How Dark is Your Night Sky?
Always make your observation near a New Moon. Next New Moon 3rd October.
2024 24th September – 3th October
Take your measurement from your backyard Report Here
Free: Have a short practice session at the Observatory to learn how you can be a Citizen Scientist using just your eyes or additionally your iPhone with an App.
Help to Chart how Light pollution changes over the years, your input is vital to collect as many readings as possible over a large area.
Every month you can make a contribution to our local Data.
Join in with citizens across Earth to measure the level of Light Pollution.
Southern Constellations
24 September 2024 – 03 October 2024
24 October 2024 – 02 November 2024
22 November 2024 – 01 December 2024
December 22-31, 2024
Easy step Report
Go outside more than an hour after sunset (8-10 pm local time)
Five Easy Star Hunting Steps for new observers
- Use the Globe at Night website to help find your constellation in the night sky.
- Use the Globe at Night website to find the latitude and longitude of the location where you are making your observation.
- Go outside more than an hour after sunset (8-10 pm local time). The Moon should not be up. Let your eyes become used to the dark for 10 minutes before your first observation.
- Match your observation to one of 7 magnitude charts and note the amount of cloud cover.
- Report the date, time, location (latitude/longitude), the chart you chose, and the amount of cloud cover at the time of observation. Make more observations from other locations, if possible. Compare your observation to thousands around the world!:
Jump in now and take a reading from you backyard or while you are going for a walk
Check out the Data for Victoria here
- The Loss of the Night app is a free app. available for Android & iOS.
OR GO STRAIGHT TO THIS APP
- If you have an iPhone that can run iOS 10 or later, take a look at the Dark Sky Meter app, just $1.99 in the App Store.
Check out the Data for the Dark Sky Meter App Map in Victoria
Help to keep the Night Dark by turning off all unnecessary lighting.
then the beauty of the night and the amazing light shows are visible to all.
Image Credit: Alex Chereny, Terrastro.
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The Observatory has been supporting this event since 2015.
Kirralee McLoughlin