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Tag: new zealand
Which Meteor Showers can be seen in New Zealand?
New Zealand, being in the Southern Hemisphere, experiences different night sky views than locations in the Northern Hemisphere. This can affect the visibility of meteor showers.Meteor showers are connected with debris trails left by comets or asteroids, and these dust trails are distributed in space in a specific way. When Earth orbits the Sun, it passes through these trails during certain times of the year. Meteor showers that are more favourable for observation in the Northern Hemisphere may not be as visible or may not even occur in the Southern Hemisphere, and vice versa.Meteors appear to radiate from specific areas in the sky, creating what is known as a radiant point. Shooting stars can be seen all over the night sky, but...
The Southern Cross: World Famous in New Zealand
The Southern Cross is New Zealand's most well known star constellation. Also named Crux, this small constellation was once part of the larger constellation of Centaurus, but is now is the most iconic sight in New Zealand and Australian skies. It is mainly only visible in the Southern Hemisphere. It features on both countries flags and the Maori know it as Te Punga, the anchor of a great sky waka (canoe) or Māhutonga an opening in the Milky Way through which storm winds escape. Crux remains unseen in much of the Northern Hemisphere, including most of the United States as it doesn't ascend above the horizon. However In the U.S. state of Hawaii, you can observe the entire Southern Cross. To catch sight of it...
The Pleiades
The Pleiades, a standout among the constellations, is recognised as the most well known star cluster visible from all corners of the Earth within the constellation of Taurus. The best time to see the Pleiades in the Northern Hemisphere is from October to March, especially during the winter months. In the Southern Hemisphere, they're visible during the same months, but as a summer asterism, they appear lower in the sky. In New Zealand they disappear behind the sun during April and reappear mid June in the morning eastern sky, just before dawn. The reappearance marks the beginning of the Maori New Year. In New Zealand find the Pleiades by looking first for the three stars of Orion's belt. Extend the Belt line to the left (west),...