Milroy Observatory with Donna the Astronomer

12/06/2026

What a great experience!
Gary our guide for the night was so good he knew every star in the sky. See stars and stuff invisible to the naked eye! Money well spent. A must see in Coonabarabran. Do yourself a favour and book for an eye-opening night

23/05/2026

Starship Flight 12: A Positive Test with Valuable Lessons!

I'm excited to share that SpaceX’s Starship Flight 12 launched successfully on 22 May 2026 from Starbase in Texas! This mission marked a significant milestone, as it was the first flight of the new Starship V3 stack and the first launch from Pad 2 at Starbase.

The 90-minute launch window opened at 22:30 UTC (8:30 AEST on 23 May), and the mission achieved key objectives, including stage separation, reaching space, and successfully deploying 22 dummy Starlink satellites. While Ship 39 did lose one of its six engines during ascent, it continued the mission and completed a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

What stands out to me is the balance between ambition and discipline in this flight. SpaceX demonstrated that success is not just about a flawless launch; it’s also about collecting valuable data and learning from every experience.

If you were following this mission, what do you think matters more: the successful launch itself or the engineering lessons we can gain from challenges along the way?

22/05/2026

The Rocket Was Ready. The System Said No.

This morning’s Starship launch did not happen, and that is the interesting part.
SpaceX called it off just before liftoff, not because the rocket failed, but because the launch tower did not behave exactly as required. A mechanism responsible for releasing the rocket did not move as expected.

That might sound minor. It is not.

For a rocket the size of Starship, the ground systems are just as important as the vehicle itself. The tower fuels it, holds it in place, and must let go at precisely the right moment. If that sequence is not perfect, the safest outcome is simple.

Stop.

The original launch window opened at 22:30 UTC on 21 May, which for those of us in eastern Australia meant early today. The next attempt is likely in a similar window:
22:30 UTC on 22 May
08:30 AEST on 23 May

But that time is not a promise. It is a window.

A launch window is a short period where everything lines up. The Earth has rotated into position, the weather is acceptable, the airspace is clear, and both the rocket and the ground systems agree they are ready. If any one of those conditions fails, the launch does not go ahead.

What stands out is not the delay, but the decision.

In spaceflight, stopping is part of progress. These systems are designed to refuse risk when something does not look right. That is how they improve.

So if you tuned in and saw nothing happen, you did not miss anything.

You watched a complex system decide not to push its luck.

Would you trust a system that always continued, or one that knew when to stop?

SpaceX called it off just before liftoff, not because the rocket failed, but because the launch tower did not behave exactly as required. The mechanism responsible for releasing the rocket did not move as expected.

22/05/2026

Last night just after 6:30pm, the sky across eastern Australia put on a show.
A bright streak, flashes of green and blue, then a sudden burst of light before it vanished.

If you saw it, you probably had the same thought for a split second: what was that?

It was a meteor, a small piece of space rock burning up as it hit Earth’s atmosphere.
The important detail is that what you saw was not the rock. It was the air. At incredible speeds, the atmosphere compresses and heats around the object until everything glows. That is the streak. That is the colour. That is the flash when it breaks apart.

And the scale feels a bit counterintuitive. The object could have been only the size of a mug or basketball, but moving fast enough to light up the sky across hundreds of kilometres.

What makes events like this feel rare is not the event itself. It is the timing.
It happened early in the evening while people were still outside or driving. Cameras were already running. Dashcams, doorbells, and security systems captured what most of us would otherwise miss.

So while it feels like something unusual, it is actually a reminder of something constant.

Space interacts with Earth all the time.

We just do not usually see it.

And when we do, it lasts a few seconds and disappears without a trace.

Always a good reason to take my advice and ALWAYS look UP!

Accompanying picture from last year as I don't have on eof my own so pelase share yours below!

19/05/2026

Hot take: the universe is getting harder to explain, not easier.

People tell me, “Astronomy must be simple now, you’ve got all those fancy telescopes.”

It’s not. The deeper we look, the more the universe refuses to follow the tidy story we wrote for it. We’re seeing galaxies that look too organised too early, and on the planet-hunting side we’re adding huge batches of new candidates faster than we can agree on what they mean.

So yes, progress is happening. But it’s not always the comforting kind. Sometimes progress is realising our old certainty was just a neat narrative.
And while we’re busy looking outward, we’re also losing the night sky above our own homes. Light pollution isn’t “too much light.” It’s often wasted, poorly aimed, and switched on when it doesn’t need to be.

Try this: go outside tonight for five minutes. Then pick one practical fix this week at home or work:

Aim outdoor lights down
Add shielding
Swap harsh globes for warmer, targeted lighting
Put lights on timers or sensors
Bad lighting is fixable, and the night sky is worth it.

If new discoveries keep expanding uncertainty instead of shrinking it, are we measuring progress the wrong way?

At this rate, the universe isn’t answering us, it’s marking our assignment and asking for a rewrite.

14/05/2026

The Great Venusian Leap: When Acid Clouds Ride an Atmospheric Jump

Venus, often called Earth's sister planet, is a world of extremes with its dense carbon dioxide atmosphere and surface temperatures hot enough to melt lead. Recently, scientists discovered a vast cloud band in Venus's upper atmosphere formed by the largest known hydraulic jump in the solar system.

A Kelvin wave travels through the atmosphere, and when it slows down, it triggers a hydraulic jump that lifts sulphuric acid vapour high into the sky, where it condenses into the intriguing cloud formations observed by the Akatsuki spacecraft. Launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency in 2010, Akatsuki has been crucial in studying Venus since arriving in orbit in 2015.

This discovery is significant as it marks the first time a hydraulic jump has been found on a planet beyond Earth. The unexpected behaviour of Venus's hydraulic jump serves as a reminder that atmospheric phenomena can differ greatly from what we experience. Recent research building on Akatsuki's data enhances our understanding of cloud formation on Venus and its implications for other planetary atmospheres.

I would love to hear your thoughts! What might we discover next in our exploration of other planets? Are there familiar processes that could reveal unexpected truths about our solar system?

14/05/2026

12/05/2026

We had a really enjoyable evening with Donna the Astronomer, hosted by Jess. Our group included an 8-year-old, a 15-year-old, us, and our 76-year-old father-in-law, and it worked well for all ages.

Jess explained things clearly and kept the session engaging without it feeling overwhelming. The laser pointer made it much easier to follow along and pick out constellations and stars in the sky.

The telescopes were impressive. Seeing Jupiter and four of its moons was a highlight for us, along with a number of other interesting views throughout the night.

Overall, a well-run and worthwhile experience that we’d recommend to others interested in learning more about the night sky.

12/02/2026

We haven't been to Donna's observatory yet but we met Donna in her shop/museum in town. Donna is very friendly and informative. We will be back to see her when the nights are dark and the Milky way is up.

I learnt so much and have a better appreciation for the awesomeness of space. Jess was happy to share her knowledge of and her passion for the stars. I highly recommend for anyone who needs to feel some awe and wonder.

11/02/2026

Title: "Stellar Contributions: Celebrating Women and Girls in Science"

Today, we celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a vital moment to reflect on the achievements of women in STEM and acknowledge the challenges that remain. Women have long been pioneers in science, contributing immensely to our understanding of the universe; yet, their representation in this field still falls short. By empowering girls to explore and pursue careers in science, we can inspire a new generation that will continue to break barriers and drive innovation. Let’s work together to challenge stereotypes and create a more inclusive environment for future scientists. What quirky idea do you have for engaging young girls in the wonders of science?