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SpaceX is launching Starship now

Watch here: https://loom.ly/QnXRVFQ

#perth #wa #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #space #spacenews #westernaustralia #perthlife #perthgram #perthevents #perthhappenings #Starship #IFT12 #starbase #LaunchAmerica #elonmusk #superheavy #SpaceFuture #InnovationInSpace #SpaceXlaunch #Rocket #RocketLaunch #spacecraft #SpaceX #BocaChica #Texas #LonghornState #perthobservatory #perthobs

What do you get when you combine 664 Scouts, telescopes, STEM activities, an astronaut on the International Space Station, and an army of passionate volunteers?

One absolutely unforgettable week! 🚀⭐

During the April school holidays, Perth Observatory volunteers headed to Scouts WA's One Camp, where hundreds of Joey Scouts, Cub Scouts, Scouts, Venturers and Rovers spent the week exploring, learning, building, discovering, and occasionally arguing that they definitely weren't tired and could stay up all night.

Over seven days, 664 young people aged 6 to 15 participated in activities, including 196 girls and 128 Scouts from regional Western Australia. It was a very different experience from our usual school tours, but the enthusiasm, curiosity and excitement made every minute worthwhile.

We also hosted four planned stargazing nights, with three successfully going ahead, welcoming 164 Scouts and Leaders to explore the night sky. While the camp schedule was packed, those who joined us were amazed by what they saw through our telescopes.

One of the standout moments was watching a group of Joey Scouts completely captivated by our SeeStar telescope. They sat around it asking questions, exploring object after object, and confidently informing their Leader at 9 pm that they weren't tired and would quite happily continue astronomy until sunrise. Future astronomers in the making! 🌌

The week also featured something truly extraordinary. Eighteen Scouts had the opportunity to speak directly with astronaut Jack Hathaway aboard the International Space Station as part of the ARISS amateur radio program. Not many kids can say they chatted with someone orbiting Earth at 28,000 km/h!

To every volunteer who gave up their time, shared their knowledge, hauled equipment, answered questions, pointed telescopes skyward, and inspired the next generation of scientists, engineers and explorers, thank you.

You truly make the world a better place. ❤️✨

🚁🤖 Ever wanted to fly a drone, meet a robot, or see what the future looks like up close?

Well, here's your chance!

The Community STEM & Drone Discovery Day is returning to Perth, and it's shaping up to be a fantastic free day out for families, students, budding engineers, future astronauts, and anyone who enjoys pressing buttons to see what happens.

Expect drones taking to the skies, robots doing robot things, hands-on STEM activities, interactive exhibits, artificial intelligence demonstrations, and plenty of opportunities to spark curiosity in young minds.

Who knows? The child building a robot on the day might be designing spacecraft, developing life-saving technology, or exploring Mars in the future.

📍 Murdoch University
📅 Saturday 1 August 2026
🎟️ Free Community Event

Perth Observatory is proud to be supporting this fantastic event, so come along and say hello!

For more information and registrations, visit:
🌐 www.afaaustralia.org/event

The future isn't waiting. It's landing, rolling, flying, and occasionally beeping its way into Murdoch this August! 🚀✨

#Perth #WA #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #westernaustralia #spacenews #space #perthlife #perthgram #perthhappenings #STEM #STEMEducation #DroneDiscoveryDay #Robotics #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureScientists #FutureEngineers #PerthEvents #FamilyFun #MurdochUniversity #ScienceEducation #Technology #STEMLearning #DroneTechnology #SpaceEducation #CommunityEvents #FutureReadyKids #perthobservatory #perthobs

This National Volunteer Week, we want to say a heartfelt thank you to the incredible volunteers who keep Perth Observatory shining.

From welcoming visitors and guiding tours, to sharing their knowledge through telescopes, maintaining our historic buildings and equipment, helping behind the scenes, supporting events, and inspiring thousands of people to look up in wonder, our volunteers are the heart of everything we do.

Last year alone, our volunteers donated over 25 thousand hours of their time, helping us preserve Western Australia's rich astronomical heritage while creating unforgettable experiences for visitors from across Australia and around the world.

To mark National Volunteer Week, we've illuminated our historic Perth-Lowell Telescope Dome and Meridian Dome in red. Red is the official colour of National Volunteer Week, representing action, passion, and safety. It seemed the perfect way to celebrate the people whose passion, dedication and generosity make so much of what we do possible.

Whether you've been volunteering with us for decades or have only recently joined the team, thank you for your enthusiasm, commitment, friendship and countless contributions.

The night sky may be full of stars, but this week we're celebrating the stars here on Earth.

Thank you to each and every one of our volunteers. Perth Observatory simply wouldn't be the same without you. ❤️

#Perth #WA #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #westernaustrlaia #NationalVolunteerWeek #NVW2026 #ConnectingCommunities #Volunteers #ThankYouVolunteers #PerthHills #VolunteerAppreciation #volunteeringWA #WAvolunteers #CommunitySpirit #Stargazing #SpaceEducation #VolunteerWeek #perthobservatory #perthobs

🛸 DON'T PANIC. JUST BRING A TOWEL. 🛸 The an

Last Saturday night at around 7 pm, our own (@matthewlwwoods) headed down to the coast and captured this stunning image of Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) using a Seestar S30 Pro telescope. This image is made up of a total of 16 one-minute exposures, revealing the faint glow and delicate tail of this ancient icy visitor.

C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) is a distant traveller that has paid a brief visit to our corner of the Solar System before continuing its long journey back into the depths of space.

