Starry Night Tours Coffs Harbour

02/04/2026

ARTEMIS II: successfully launched this morning (AU time), and with the Trans Lunar Injection (TLI), which moves the ship from a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to a trans lunar one, due in just a few minutes, history is being made. What Apollo started, this series resumes. What an exciting time to be alive.

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01/04/2026

Totally nerding out on Artemis II. Great weather in Florida for this historic day. I saw the Apollo 11 launch, the Columbia (STS-1) launch and now Artemis ushers in the next stage of space exploration. So exciting to witness this day.

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06/03/2026

Winton, Queensland, has today been "certified" a "dark sky town" by the Dark Sky Initiative. See the attached news item. This is less than a week after the ABC published a disturbing article (also shared on this page) on creeping light pollution in our suburbs and its effects. The difference could not be more stark. Lets keep this ball rolling. I have recently joined Dark Sky Initiative mail list and I am looking forward to working directly to make "dark sky" something we are all aware of and work towards.

Queensland, Australia DarkSky International is pleased to announce that the Outback town of Winton has officially been designated Queensland’s first International Dark-Sky Community…

04/03/2026

Food for thought

For most of human history, the night sky has been a shared inheritance, a source of wonder. Now, more than a billion children see barely any stars in the night sky above their homes. So what does that mean for humanity?

04/03/2026

Hi everyone. I've been privileged to operate a stargazing tourism business at a (near total) dark sky site on the Mid North Coast for a year or so now. This article, published by Australia's national broadcaster, the ABC, speaks to the truth and those who have spent time under a dark sky littered with thousands of stars know what I am talking about. It can be a truly amazing experience and one that is not easily forgotten.
Organisations such as the Blue Mountains based "Dark Sky Initiative", now in its third year, seek to reverse the trend of creeping suburban light pollution in our regional areas and the idea is gaining traction.

Anyway, don't take my word for it. Read the article. And book a stargazing tour near you soon and see for yourself what an experience the night sky can really be.

For most of human history, the night sky has been a shared inheritance, a source of wonder. Now, more than a billion children see barely any stars in the night sky above their homes. So what does that mean for humanity?

09/02/2026

Hi All. I was "given" a star (yes, a real star or rather the "naming rights") by Santa for Christmas. Given my line of work this is both thoughtful and appropriate. Last month, I set up my kit and tracked it down. It's a 7th magnitude (a decent set of binoculars and a dark night away from stray light is a minimum), spectral type F (very similar to the sun but slightly different composition) and about 300ly away.
Just in front of Orion's right knee (the end of the Hunters leg is marked the blue giant Rigel), its the upper most of an asterism that I am happy to call The Hockeystick.

The registry, called the Bright Star Registry (**citation needed (I am not at home as I write this but I will confirm and edit this post as appropriate), say that they regularly submit lists of names for inclusion in the "official" list maintained by the IAU. Its fun to think that immortality is only a majority vote away, but as one of thousands, its unlikely.

Thank you, Santa.

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05/02/2026

Hi All. Starry Night Tours Coffs Harbour is very pleased to announce that events for February and March 2026 will be available this weekend. Head over to https://www.starrynighttours.com.au/whats-on and book your night under the stars.

EVENT: Total Lunar Eclipse 3rd March 2026 EVENT: Friday 13th Tour EVENT: Valentines Day Stargazing Whats on in Starry Night Tours Coffs Harbour.

12/11/2025

AURORA AUSTRALIS. A couple of images from north of Coffs Harbour tonight. Both are three second exposures on a smartphone. The bright white patch is the skyglow from the city (which is normal). The large red glow surrounding it is the Aurora.

05/11/2025

Tonight's supermoon.

30/09/2025

Another hazy sunset on the mid north coast. Mercury is hidden by the dark purple to the right of the tree and Mars is high and right in the blue and (hopefully) will be visible when the sky darkens.