Southern Stars Observers

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Southern Stars Observers

We are an independant group of amateur astronomers, with a passion for science and the Cosmos. Our fo We have many years of experience as science educators.

Our aim is to bring the wonders of the southern skies to you and your students. Based in Whangarei we are available to come to your school, group or school camp anywhere in Northland. Your students will get hands on experience looking through our telescopes, to view the wonders of our southern skies with their own eyes.

19/09/2026

Sun in Ha and CaK of 18.9.with no visible Sunspots with normal exposed and inverted disc

This was a rewarding imaging under windy conditions in between fast moving clouds with a large prominence at SE Limb and a long stretching Filament.There were no visible Sunspots.

However at the CaK disc when zooming in I could find at Western Limb just above equator AR 4528 exiting.
I could not find it in Ha.

I adjusted the position as seen in the Northern Hemisphere and that the prominence looks up.

Ioptron HAE29C,Lunt 100 MT,Ha B1800,CaK B1200,Baader Q Barlow 2.25x,ZWO 174 MM,AS2,PS 2026.

19/08/2026

At my last night of my Iceland Tour I was rewarded with dancing Northern Lights between 2 and 2 :30 am of 18.8. until it got to bright before Sunrise. I was able to see the Auroraband in white with my naked eyes
The images are captured with my Sony a7iii from the window of my Hotelroom at the 15th Floor of the Fosshotel in Reykjavik.
I had antireflective rubber around the lens and could take them supported without Tripod.
This a a great finish of my amazing Iceland Tour with Sirius Travel.

I had the privilege to see the Noctilucent Clouds the first time in my life at 10.8.and 11.8.at twilight around 1:30 am.The Solar Eclipse itself has been clouded in.We could see some of the partial phse before totality at the Western tip of Snellfells Island

10/07/2026

Manawatia a Matariki

Matariki (Pleiades,M45) between Moon and Orion Belt and Sirius at 10.7.2026 at Robinson Road near my home in Whangarei Heads between 5:29 and 6:02 a.m.

At the begin the "long white cloud" was moving through from Orion to the moon until it cleared before 6 a.m.and was a great view on a cold winter dawn.

Sony a7iii, Tamron 17-28 mm, f 2 8,

ISO 3200

The first image (17mm) is with the Moon at 5:29 a.m and second image (28 mm) is moonlit at 6:00 a.m

Raw processed with Sony Edge and PS 2026. The darker Sky image of 10 sec was blended in the brighter image of 30 second.

01/07/2026

Staircase to the Moon above Marsden Pt at 29.6.at 6:21am

Composite of the moon, almost full Strawberry Moon which was then soon setting on the other side of Whangarei Harbour.
The other images are a close of that moon and the Moon at 29.8.2026 at 8:13 pm.

Sony a7iii, Tamron Lense 18-300 mm, Raw processed with Sony Edge,PS 2026

31/05/2026

Near Blue Micro Moon of 30.5.2026 8:41 pm from home
Just in between overcast clouds there were some tiny gaps I could capture a single image of the 99 % Moon with my Sony a7iii and Tamron Lens 18-300 mm, f 5.6; Raw processed in Sony Edge and PS 2026 incl.cropping and Blue coloring.

The Blue Moon of 31.5. is not blue, it is the second Full Moon within a month.

The Micro Moon is the opposite of the Supermoon where the moon is most distant from Earth at Apogee.

11/04/2026

Moonlit Galactic Kiwi and Scorpio defying upcoming storm clouds of cyclone Vaianu from my backyard today 11.4.12:17 am.
The moon was after rise below visibility.
I wish all a safe cyclone weekend
Sony a7iii, Tamron Lens 17-28 mm, 28 mm, f 2.8, 6400 ISO 10 sec., Sony Edge,PS 2026,Topaz De Noise

04/04/2026

Full Moon of 2.4.2026.
In the Northern Hemisphere it is called the Pink Moon when the moss flow or moss pink is blooming in pink colour. It symbolizes growth.
Alternatively it is named the Paschal Moon which determines the date of Easter
So I wish all a Happy and blessed Easter.
Sony a7iii, Tamron 18 - 300 mm, 300 mm,
f 6.3

18/03/2026

Rising Milkyway, the Galactic Emu with Southern Cross
I captured it at 17.3.2026 after a busy working day from my backyard.
Sony a7iii,Tamron Lens 17-28 mm, 24 mm,
F 2.8, 15 sec.,ISO 6400, Sony Edge,PS 2026

04/03/2026

Lunar Eclipse 3.3, 4.3.2026 from Whangarei Heads
I had a great clear night at my home and was able to image the whole sequence starting at 3.3. 10:53 pm NZDT with the partial phase. The total phase was to see at 4.3.from 12:04 am until 01:02 am and the partial phase ended at 2:17 am.
I was able to observe an occultation of a small star imaging it before (6th image) and after the occultation (7 th image).
Ioptron HAE29C, Sony a7iii on a Lunt 100 MT, f 7.1, 200 ISO, Raw image processed with Sone Edge Software and cropping and Noise reduction with PS 2026

01/03/2026

Moon and Jupiter with its moons above Mt.Manaia

From Friday 27.2.2026 11:32 pm until 28.2.2026 12:08 am I was imaging the crescent coloured Mineral Moon and Jupiter close with a line up of Ganymed, Europa,Io and Callisto with my Sony a7iii on my Lunt 100 MT and afterwards the Moon and Jupiter before and the Moon when setting behind Mt.Manaia.
The Jupiter at image with the Lunt 100 MT I have copied into the overexposed image with the Moons.The same I did later with the moon before setting behind Mt.Manaia.
Ioptron HAE29C, Lunt 100 MT f 7.1 with T connection to Sony a7iii; Sony a7iii on Tripod with Tamron 18-300 mm.

Address

Whangarei
0101

Website

http://www.sso.org.nz/

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