#milroyobservatory

[donnatheastronomer]

Understanding the March 2025 Equinox: A Cosmic Event

The cosmos is buzzing with activity this March, and one of its most harmonious moments is nearly upon us—the March equinox. This cosmic event occurs at precisely 2:29 pm AEDT (1:29 pm AEST) on Thursday, March 20, 2025. That’s 3:29 am UTC for the stargazers beyond our Aussie borders. Let’s dive into what makes the March equinox a truly awe-inspiring event. What is the March Equinox? The March…

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[donnatheastronomer]

More X class flares from our Sun today

The Sun has once again shown its incredible power by releasing two powerful X-class solar flares in less than two hours yesterday. These flares are the strongest class of solar flares and can have significant impacts on Earth if accompanied by coronal mass ejections (CMEs). New sunspot AR3780 is very large and may pose a threat for strong solar flares. Credit: SDO/HMI The first X1.7-class flare…

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[donnatheastronomer]

Happy Aphelion Day!

Earth reaches Aphelion July 5 at 3:06 pm AEST. Earth reaches aphelion, which is the further point in its orbit around the Sun. At this time the centres of these two bodies are 152,099,968 km apart. Twice a year the Earth reaches and extreme point in its orbit. The closest point is known as Perihelion and occurs about 2 weeks after December Solstice. This one known as Aphelion when the Earth is…

[donnatheastronomer]

What if the 1859 Carrington Event happened today?

Here is my latest blog offering relating the the 1859 Carrington Event.

  Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) used a digital camera to capture several hundred photographs of the aurora australis, or “southern lights,” while passing over the Indian Ocean on September 17, 2011. Solar panels and other sections of the ISS fill some of the upper right side of the photograph. The 1859 Carrington Event was a massive solar storm that hit Earth over 160 years…

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[donnatheastronomer]

How do measure temperatures on other planets?

This was a question. I was recently asked, so I’ve decided to answer it here in the blog. Astronomers gather extensive information about planets by analysing the light they emit, particularly in the infrared (IR) region, which is invisible to the naked eye. By using prisms, scientists can observe how different wavelengths of light are bent; IR light, with wavelengths between 5 and 50 microns, is…

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[donnatheastronomer]

Aurora

This post is in response to the question- why are Aurora usually only seen at higher latitudes for example far north and far south and another question – why are we seeing them in lower latitudes lately. Aurora seen Jan 2 from my place In Coonabarabran. Aurorae, commonly known as the Northern and Southern Lights (Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis), are typically seen at higher latitudes due…

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[donnatheastronomer]

Caroline Herschel - the first female professional astronomer

Caroline Herschel (1750 – 1848) was the first professional female astronomer, whose remarkable contributions to the field of astronomy are often overlooked today. Caroline’s path to becoming an astronomer was challenging. She faced illness as a child, leaving her with scars and stunted growth, and was treated as a servant by her family. Despite obstacles, she escaped to Bath to join her brother…

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[donnatheastronomer]

The Mysterious Dance of Black Holes

Imagine a cosmic vacuum cleaner so powerful that not even light can escape its grasp. This is the essence of a black hole—a region in space where gravity pulls with an intensity that defies our understanding of the universe. Direct radio image of the super massive black hole at the core of Messier 87. Black holes are formed when massive stars exhaust their nuclear fuel and collapse under their…

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