Southland Astronomical Society facts for kids
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| Formation | January 1, 1961 |
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| Type | NGO |
| Location |
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Region served
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Invercargill, New Zealand |
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Membership
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~35 |
| Affiliations | Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand |
| Website | Southland Astronomical Society |
The Southland Astronomical Society is a special group of people in Invercargill, New Zealand. It's the southernmost astronomy club in the whole world! This group loves to explore the night sky, learn about stars and planets, and share their knowledge with others.
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Exploring the Stars with the Southland Astronomical Society
The Southland Astronomical Society is based in Invercargill. This city is at the very bottom of New Zealand's South Island. The society has about 35 members who are amateur astronomers. This means they are people who love studying the stars and space as a hobby.
What the Society Does
The society's members do many exciting things related to space.
- They teach groups and school children about astronomy. This helps young people learn about the universe.
- They enjoy deep sky observing. This is when they use telescopes to look at faraway objects like galaxies and nebulae.
- They practice astrophotography. This is the art of taking amazing pictures of the night sky. They photograph stars, planets, and even the Moon.
- They watch for auroras. These are beautiful natural light displays in the sky. Auroras are also known as the Southern Lights (Aurora Australis) in New Zealand.
The Society's Observatory
The society has its own special place for looking at the stars. It's called the Southland Astronomical Society Observatory. This observatory is located at the Southland Museum and Art Gallery.
- The observatory has a powerful telescope. It is a 30 cm (12 inch) Cassegrain telescope. This type of telescope uses mirrors to gather light from space.
- During the winter months (April to September), the society holds public viewing nights. This means anyone can come and look through the telescope. It's a great chance to see planets, the Moon, and other celestial objects up close.
Meetings and Resources
The Southland Astronomical Society meets once a month.
- During these meetings, members talk about general astronomy topics.
- They also listen to presentations about interesting space discoveries.
- The society has a small library. It is filled with books and magazines about astronomy. Some are new, and some are very old.
- Members also get a monthly newsletter. This keeps them updated on society news and upcoming events.
