by admin | Aug 17, 2024 | astronomy, News, night sky, space, Space News, stargazing, stars, supermoon, The Conversation
A supermoon may sound exciting, but it’s a modest coincidence. As the Moon orbits Earth, its distance from us varies from 357,000 to 407,000 kilometres. When the Moon and the Sun are in almost opposite directions from Earth, we get a full moon. A “supermoon” is a full... by admin | Aug 3, 2024 | News, Nova, space, Space News, star, stargazing, The Conversation
The stars aren’t fixed and unchanging, unlike what many ancient people thought. Once in a while, a star appears where there wasn’t one before, and then it fades away in a matter of days or weeks. The earliest record of such a “guest star,” named so by ancient Chinese... by admin | Dec 30, 2023 | News, space, Space News, stargazing, The Conversation
There are few things more peaceful and relaxing than a night under the stars. Through the holidays, many people head away from the bright city lights to go camping. They revel in the dark skies, spangled with myriad stars. As a child, I loved such trips, and they... by admin | Apr 26, 2023 | astronomy, guide, News, South Africa, stargazing, Stuff Guides, winter
South Africa and stargazing have a particularly long history but there’s a time and a place for everything. That time is winter, as well as a chunk of autumn and spring. This is when atmospheric conditions tend to be most favourable in this country. If you’ve ever...