Know what to look out for in the night sky! These short articles by MPAS appear every month in the Mornington Peninsula Magazine.
- January: Let’s go hunting among the stars in OrionThis month the constellation Orion is ideally placed high in the sky. While exploring it you will see the Orion Nebula, M42, a bright deep-sky object lying north of the […]
- December: Clouds and meteors provide a visual feastThe Magellanic Clouds can be seen sitting in the southern part of the night sky this month. The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) sits in Tucana, while the Large Magellanic Cloud […]
- November: Get your head in the cloudsThere is a lot to see in the southern skies this month with just the naked eye. Start off by looking for the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) west of the […]
- October: Opposition attracts celestial observersMars oppositions occur every two years and two months – or, to be precise, every 779.94 days – and this year Mars opposition falls on October 14. A planet is […]
- The Eagle has landed in our September skiesThis month, be sure to enjoy the sights of Scorpius, Sagittarius, and Scutum before they disappear below the horizon. The most spectacular objects to look out for in these constellations […]
- Stargazers spoilt for choice in AugustIn the August skies, you can take your pick from a superb selection of binocular and telescope targets. You will find Sagittarius, the Archer, lying almost overhead, providing a feast […]
- Opposites attract the eye in July’s night skyThis month we will see our two gas giants at opposition: Jupiter on July 14 and Saturn on July 21. Opposition is when the sun is on the opposite side […]
- Comet just one of June’s heavenly highlightsThe first event this month is a penumbral lunar eclipse on June 6 in the early morning near dawn. During this eclipse, the moon becomes immersed in the penumbral cone […]
- May: Omega Centauri a sight for your eyesSitting high in the southern sky during May is the prominent constellation Crux, the Southern Cross. If you have a small telescope, be sure to point it at Crux’s brightest […]
- Dark nebula an April highlightApril is the perfect time of the year for observing the dark nebula known as the Coalsack. You will find it nestled within the rich, bright star fields of the […]
- A cluster of delights in the March skyObserving the night sky from southern latitudes this month you can see plenty with a good pair of binoculars, including the open cluster known as the Southern Pleiades (IC 2602). […]
- February: Rich star fields provide a visual feastObserving the southern skies this month you will find two stellar beacons shining away high in the sky. These are the two brightest stars in the night sky — Sirius […]