Best stargazing spots in Brisbane
Our expert astronomers at Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium have put together everything you’ll need to begin your Brisbane stargazing adventures.
We all know the famous nursery rhyme, but when was the last time you stopped and wondered about the dark sky above?
Stargazing is your window to a whole new world - entire galaxies even - and it doesn't cost a cent.
Our expert astronomers at Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium are here to help. We have collected everything you need to begin your journey into a starry night of Brisbane stargazing. Strap yourself in, because it’s time to blast off!
One small step
The universe may be a big place, but you can get started with just 'one small step'. You don't need fancy or expensive equipment, just go outside and look up. Congratulations, you are now stargazing!
The Planetarium's Facebook page is jam-packed with inspiration and information to help guide your journey through space.
Grab yourself a comfy chair and a blanket. Once you start, you will easily lose yourself in the endless dark canvas overhead.
Fly me to the Moon
Stargazing isn't just for night owls. Sometimes you can spot the Moon during the day.
Did you know? The Moon was created after a Mars sized object hit Earth. The Moon's tallest mountain is Mons Huygens (5,500 meters). Just over half the height of Mount Everest at 8,848 meters. However, the Moon's highest point is over 10,000 meters!
Hello darkness, my old friend
Some planets can be seen at dusk, or even before sunset if they are bright enough. To enjoy the full cosmic experience, go outside about 90 minutes after sunset as this is when space truly shines!
To spy fainter objects, aim for a moonless night, because moonlight can make interstellar gems harder to spot.
A wide, wide universe
If you have kids with an early bedtime, head out after dinner and spend some time staring skyward. Not only will they see something amazing, but stargazing is a great way to wind down and encourage thinking.
Nothing compares to spotting Jupiter. Realising it is over 600 million kilometres away and is 11 times wider than Earth. Jupiter has 79 known moons and a huge storm on its surface, which is the size of our own planet.
Suddenly the tiny specks in the night time sky get a whole lot more interesting!
To infinity and beyond
Half the fun of astronomy is using your imagination. When we gaze into outer space, we're not actually seeing it as it is, but as it was. Like our own time machine into the past.
Light from the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius, takes 8.5 years to reach us. This means we see Sirius as it was 8.5 years ago, not as it is now. Amazing! It takes as much as 50 minutes for light to travel to Earth from Jupiter, eight minutes from the Sun and 1.3 seconds from the Moon.
Night sky discoveries
If you're looking up at the right time, you may spot an artificial satellite zooming overhead. That satellite could be the International Space Station. It can have up to six astronauts on board. See it and give them a wave!
If you're lucky, there's something else you might see shooting above you – a meteor. That small piece of rock just hit our atmosphere and burned up, moving at speeds between 40,000 and 260,000 kilometres per hour.
Reach for the stars
One of the great things about stargazing is that you can spend as much, or as little, as you want on equipment. You can find a range of apps available that can tell you what you're looking at. Simple star charts are also available in books. Like a road map, they'll help you navigate the night sky above.
Pro tip? Read your chart using a small torch covered in red cellophane. Shining white light on your chart will ruin your dark adaption (i.e. how the eye recovers its sensitivity in the dark). A red light will make it easier to see fainter objects when you look up.
Feeling starry-eyed and want to see more? A pair of binoculars will get you closer to the cosmos. A telescope allows you to see even further – galaxies, nebulae, planetary nebulae, star clusters and much more!
Turn your stargazing into photo-taking. Attach a camera to your telescope and start capturing some out-of-this-world astrophotography images.
Space, the final frontier
Since the Planetarium first opened in 1978, scientists have made many exciting discoveries and advancements in space exploration.
NASA astronaut Ron Garan wrote: "Earth is a small town with many neighbourhoods in a very big universe."
Only a lucky few will experience it first-hand, but marveling at the wonders of space knows no limits. Space is for everyone, not just scientists and astronomers. All it takes is a little imagination and stepping outside our homes to gaze up at worlds above.