Observations

Calendar

2011-08-01 Calendars: Could they be any more complicated?

July 5, 2011

6pm, Monday 1 August
Geoffrey Wyatt, Sydney Observatory’s Senior Astronomy Educator, is sure to inform, amuse and delight you as he takes on a journey through the millenia and the surprising personalities and circumstances that contributed to the calendar we use today.

Image courtesy of NASA/STScI digitised sky survey.

Les Dalrymple observes a stunning cluster of galaxies

July 5, 2011

Geoff Wyatt
Big picture part of an even bigger picture Galaxies, like stars, have a tendency to live in clusters. I came upon this cluster of galaxies —Abell Galaxy Cluster South (AGCS) 805 while observing last weekend in the Southern Highlands.
The globular cluster 47-Tucanae which orbits the Milky Way galaxy. Image by NASA/STSci

Andrew reports from the ASA in Adelaide

July 4, 2011

Geoff Wyatt
Australian Astronomy in 2011 This week in Adelaide, July 4 to 8, the Astronomical Society of Australia, the professional society for Australian astronomers, is holding its annual conference - ASA2011.
Harley Wood, Director of Sydney Observatory, looking through a telescope, 1958

2011-07-04 Harley Wood: celebration of an Australian astronomer

June 29, 2011

6.30pm, Monday 4 July 2011
Toner Stevenson, Manager of Sydney Observatory, will present a pictorial essay celebrating 100 years since the birth of one of Australia’s most influential astronomers, NSW Government Astronomer and long-serving Director of Sydney Observatory, Harley Wood.

The front of the Sydney Observatory Sky Guide

July 2011 night sky guide and podcast

June 29, 2011

To help you learn about the southern night sky, Sydney Observatory provides an audio guide/podcast, transcript of that audio, and a sky map or chart each month. This month's audio sky guide is presented by Dr Nick Lomb, Sydney Observatory's 'astronomer about town' (he was Curator of Astronomy at Sydney Observatory until the end of 2009).
An active prominence that was on the edge of the Sun on the morning of 5 June 2011

Winter solstice 2011 – how can we estimate solstices in future years?

June 21, 2011

Nick Lomb
An active prominence that was on the edge of the Sun on the morning of 5 June 2011 (Australian time). It rose to a height of 130 000 km, which is approximately 10 earths placed side by side. Image and copyright Monty Leventhal OAM ©, all rights reserved The 2011 winter solstice takes place on Wednesday 22 June 2011 at 3:16 am AEST.
Dr Tamara Davis

2011-09-13 The dark side of the Universe

June 20, 2011

6.30pm, Tuesday 13 September 2011
Hear Dr Tamara Davis, an astrophysicist who specialises in interpreting astrophysical observations, talk about our current understanding of the Universe. Part of the Women in Physics Lecture Tour 2011.

Blood Moon and ANZAC Bridge

The Moon Turns Blood Red!

June 16, 2011

Melissa Hulbert
The weather forecast was not good but many people braved the rainy conditions to enjoy breakfast and the possibility of a total lunar eclipse early this morning. All were not disappointed as gaps between the clouds and rain showers provided wonderful views of the eclipsed Moon.
An ejected prominence on the Sun on 21 May 2011

Harry quietly tells about a quiet region filament that ejected from the Sun on 21 May 2011

June 8, 2011

Nick Lomb
An ejected prominence on the Sun on 21 May 2011. Image and copyright Harry Roberts ©, all rights reserved plus the Solar Dynamics Observatory for last panel Most solar filaments end their lives by ejecting into space, and when this happens at the solar limb, H-alpha users see an impressive event - often termed an “eruptive prominence”.