Latest news with #IanGriffin
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Climate
- Otago Daily Times
Contrails at sunset an 'amazing sight'
PHOTO: IAN GRIFFIN The Latam Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flight from Sydney to Santiago passed above Dunedin yesterday. As the setting sun shone upwards through and beyond the condensation trail from the aircraft, it cast a shadow on the clouds above the plane's route. The phenomenon was caught by ODT Skywatch columnist Ian Griffin from his home in Portobello. He said it was an amazing and unusual thing to see. "It was quite an amazing sight, and it looked like a bit of a rocket launch."
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Climate
- Otago Daily Times
Flying into the sunset
PHOTO: IAN GRIFFIN The Latam Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flight from Sydney to Santiago passed above Dunedin yesterday. As the setting sun shone upwards through and beyond the condensation trail from the aircraft, it cast a shadow on the clouds above the plane's route. The phenomenon was caught by ODT Skywatch columnist Ian Griffin from his home in Portobello. He said it was an amazing and unusual thing to see. "It was quite an amazing sight, and it looked like a bit of a rocket launch."
Otago Daily Times
11-07-2025
- Science
- Otago Daily Times
A tale of two planets in the evening glow
Image: Ian Griffin There's something quietly marvellous about stepping outside just after sunset in midwinter. The chores of the day are mostly done, the fire crackling inside, and the sky — well, the sky is just getting started. This week, the evening twilight holds a planetary treat for those with a bit of patience and a clear view to the northwest. Low in the fading glow of the sun, the elusive planet Mercury puts in a rare appearance. If you catch it — just above the horizon as the sky darkens — you're seeing a world just over 105 million kilometres away. Through a telescope, Mercury appears as a delicate crescent, only about 25% illuminated, and is very small. It's in the constellation Cancer, a dim patch of sky that doesn't offer much in the way of bright stars but does cradle the lovely Beehive Cluster — though you'll need binoculars and dark skies to find it. A bit higher in the sky, not far behind the departing sun, Mars lingers in the western sky. It's a rusty speck now, not as bright as it can be during closer approaches, but still worth seeking out. At more than 300 million kilometres away, Mars is far beyond Mercury's neighbourhood, and tonight it lies in Leo. That constellation is ruled by Regulus, a hot blue-white star that marks the heart of the lion. Regulus is a respectable 79 light years away, and if you're feeling poetic, you could imagine it as the lion's beating heart, pulsing softly in the velvet dark. Stand there a moment longer. Let your eyes adjust. Above Leo lies Virgo, and further still, the mighty Arcturus in Bootes glows amber and steady. And if you glance low in the west, you'll just catch Sirius — still hanging on, the dog star defying winter's chill. If you stay out too long, your nose will feel the bite of frost, but your soul might just feel warmer. Midwinter skies ask little of us — just time and perhaps a decent jacket — and in return, they offer the vast, quiet company of planets and stars. Worth it, I'd say.
Otago Daily Times
13-06-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Waiting for Matariki to rise
Photo: Ian Griffin There's a bend in the shared pathway out on Otago Peninsula just before you round the corner to Broad Bay. It's nothing grand — a stretch of smooth asphalt, a bench or two, the kind of place most folks walk or pedal past without much thought. But this week, just before dawn, I'll be standing there, steaming coffee in hand, waiting for Matariki to rise. Matariki — known to astronomers as the Pleiades star cluster — is a little bundle of stars that appears low in the northeast sky just before sunrise at this time of year. For Māori, its heliacal rising — its first appearance above the horizon at dawn — marks the beginning of the new year, a time to remember those who've passed, give thanks for the harvest and set intentions for the months to come. What moves me most is how Matariki reminds us that ancient people didn't just look at the stars — they listened to them. They patiently watched out for patterns that repeated. The return of Matariki meant the shortest days were behind us. It was a celestial calendar, yes — but also a seasonal guide woven into the rhythm of planting, fishing, storytelling and remembrance. This year, we celebrate Matariki on June 20. I'll rise early, walk that quiet track with my binoculars tucked under one arm and find my spot. If the sky is kind, Matariki will gleam just above the Portobello peninsula. On calm mornings, the harbour turns to dark velvet, and the stars — Matariki among them — reflect on its surface so perfectly it's like seeing the sky twice. The stillness becomes part of the show. Then I'll head straight to the museum, where we'll gather for our annual hautapu ceremony — an early morning karakia shared with whānau, colleagues and friends, honouring both tradition and community. People sometimes ask why I bother getting up so early, especially in June. But watching Matariki rise isn't just an act of stargazing. It's an act of gratitude. A moment of connection — with the past, with this land and with skies that have spoken to people for centuries. And besides, on a still Dunedin morning, with the stars above and below, there's no place I'd rather be.
