As we gather around our winter fires here in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the winter solstice, which occurs on June 21 at 6:24 PM AEST (8:24 AM UTC). This day marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, serving as a wonderful...
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Rethinking Our Relationship With the Night
For much of human history, darkness was a natural and familiar part of daily life. The transition from day to night marked a shift in pace, activity, and perception. The night sky was visible, not as a rarity or a spectacle, but as a constant presence. Today, that...
When the Night Sky Holds Culture
In the previous blog, I wrote about the gradual loss of the night sky. Here, I want to explore something more profound. For some cultures, the sky is not simply something you look at. It is something you live within. In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander...
The Sky We Are Quietly Losing
There is a kind of loss that happens so slowly we barely notice it. Not because it is small, but because it is constant. One of those losses is happening above us every night. For most of human history, the night sky was a shared experience. It did not matter where...
Why Our Eyes Struggle at Night, and What Lighting Has to Do With It
We are not naturally equipped to see as well at night as we do during the day. This is a simple biological reality. Human vision at low light levels relies on different parts of the eye than daylight vision. Our sensitivity increases, but our ability to resolve fine...
What to Look for in the Night Sky This June
As the nights settle into the deeper rhythm of winter in the southern hemisphere, June offers something rather special. The air becomes steadier. The skies often clearer. And the long nights give us more time to observe what is above us. For those willing to step...
When More Light Does Not Mean More Safety
As an astronomer, I spend much of my time working in the dark. That might sound unusual, but in my field, darkness is not something to fear. It is what allows us to see. The faintest stars, distant galaxies, and delicate structures of the universe only become visible...
Series: Safety, Light, and the Night Sky – Post 1 of 5
Safety and Darkness. A Conversation Worth Having As someone who studies the night sky, I spend much of my time working in darkness. Not avoiding it, but learning how to see within it. In astronomy, darkness is not an absence. It is a condition. It allows faint detail...
Embracing the Blood Moon: An Astronomical Event Awaits Us
As March 3, 2026, draws near, an extraordinary spectacle will unfold in the skies above Australia—a total lunar eclipse. This event presents a unique opportunity to witness a profound alignment of the Earth, Moon, and Sun, resulting in our lunar companion being...