signs over the last few days so we thought it might be nice to have the correct dates for each zodiac sign on Sydney Observatory’s website. Most of us aren’t aware that each star sign of the zodiac (which means 'path of the animals') is determined by the position of the Sun at midday on the day of our birth.
A sketch of the Grus Quartet galaxies from a suburban location

Harry continues the urban sky challenge – seeing deep sky objects from the suburbs – by finding and sketching “The Grus Quartet”

January 12, 2011

Nick Lomb
A sketch of the Grus Quartet galaxies from a suburban location. Image and copyright Harry Roberts ©, all rights reserved After dusk overhead in spring and towards the south-west in the middle of summer, the Grus star group hosts some remarkable deep sky objects, objects bright enough to be seen with ‘scopes big and small from urban sites.
The front of the Sydney Observatory

Transit of Venus

January 10, 2011

6 June 2012 If you miss this transit of Venus, you'll have to wait more than 100 years for the next one A transit of Venus occurs when Venus is observed from Earth to move across the face of the Sun.
Earth distance 2011

Do you feel we are going too fast and need to slow down a little? You are right, the Earth is at moving at its fastest for the year, but it is about to start slowing down

January 4, 2011

Nick Lomb
The variation in the Earth's distance from the Sun in astronomical units. An astronomical unit is the average distance of the Earth from the Sun and is approximately 150 million km. Diagram Nick Lomb Today the Earth is at perihelion, that is, at its closest to the Sun in its slighly elliptical or oval-shaped path around the Sun.
The front of the Sydney Observatory

Solar eclipses

January 1, 2011

SOLAR ECLIPSES Total eclipse of the Sun 14 November 2012 This will be the first opportunity to see a total eclipse from Australia since the South Australian eclipse of 2002. In 2012 the eclipse will be visible from North Queensland.