THE JUNE NIGHT SKY 
June is the month with the longest nights
and shortest days. So we thought we would provide you with something to
discover about the night sky, so you can enjoy those long June nights.
Carters
observatory – National observatory of New Zealand
Have a look into space,
learn about our solar system and even get NCEA accredited!
Schaumıs Outlines of
Astronomy by Stacy Palen (book
available from Wairarapa Library Service)
Master the fundamentals of
astronomy with this study guide. Learn basic astronomical
problem-solving techniques with the help of more than 200 detailed problems and
step-by-step solutions, supplemented with over 100 detailed charts and graphs.
Stardome
observatory - Auckland
View a map of the sky above
your place tonight, adopt a star and find out what satellites will pass over
head tonight.
Number 98 in the AA 101
Must-Doıs for Kiwis list and right here in our own backyard!
Taatai
Arorangi (Maori astronomy)
Learn about Maori astronomy,
the lunar months and Maori star names.
Celebrating
Matariki by Libby Hakaraia (book available from Wairarapa Library Service)
Explains what Matariki is; how, where and when the constellation can be seen; and explains the importance of Matariki in Maori life and culture. Includes CD and activities.
Do you really enjoy
astronomy? How would you like to go to Astrocamp in NZ. Find more
information and registration details here.
Night science for kids : Exploring the world after dark by Tracy Krautwurst
(book available from Wairarapa Library Service)
From stargazing to spider
watching discover the joys of being a night science explorer.
Build the Solar System from
planets to space probes.
You can even try out the
Constellations Quiz, the interactive space map and Space Doctor.
Day and night by Maria Gordon (book available from Wairarapa Library
Service)
This ³Simple Scienceı book
is great for children wanting to learn about why we have days and nights, why
days vary in length in different places at different times of the year.
World Book
Encyclopedia @ NASA
World Book Encyclopedia and
NASA are working together to provide World Book information about astronomy
online. Read about anything: Neil Armstrong, the Titan, the international
space station or any of the planets.
The Milky Way is a vast
white streak across the vault of the sky. Explore further by
reading more about the southern hemisphere skies and check out the pictures in
the image & media gallery.
Royal
Astronomical Society of New Zealand
Find out about the newest
discovered planets.
Astronomy for the
Southern Hemisphere : a practical
guide to the night sky by Lionel Warner (book available from Wairarapa Library
Service)
Night skies above New
Zealand by Vicki Hyde (book
available from Wairarapa Library Service)
Well illustrated and
informative commentary on our southern skies and astronomical heritage.
Amateurs
help discover exoplanet
Two New Zealand amateurs
assist professional researchers in finding a needle in the astronomical
haystack.
Ultimate
prize : the competition to find a planet like ours is hotting up.
Researchers
find planet similar to our own
Astronomers detect the first
Earth-like planet outside the solar system.
The North-South martian divide
The differences between the
northern and southern hemispheres of Mars may stem from asymmetry in the
planets atmospheric circulation.
The Universe by Peter Cattermole and Stuart Clark (book available
from Wairarapa Library Service)
Well-researched, up-to-date
and brilliantly illustrated - this book provides concise information on stars,
atoms and planets. The authors aim is to provide as much research as
possible while making the complex theories and studies understandable as well.
On November 8-9th
2006 we were fortunate enough to witness the transit of Mercury. Here you
can read all about the transit.
Bunched in one spot is a
collection of visual gems for telescopes of all sizes. Puppis (Latin for poop deck) is a southern constellation.
The
first new world: when William Herschel discovered Uranus in 1781--the first planet found
since antiquity--he opened a frontier astronomers are still exploring. Modern stargazers take it for granted that Uranus is
the seventh planet from the Sun. But the people of ancient cultures weren't so
enlightened. For them, the solar system contained five planets besides Earth: Mercury,
Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, which anyone can easily see.
Collins encyclopedia of
the Universe edited by Ian Ridpath
(book available from Wairarapa Library Service)
The book is divided into
eight main chapters: Explore the Universe; History of Astronomy; Laws of Time
and Space; Quantum Mechanics; The Past, Present and Future of the Universe;
What's in the Universe and Watching the Sky; Space Exploration; and a Reference
Section. Is very informative for the novice and conveys the wonders of
astronomy while keeping to scientific facts.
Venus
and Jupiter rule the evenings.
Explains
the movements of the planets throughout June.
Ever spotted the Aurora Australis, the beautiful dancing
southern lights? in myth
What are the Aurora
Australis and how are they formed?
When the Morepork calls : The night world of Ruru, New Zealandıs native owl
by Andrew Crowe (book available from Wairarapa Library Service)
From the Wild Stories
seriesı comes another beautifully illustrated childrenıs book about the life of
our native owl. It also explores the bush at night and the nocturnal creatures
found there.
Galileo: The genius who faced the inquisition by Philip
Steele (book available from Wairarapa Library Service)
A National Geographic World
History Bibliography about the man who was the first to effectively use the
refracting telescope to learn new facts about astronomy. He did not
invent the refracting telescope but did improve it.