River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve

01/10/2026

🌖 ASTRONOMICAL SPRING & THE MIDNIGHT MOON! 🖤

Happy October, skywatchers!

Following the recent spring equinox, our daylight hours are stretching longer and longer, setting up some beautiful weekend weather. We have some great news for anyone planning a trip out to the reserve this weekend: the weather forecast is set to be completely clear, and the moon will not even rise until well after midnight! This means our skies will be perfectly ink-black and free from lunar light for the first half of the night.

Please note: Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday at 2:00 AM. All data listed below operates on standard Saturday night timing before the clocks shift forward an hour.

Your weekend Astronomical Outlook for the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve (RMIDSR), spotlighting the granite-country gateway township of Palmer.

PALMER | 3 October 2026
Sunrise: 05:47 | Sunset: 18:17
Moonrise: 12:43 | Moonset: 10:12 AM (Sun AM)
Astronomical Twilight Ends: 19:43
Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous 🌖 (~58% illumination)
Palmer, SA | 34.85° S, 139.16° E

📷 [WEEKEND SNAPSHOT] 🖤

🪐 [Planetary Highlights]: Look West immediately after sunset! Venus continues to steal the show as the brilliant Evening Star, blazing bright in the twilight sky until it sets at 8:52 PM. Over in the East, Saturn is also perfectly positioned, offering pristine visibility for telescope tracking all night long.

[The Midnight Void (7:43 PM – 12:43 AM)]: Total darkness! Because the moon does not climb over the eastern horizon until 12:43 AM early Sunday morning, the moment evening astronomical twilight wraps up at 7:43 PM, the RMIDSR plunges into darkness. This five-hour dark window is a dream for photographers and star-spotters looking to view the cosmos with zero moon interference.

🖤

📷 Simon Deluca-Cardillo | RMIDSR

30/09/2026

The Art of Deep Sleep — Understanding Dormancy

If Senescence is the "shut down," Dormancy is the essential sleep that follows.

To conclude our series of ALAN on Flora, we are looking at the final survival state: Dormancy. This is not "death" or "failure"; it is a sophisticated biological strategy that allows our Mid Murray natives to survive the most brutal parts of the year by slowing their metabolism to almost zero.

🌑 The Signal: Native species like the Mallee Box and Silver Daisy-bush rely on the natural, consistent darkness of the RMIDSR to signal that it is time to stop active growth and enter "energy conservation mode."

🌑 The ALAN Impact: For our followers in the city (Bortle 6+), Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) creates a "Perpetual Spring." Because the tree never "sees" the darkness, it never receives the signal to sleep.

🌑 The Result: This leads to Tree Exhaustion. A tree that is forced to stay active 24/7 drains its internal "battery," leaving it with no reserves to fight off pests, drought, or the sudden extremes of the South Australian climate.
To care for the Land, we must allow our flora the luxury of a dark Sky.

28/09/2026

TUNE IN TOMORROW MORNING! 📻🎙️

Fresh off the of our four Landcare SA Award finalist spots, our very own Chris Tugwell will be live on the air tomorrow morning!

He will be chatting with Matt Stephens on ABC Riverland about our tiny team's incredible award sweep, the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve, and the amazing conservation work happening right here in our community.

🗓️ When: Tomorrow morning (Tuesday, 29 September)
⏰ Time: Just before the 8:00 am news (approx. 7:45 am)
📻 Station: ABC Riverland (1062 AM)
📱 Listen Online: via the ABC Listen App or abc.net.au/riverland

Don't miss it! Drop a comment below to wish Chris luck! 👇✨



📷 Matt Clarke | RMIDSR

28/09/2026

OUR finalists. One tiny, powerhouse team. We have some monumental news! 🏆✨

We are incredibly proud to announce that our Mid Murray region has achieved a historic milestone, securing four finalist spots in the 2026 South Australian Landcare Awards!

Our community has worked tirelessly to protect our local landscapes, native habitats, and our world-class night skies. This recognition means the world to us:

🌌 The Dark Sky Committee – Finalist, Landcare Innovation Award (Recognised for redefining Landcare to include the protection of our night skies!)

👤 Chris Tugwell – Finalist, Individual Landcare Award (Celebrating 10 years of incredible vision and dedication as Co-Founder of the Reserve)

👩‍🌾 Aimee Linke – Finalist, Women in Landcare Award (Honoured for her outstanding work driving local conservation, regenerative agriculture, and community programmes)

🏫 Cambrai Primary School – Finalist, Junior Landcare Award (Celebrating the incredible environmental education and youth leadership at Meldanda!)

