Know what to look out for in the night sky! These short articles by MPAS appear every month in the Mornington Peninsula Magazine.
- September provides a feast for the eyes
Be sure to enjoy the rich regions of Scorpius and Ophiuchus this month before they sink below the western horizon. Just above them lies an area around the heart of […] - August: Meteors star in Science Week talk
In the August skies you can find Sagittarius, the Archer, lying almost overhead; to its southwest lies Scorpius, the Scorpion. When you look towards these constellations on a clear night, […] - July: Drink in the many sights around the Teapot
In July, if you look towards the constellations Sagittarius and Scorpius on a clear night, then you are looking in the direction of the very heart of our galaxy. Sagittarius, […] - No shortage of star attractions for astronomers in June
June is a wonderful time for night-sky observers in the southern hemisphere. The rich star fields of the Milky Way galaxy stretch right across the sky from the southwest to […] - 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 […]