RNZ News
02-06-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Dazzling aurora scenes delight as strong displays seen from many places
Photographers braved the cold on Sunday night to capture colourful aurora images, with a bright active display visible even from some places in the North Island. Photo: Supplied/ Grant Birley If you missed out on the aurora light show that lit up southern lights on Sunday night, you might have another chance, as night falls on King's Birthday Monday. Aurora Australis, the colourful natural phenomenon also called the southern lights, put on a strong display visible in the night sky across many parts of New Zealand on Sunday night, prompting photographers to set up their tripods during the largely cloudless but cold night, to capture the lights. Astronomer and Otago Museum director, Dr Ian Griffin, told RNZ the spectacular display was unusual as it was seen further north than usual. "Last night's clear skies across the country gave everybody a really good chance to see what I think is one of the greatest shows on earth." "Normally, displays like this you can see most easily from southern New Zealand, but my understanding is a lot of people in the North Island last night got a good show, too," Griffin said. Aurora is the result of material being ejected from the sun toward Earth entering our atmosphere, where it reacts with particles at the Earth's geomagnetic poles. This creates the eerie glowing lights that can be seen in the sky. Aurora fans are hopeful the show might still be visible after dark on King's Birthday Monday, too. Griffin said this latest burst of aurora appeared after a strong explosion on the sun: "It was quite a strong explosion that threw a whole bunch of material towards the earth." "Fingers crossed it might persist until darkness tonight [Monday], and we might get another evening as well." Aurora are best seen using cameras lenses that are more sensitive than our eyes, but sometimes - like last night - are strong enough to be seen with the naked eye too. Griffin advised those hoping to get a glimpse of the lights to go to a dark spot, away from manmade lights and towns, with a good view of the stars. He said New Zealanders were seeing more auroras than normal at the moment. "We're quite a long way from the really active area of the aurora," Griffin said. "And it's only at times near solar maximum that we get these displays like we had last night, when they were overhead." Grant Birley took these photos of the aurora, from Lake Ellesmere, on Sunday night. Photo: Supplied/ Grant Birley And the prospects for King's Birthday Monday were looking hopeful. Forecasters at the US government's Space Weather Prediction Centre [ said that between 3pm and 6pm NZT on Monday global magnetic conditions - referred to as Kp - could reach as high was nearly 8Kp, and could remain above 6Kp until midnight NZT (midday UTC). At levels of 6Kp and above, aurora move much further across the globe than just the North and South Poles where they are more usually confined to, and can "become quite bright and active", the agency said . At 8Kp, that intensifies and even more bright, and more places may be able to see them: "These are the events that create the best aurora and the extended auroral oval will be observable by the most people," they said. Conditions are promising for auroras for the next six to 12 months, Dr Griffin said, because the sun's magnetic activity is in the most active phase of its 11-year cycle. A group with a bonfire are captured at Wainuiomata coast, on Sunday night, in front of the aurora. Photo: Supplied/ Dan Bailey Winter offers advantages for aurora spotters because the night is dark for longer. But New Zealand has a good geographic position when it comes to aurora spotting, and it gives us good opportunities through the rest of the year too, Griffin said. "One of the coolest thing about New Zealand is it's pretty much the only place in the world where you can watch an aurora in the middle of summer, wearing shorts and jandals." Australia & New Zealand are getting some nice aurora right now, here's the view from Queenstown, NZ! We are currently at G2 storm level (we did hit Hp30=8 earlier). Solar wind speed is currently very high (900+ km/s), but Bt and Bz are not very favourable. We are still in the… On Sunday night some Australian aurora fans also got a glimpse of the lights, which are rarely spotted across the ditch. ABC reported spotters as far north as Tamworth north of Sydney, in New South Wales had seen the lights. Photographers usually use special astrophotography settings on their cameras to capture aurora, but Sunday's display was also visible to the naked eye, and would have looked closer to this. Photo: Supplied/ Dan Bailey Cressida Toorenburg told the ABC she had seen the natural light show from East Devonport, in Tasmania, after the clouds cleared away. "We sat for half an hour in the hope that the clouds would move away and then wow," she said. "There was Lady Aurora! It was breathtaking - you could see her with the naked eye, but much bigger and brighter through the screen on my phone." Toorenburg said she has lived in the area for seven years and never seen an aurora as dazzling. "The colours were so beautiful and vibrant," she said. From Lake Ellesmere on Sunday. Photo: Supplied/ Grant Birley - RNZ/ ABC Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