But wait, there’s more! 🌟 Not only are we finalists, but Aimee and the children of Cambrai Primary School have been invited to officially present on the main conference stage, sharing our local pygmy possum and Meldanda stories with the entire state!

🗓️ The state winners will be announced at the Bridges Event Centre in Murray Bridge on Friday evening, 16 October. The gala event features special guest presenter Peter Garrett AM and MC Sophie Thomson (Gardening Australia)!

Tickets to the dinner are open to the community. Check the link in our comments to book a seat and cheer us on! 🎟️

A massive thank you to our hardworking committee, the wonderful families at Cambrai Primary School, and the Mid Murray Council for standing behind us. Wish us luck! 🤞💫



📷 Matt Clarke | RMIDSR

24/09/2026

🌕 THE ASTRO SPRING FULL MOON! 🖤

Happy Astronomical Spring, skywatchers!

Prepare for a spectacular, fully illuminated night across the river cliffs! This Saturday night features a stunning Full Moon, completely dominating our clear skies and casting a brilliant natural spotlight. It is the absolute perfect weekend to wrap up warmly with the family, head down to the river banks, and watch the massive cliffs glow gold under the lunar rise.

Your weekend Astronomical Outlook for the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve (RMIDSR), featuring the pristine conservation township of Younghusband.

YOUNGHUSBAND | 26 September 2026

Sunrise: 05:57 | Sunset: 18:11
Moonrise: 17:49 | Moonset: 05:24 (Sun AM)
Astronomical Twilight Ends: 19:36
Moon Phase: Full Moon 🌕 (~99.9% illumination)
Younghusband, SA | 34.82° S, 139.31° E

🌙 [WEEKEND SNAPSHOT] 🖤

🪐 [Planetary Highlights]: Look West immediately after sunset! Venus is putting on an absolute show as the brilliant Evening Star, blazing bright in the western twilight until it sets at 10:07 PM. Over in the East, Saturn is beautifully placed for telescope tracking, climbing into the evening sky right alongside the brilliant full moon.

[The Golden Cliff Glow (6:11 PM Onwards)]: Celebrate the moonrise! Because this massive Full Moon climbs over the horizon early at 5:49 PM—just before sunset—it will already be commanding the eastern sky as evening twilight wraps up at 7:36 PM. This creates a beautifully balanced natural spotlight for nightscape photographers to capture crisp, low-ISO landscape details along the river cliffs and lagoons all night long.

🖤

📷 David Hartley | RMIDSR

19/09/2026

Tonight, the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve connects with space lovers worldwide for NASA’s International Observe the Moon Night! 🌕 🖤

Congratulations to our local team at the Swan Reach Observatory—tonight's session is completely SOLD OUT! 🔭

👇 SHOW SRO SOME LOVE 👇Click through to the original post below, drop them a follow, and comment MOON to join the global celebration tonight! 🇦🇺🌌

IT’S OFFICIAL: We have CLEAR SKIES for tonight’s SOLD OUT International Observe the Moon Night session at the Swan Reach Observatory!

Our guests will be joining people around the world in taking a closer look at Earth’s nearest neighbour from the heart of the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve.

With the first-quarter Moon high above Swan Reach, our astronomy team will turn the PlaneWave CDK700 towards the lunar surface to explore illuminated mountain ranges and deep impact craters. 🔭

And a Moon night doesn’t mean we stop there. Although moonlight can make some faint deep-sky targets harder to see, the right conditions can still reveal nebulae, ancient star clusters and a distant galaxy far, far away. Later in the evening, we’ll continue out into the solar system to view Saturn and its rings.

We’re proud to be part of NASA’s International Observe the Moon Night and to share the wonder of space science with our River Murray community and visitors from further afield.

👇 JOIN IN FROM YOUR OWN BACKYARD 👇

Comment MOON below and tell us where in the world you’re looking up from tonight. Then share this post with someone who’ll be watching the Moon too. 🌕

Missed tonight’s sold-out session? Keep an eye out for details of our upcoming October and November Lunar Windows.


NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

17/09/2026

🌓 CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL OBSERVE THE MOON NIGHT! 🖤

This Saturday marks NASA's International Observe the Moon Night, and the sky is putting on a spectacular show! A bright 55% illuminated First Quarter moon will take center stage in the evening sky, offering the perfect opportunity to grab a pair of binoculars or a telescope and explore the crisp craters along the lunar shadow line.

Your weekend stargazing guide for the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve (RMIDSR), spotlighting the beautiful riverside township of Wongulla.

WONGULLA | 19 September 2026
Sunrise: 06:06 | Sunset: 18:05
Moonrise: 10:45 | Moonset: 01:18 (Sun AM)
Astronomical Twilight Ends: 19:29
Moon Phase: First Quarter 🌓 (~55% illumination)
Wongulla, SA | 34.69° S, 139.54° E

📸 [WEEKEND SNAPSHOT]

🪐 [Planetary Highlights]: Look West as twilight sets in! Venus continues its brilliant run as the iconic Evening Star, blazing in the western sky until it sets at 9:56 PM. Over in the East, Saturn is perfectly positioned for prime viewing, rising early at 7:12 PM to join the moon for an incredible planetary display.

[The Moonlit Crater Tour (7:29 PM – 1:18 AM)]: Because the First Quarter moon is high in the sky as astronomical twilight ends at 7:29 PM, it provides ideal cross-lighting to view dramatic lunar mountains and craters. The moon will dominate the first half of the night before setting at 1:18 AM, leaving a late-night ink-black window for deep-space viewing.

🖤

📷 | RMIDSR

17/09/2026

Astronomers have confirmed a world that’s less than a million years old as the youngest known planet, using data from NASA-funded archives.

Called Elias 2-24 b, the baby planet is still whirling in its natal disk of dust and gas.

Astronomers have confirmed a world that’s less than a million years old as the youngest known planet, using data from NASA-funded archives. Called Elias 2-24

16/09/2026

What are phytochromes and why do they matter?

If Photoperiodism is the clock, Phytochromes are the sensors.

Continuing our theme of ALAN on Flora, today we look at the "eyes" of our native plants. Phytochromes are light-sensitive proteins within plant leaves that act like a biological switch, telling the plant whether it is in the light, the shade, or—most importantly—the dark.

🌑 The Red-Light Switch: Phytochromes are specifically tuned to red and far-red light (the colours of sunset). When the sun goes down, these proteins change shape, signaling the plant to begin its "night shift" functions like repair and growth.

🌑 The ALAN Interference: Most streetlights and security lights emit wavelengths that mimic the sun. This keeps the Phytochromes in "day mode." Even a small amount of light at the wrong time prevents the "switch" from flipping, meaning the plant never truly knows it’s night. Modern LED streetlights are high in blue light, which is even more disruptive to these sensors than older, warmer lights.

🌑 Why it Matters: For Mid Murray icons like the Silver Daisy-bush, this means the plant may fail to "see" the changing seasons. It’s like trying to sleep with the bedroom light on—you might doze off, but your body never gets the deep, restorative rest it needs to stay healthy. By keeping our skies dark, we allow the Mallee’s "eyes" to see the natural rhythm of the stars.

15/09/2026

🚀 EVERY MISSION NEEDS A CREW 🌌

Meet the people bringing Skycare Station 01 to life in Sedan.

From left: Ken, David, Helen, Andrew and Richard.

Ken, David and Andrew are our Dark Sky tech gurus, bringing a world of knowledge and experience to the project. Helen and Richard are hosting the first station in the RMIDSR Sky Quality Network. Their property will host an automated station measuring night-sky brightness, powered by solar energy and connected via 4G to the upcoming public Skycare Live dashboard.

The mission is bigger than one station: to build a reliable picture of night-sky conditions across the 3,200 km² River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve and lay the foundations for a wider community-led monitoring network.

Behind the scenes, Kate is bringing the people, planning and project pieces together, while Skye is supporting the cloud computing and software systems that will help turn station data into accessible public information.

🌌 Landholders opening their property to science
☀️ Solar-powered monitoring
📡 Data sent via 4G
🤝 Community collaboration

This is Skycare in action: people working together to understand and protect the dark.

📝 OWN LAND WITHIN THE RESERVE?

Register your land for consideration as a future Skycare host site:
https://events.humanitix.com/rmidsr-project-night-watch

Follow Project Nightwatch as Station 01 comes online.