Know what to look out for in the night sky! These short articles by MPAS appear every month in the Mornington Peninsula Magazine.
- May: Meteor shower among a cluster of highlights
The beautiful section of the Milky Way around Crux, the Southern Cross – including the dark nebula known as the Coalsack – takes centre stage looking south in May. There […] - April: Magnificent arc shows the Way
As the skies get dark this month you will notice that the constellations scattered along the arc of the Milky Way come into view. Crux, also known as the Southern […] - March: Southeast constellations catch the eye as Orion slips from view
Observing the stars in March, your eyes will undoubtably be drawn to the constellations sitting in the southeast, centered around the Southern Cross (Crux) and Centaurus. Just above Crux, a […] - Sirius and Canopus star during February
The two brightest stars in the sky this month are Sirius and Canopus. And two stunning constellations – Crux the Southern Cross, and Centaurus the Centaur – are also visible. […] - January: Let’s go hunting among the stars in Orion
This 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 feast
The 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 clouds
There 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 observers
Mars 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 skies
This 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 August
In 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 sky
This 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 highlights
The 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 […]