April is international Global Astronomy Month and astronomical events are planned in Whangarei as part of it.
Last Saturday - with the moon in its first quarter - the Whangarei Astronomical Society held a well-attended Global Star Party. Club members and the public gathered at the observatory in Heritage Park to cook
up a sausage or two on a barbecue, and then when it got dark to check out nebula and star clusters.
Next Sunday the public has another chance to learn more about the sky, this time involving a bit of sun worship at Whangarei Library. The free event from 10am-1pm in the plaza outside the library will be dedicated to Earth's own star, a 4.5-billion-year-old power station, 150 million kilometres away.
Astronomical society members will have solar telescopes out for the public to look through to see sunspots, flares and the rippling surface most people never get to see. But talk of looking at the sun comes with a strict warning, says club president Nigel Smith: "Danger! Never look at the sun through ordinary telescopes. These are special telescopes, so come and have a look with the safety of an expert."
Then, at full moon on April 30, the club will do some "deep sky observing" at the observatory at Heritage Park. "These include galaxies and more distant objects that you can view when you have a new moon, which means dark skies," Mr Smith said.
Just in case there is any more enticement needed to go stargazing on a Saturday night, the club's barbecue will be operating again. For more information, check the web page www.northlandastronomy.org.nz or contact Nigel Smith, 027 437 1815.
