December 2024 | What's up in the Night Sky in Western Australia?

Best Viewing of Jupiter | 8th December

If you've think Jupiter looks really bright lately, that's because it has reached what's known as "opposition". "Opposition" is a word that astronomers use to describe the time when a planet is on the opposite side of Earth to the Sun. It means that the planet is as...

Geminids Meteor Shower | 14th December

Normally the Geminids is one of the best meteor showers for the year. Not in 2024! The full moon coincides with the peak of the meteor shower and won't make it easy to see most of the "shooting stars". If the Moon wasn't in its full phase and you were away from...

Summer Solstice | 21st December

The December Solstice, also known as the summer solstice, marks the longest day of the year in the southern hemisphere and in south-west WA.

Christmas Stargazing | 24th December

On Christmas Eve, the two brightest planets we see in the night sky will be on opposite sides of the evening sky, at about the same height above the horizon. Jupiter will be on the north east horizon and Venus on the western horizon. Take some time out under the stars...

Blue New Moon | 31st December

We all know Blue Moons occur from time to time. It's the popular term to describe the second full moon in a single calendar month. This month, there aren't two full moons, instead there are two new moons! The first new moon is on 1st December and the second one for in...

Andromeda Galaxy | October – December

Andromeda is in our galactic neighbourhood of local galaxies. It’s 2.5 million light years away and the most distant object visible to the human eye.

Orion the Hunter

Orion the Hunter is a famous summer constellation, and it is up in the early evening for you to see now.

Magellanic Clouds | Summer & Autumn

Visiting and staying in country WA gives you an excellent opportunity to see the Magellanic Clouds, normally made invisible by bright city lights. The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (often abbreviated to LMC and SMC) are galaxies near our own Milky Way Galaxy. From...