Stargazing SA

✨Twilight Spectacle: Stargazers are in for a treat this week when Venus, Jupiter, Mercury and the Moon align into a stunning celestial display in the early evening sky.

No special equipment is required.

Simply look to the northwest around 6pm on 16, 17 and 18 June 2026 to view the spectacle. The thin crescent Moon will join the planets on Wednesday 17 June and then extend the alignment on Thursday 18 June.

Not to be missed!

Good luck and clear skies (one hopes)!

Thursday 11 June 2026: Extensive cloud cover over South Australia means that views of the ongoing and stunning Venus-Jupiter conjunction are unlikely this evening.

However, if the skies are clear where you are, then simply look to the northwest around 6pm to see the two brightest planets -- like a pair of celestial eyes -- shining brightly in the evening sky.

Also, look out for the elusive planet Mercury as it edges closer to the brighter pair over the next week, after which the crescent Moon will also join the parade.

Good luck!

Six Prizes. One Mission. Save the Night.

Our massive Winter Solstice Skycare Raffle is officially LIVE! After raising over $2400 in our first-ever raffle, we are back with an even bigger multi-prize pool valued at over $1,934! Every single ticket sold directly funds our ongoing Skycare conservation projects, keeping our 3,200 square kilometre Dark Sky Reserve healthy, and pristine.

Can’t make it to the event in person? No problem! You do not need to attend on the night to win—we welcome support from dark sky lovers anywhere across Australia!

🌑 1st Prize: DWARF LAB mini Smart Telescope Kit, Tripod & Case from DWARFLAB. (Valued at $895)
🌑 2nd Prize: A 1-night stay at the Swan Reach Hotel—your Gateway to the Galaxy. (Valued at $300)
🌑 3rd Prize: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 Binoculars + Astro Night Red Light Headlamp from Adelaide Optical. (Valued at $299)
🌑 4th Prize: River Murray Dark Sky Tours Double Pass (Self-Drive Astronomy Session) by Juggle House Experiences. (Valued at $260)
🌑 5th Prize: Discovery Double Pass for a Swan Reach Observatory tour. (Valued at $160)
🌑 6th Prize: A local Swan Reach Dark Sky Takeaway burger and coffee voucher. (Valued at $20)
________________________________________

Key Details & Logistics
🌑 Winners Announced: Live at our public event on Saturday, 20 June at 8:30 PM.
🌑 Logistics: If you win from outside the region, we will work with you to arrange local collection or delivery right to your door.
🖤 Support the Reserve 🖤

1 Ticket: $3
4 Tickets: $10
10 Tickets: $20 (Best Value!)

Enter here: https://events.humanitix.com/ground-to-the-stars.../tickets

We’re guessing Colonel Light did not get the memo.

Wednesday 10 June 2026: Hopeful of fewer clouds this evening to catch another stunning view of the Venus-Jupiter conjunction.

Simply look to the northwest around 6pm to see the two brightest planets -- like a pair of celestial eyes -- shining brightly in the evening sky.

From South Australia Venus and Jupiter will once again appear spectacular, outshining all other celestial objects in our evening sky.

Also, look out for the elusive planet Mercury as it edges closer to the brighter pair over the next week, after which the crescent Moon will also join the parade.

Good luck!

Tuesday 9 June 2026: Catch a glimpse of the stunning Venus-Jupiter conjunction tonight if conditions allow. Simply look to the northwest around 6pm to see the two brightest planets shining brightly together in the evening sky.

From South Australia, Venus and Jupiter will be marginally closer tonight than on Wednesday evening, but equally spectacular outshining all other celestial objects in our evening sky.

Also, look out for the elusive planet Mercury as it edges closer to the brighter pair over the next week, after which the crescent Moon will join the parade.

Good luck!

The southern Milky Way is home to many bright star clusters easily found and observed using binoculars. Simply step outside on a clear night and, using binoculars, start scanning the sky around the Southern Cross (currently high up in the south) and Scorpius, the large constellation currently in the east.

Use the free Southern Hemisphere edition of Evening Sky Map (PDF) to help find your way around the night sky. Download the June map at: skymaps.com/tesm/

For example, look below the tail or stinger of Scorpius to find two bright star clusters -- M6 and M7.

The arrangement of stars in M6 resemble the outline of butterfly with open wings giving rise to its name as the Butterfly Cluster. This star cluster lies about 1,600 light years distant and is estimated to have formed 50 to 100 million years ago.

M7 is known as Ptolemy's Cluster because it was first recorded by the Greek-Roman astronomer in 130 AD. It lies about 1,000 light years away with about 80 stars visible in a telescope. It has an estimated age of 220 million years.

This image shows Ptolemy's Cluster (M7) with countless fainter Milky Way stars in the background. The image (21x30 sec) was taken last night with an 80mm refractor telescope from a light-polluted backyard in Adelaide (Prospect, South Australia). Dark sky sites like the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve well away from light pollution enable much higher quality images to be captured and are truly awe-inspiring to experience.

The imaging rig is detailed here: skymaps.com/ir1/

More beautiful images of the Venus-Jupiter conjunction from South Australia. As always it was great to spend the day with PK Imaging sharing views of the Universe with the public. Today we brought the Sun to Plant 4 Bowden.

Solar Astronomy — free public viewing on now at Plant 4 Bowden.

Another beautiful celestial pairing this evening: Venus & Jupiter, Sunday 7 June 2026 -- , .