Norfolk Island Magical Dark Skies - Pre-Dawn Planet Line-up June 2022

If you have been up early this week, you may have noticed at pre-dawn, planetary alignment along the ecliptic line. During June there have been five planets all visible, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are visible at the same time in the sky. The best time to see the five planets aligned is bright and early about 6am, just before sunrise.

Last weekend, I enjoyed spending hours under the Norfolk Island Magical Dark Skies. I drove to Kingston to enjoy a stunning night under the stars with no cloud, no wind and as the moon had not risen, there was no moon shine. Just before dawn the moon appeared, then Venus and Mercury followed in the bright glow of the pre-dawn sunrise. The horizon was very pink, and this is linked to the January 2022 Tonga eruption which has left dust particles in the upper stratosphere. Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were higher in the sky, and I attempted to photograph the planets together, but I found it difficult to get them all in one image.

If you wish to view the planets, the main difference will be the position of the Moon. Of the five classical planets, the Moon appears to move the quickest in relation to the stars. If you hold your arm up straight the five planets should fall along that line. Hopefully we have some clear skies to follow the movement

or dance of the planets over the next few weeks. You will not need a telescope to view the planets, they should be visible by naked eye, but binoculars can improve the view. What looks like a near-perfect alignment to us on Earth is an illusion caused by perspective. Seen from space, the celestial bodies do not form a straight line.

If you would like to read more about the stars and planets, check out this website with details relating to Norfolk Island.

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/norfolk-island/kingston

Many people in the world do not ever see the milky way or the dark sky filled with stars. They live in cities and areas with high light pollution, which is a growing problem around the world. Other concerns caused by light pollution are the disruptions to the natural environment, the waste of energy and has the potential to cause health problems.

Light pollution has harmful effects on other creatures such as migrating birds, sea turtle and insects. Norfolk Island is the home of many migrating birds, such as the Ghost Bird, that are affected by bright lights. The natural darkness is also very important for nocturnal animals. The introduction of artificial light at night could very well be the most devastating change humans have made to their environment.

Norfolk Island has beautiful starry skies, our dark nights is one of the best in the world. It was suggested a couple of years ago, that Norfolk Island should become an International Dark Sky Island Community and protecting the dark nights for future generations. I hope that any new policies for the Norfolk Island community are taking this into consideration as future infrastructure is planned. A lighting policy is required to be endorsed so Norfolk Island can apply to be an International Dark Sky Island. Lighting regulations needs support from policy makers and the Norfolk Island community. Norfolk Island Magical Dark Skies need to be protected for the environment and future generations

https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/stargazing-what-to-see-in-the-night-sky-this-year/

This is another great webpage to read about the night sky and monthly events. This year there are two supermoons. On 14th June was the Strawberry moon, the moon was so close to the earth and appeared big in the sky and had a pink glow. The full moon on 14th July 2022 is also a super moon, another great photograph opportunity. The term, a supermoon, or perigee Moon, refers to a full Moon that occurs around the closest point in its orbit to Earth.

Here are a few Astro photographs I took last weekend. It is interesting learning the camera settings and planning what time to take the images to have the Milky Way positioned in the sky. I enjoyed capturing the St Barnabas Chapel with the Milky Way and it was exciting to photograph the planets lined up.

This week was the New Moon on Wednesday 29th June 2022. If the skies are clear, the Norfolk Island Magical Dark Skies should be stunning. Hopefully I have a chance to get my camera out again and take a few photographs and maybe take our telescope out to enjoy exploring the galaxies.

Enjoy our Norfolk Island Magical Dark Night Skies.

Betty Matthews

July 2022