The 2019 New Zealand Astronomical Yearbook Launches at Stardome

This year marks the 25th edition of the New Zealand Astronomical Yearbook and it’s filled with stories of exciting new discoveries and events in the world of astronomy and space science. Spectacular space missions have continued to thrill us, as new missions are announced or launched; others get closer to their far away destinations; and others continue to reveal the mysterious wonders of foreign worlds. Stardome delve into just a few of these in this year’s edition and look forward to the exciting discoveries they will continue to reveal over the coming year.

The 2019 New Zealand Astronomical Yearbook includes articles and editorial exploring the following topics: Gaia’s Outrageous Mission – Learn about the mission that’s creating the greatest catalogue of our galaxy to date. The statistics of this mission are mind blowing!

Not that long ago on a Moon far away – The coming year marks the 50th anniversary since humankind first set foot on the Moon. David Britten reflects on this giant leap that changed the course of history forever.

A Centennial Celebration – The International Astronomical Union, founded in Paris in 1919, celebrates its 100th anniversary. Stardome reflect on the pivotal role it has played in spreading astronomy education far and wide over the past century.

Chasing the Lights – Dr Ian Griffin, Otago Museum, tells the story of how he took his passion for chasing aurora to new heights.

The Yearbook also tells the success story of two astro-tourism pioneers at Lake Tekapo, pays a special tribute to the late Graeme Kershaw who contributed so much to the development of Mt John Observatory, and profiles friends, Phil Yock and Bill Allen, who have been two key contributors to New Zealand astronomy and astrophysics - and that’s only naming a few of the topics covered!

This year’s edition introduces a new Memorable Moments section, showcasing some of the incredible images of the cosmos taken by international organisations and spacecraft over the past year. As usual, there are also the popular monthly star charts, a guide on how to use them and an astronomy gallery showcasing the New Zealand astrophotographer’s talent of capturing the beauty of our southern skies.

The 2018 New Zealand Astronomical Yearbook is available nationwide from Thursday 7 November, from all major book retailers, supermarkets, and from the Stardome shop, and for more information on venues for hire Auckland, corporate venue hire Auckland and private function rooms Auckland please go to www.stardome.org.nz .