A one-off early morning public session for viewing Puanga (Rigel) & Matariki (Pleiades) rising.
Puanga will begin to rise at 4:43am, and should begin to be visible around 5:15am
Matariki will begin to rise at 5:09am, and should begin to be visible around 5:40am, and should be clearly visible by about 6:00am until close to 7:00am when the sunrise will start making it difficult to see.
A Waning Gibbous Moon will be high in the Northern sky at 63% illumination which will lighten the sky quite a bit, and as an added bonus there should be 3 planets in view also.
Bring any good binoculars you own as that is the best way to view the whole cluster rising.
Observatory members will be available from 5:30am to help identify Puanga & Matariki.
Entry by gold coin donation.
Being the middle of Winter, it could be a little chilly, so Vibe Coffee Van will be joining us selling a range of hot drinks to keep us warm.