The comet was discovered in 2025 by the Pan-STARRS survey telescope in Hawaii. Pan-STARRS, short for the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System, spends its nights scanning the skies for near-Earth asteroids, new comets, and anything else unexpected… including, hypothetically, the occasional Goa’uld Ha’tak warship.

Since May, the comet has been appearing low in the western sky within the constellation of Orion, currently sitting near the bright star Saiph just after sunset.

For the best chance of spotting it:

🔭 Head out around 7 pm
🌅 Look low toward the western horizon
⭐ Find the constellation Orion and the star Saiph
🏖️ Choose a location with a clear horizon, such as a beach or open coastline

Unfortunately, the comet is no longer visible to the naked eye. However, it may still be glimpsed with binoculars under dark skies, and a camera with a 100 mm lens and tripod will greatly improve your chances of capturing this faint cosmic visitor.

With an estimated orbital period of around 170,000 years, C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) likely originated from the distant Oort Cloud, a vast spherical shell of icy objects surrounding the Solar System. Long before humans built pyramids, invented writing, or argued online about whether Pluto is a planet, this comet was already silently making its way through deep space.

#Perth #WA #spacenews #space #astronomynews #astronomy #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #westernaustralia #perthlife #perthgram #perthhappenings #whatsinthesky #stargazing #astrotourism #astrotourismwa #nightphotography #astrophotography #nightscapes #astrophoto #comet #comets #CometWatch #CometC2025R3 #CometPanSTARRS #perthobservatory #perthobs

To all the amazing mums, grandmothers, step mums, foster mums, carers, and mother figures in our community, all of us here at Perth Observatory hope you’ve had a truly wonderful Mother’s Day 💐✨

Whether your day was filled with family gatherings, quiet moments under the stars, phone calls from loved ones, or simply a well-earned cup of tea and some peace and quiet, we hope you felt appreciated for everything you do.

Mums are often the first people to encourage curiosity, imagination, and wonder about the world around us. You help inspire the next generation of dreamers, explorers, scientists, and stargazers 🌌

Thank you for all the love, care, patience, and support you give every day.

From our Observatory family to yours, Happy Mother’s Day ❤️🔭

#perth #WA #WesternAustralia #MothersDay #HappyMothersDay #MothersDay2026 #WomenInSTEM #Family #Community #Love #ThankYouMum #MumLife #PerthObs #PerthObservatory

Happy Revenge of the Fifth, everyone

May your chains be broken!!!

#MayThe4thBeWithYou #DarthMaul #StarWars #StarWarsDay #StarWarsDay2026 #starwarsfan #starwarsfans #sith #maytheforcebewithyou #starwarsnerd #starwarsnerds #lucasfilm #darkside #revengeofthefifth #revengeofthesith #darthvader #sithlord #Perth #WA #westernaustralia #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #perthhappenings #whatsoninperth #empire #perthobservatory #perthobs

The Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower peaks on the morning of Thursday, May 7th!!!

The cosmic crumbs left behind by Halley’s Comet tail happen each year around this time of year as Earth passes through this leftover trail. The tiny dust and ice particles collide with our atmosphere at 66 kilometres per second—burning up in brilliant streaks of light.

The meteor shower is named after the star Eta Aquarii, part of the constellation Aquarius, which marks the region of the sky where the meteors appear to radiate from.

While Halley's Comet won’t return until 2061, its dusty trail continues to create not one, but two annual meteor showers—the Eta Aquarids in May, and the Orionids in October, with the Eta Aquarids being first documented by Western astronomers in the 19th century.

In 2026, the Eta Aquarids are expected to peak before dawn on Thursday, May 7th, but you can see meteors from late April through to about 10 May. The best time to look is from 2:30 am to sunrise, while Aquarius is in the eastern sky. The Moon will be near the last Quarter phase, so the light pollution from it will cause the fainter meteor to be hard to see.

During peak, observers in dark-sky areas can expect to see up to 10 meteors per hour, with long, fast trails—some even leaving glowing trains that linger for a few seconds. In the city, we may only see a few per hour due to the light pollution.

Tips to see:

• Find a dark location.
• Give your eyes 15 minutes to adjust to the dark.
• Lie back to see as much sky as possible.
• You just need your eyes and a bit of patience.
• Dress warmly

Best Places to Watch in Perth:

• Rest stops in the Central Wheatbelt
• Golden View Lookout at Mundaring Weir
• Herron Point, and Island Point Reserve
• Bold Park (near Reabold Hill)

#perth #wa #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #westernaustralia #perthlife #perthgram #perthhappenings #EtaAquarids2026 #EtaAquarids #Halley #meteors #meteorshowers #shootingstars #astrophotography #photography #nightphotography #nightscapes #astrotourism #astrotourismwa #astronomynews #astronomy #spacenews #space #AstronomyEvents #FamilyFun #roadtrip #perthobservatory #perthobs

Happy Star Wars Day, everyone. May the 4th be with you!!!

Image: Kyle Katarn

#MayThe4thBeWithYou #MayThe4th #StarWars #StarWarsDay #StarWarsDay2026 #starwarsfan #starwarsfans #jedi #sith #mandalorian #maytheforcebewithyou #starwarsnerd #starwarsnerds #lucasfilm #lightside #darkside #Perth #WA #westernaustralia #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #perthhappenings #whatsoninperth #perthobservatory #perthobs

The Moon will reach its Full Moon phase on May 2nd at 1:23 am in Perth, which is a very civilised time if you’re a vampire, an insomniac, or someone who accidentally opened TikTok at midnight and lost control of their life.

And just when you think the Moon has done enough… surprise! There’ll be an additional “Blue Moon” on May 31st. That’s right, two full moons in one month, because even the Moon knows how to overbook its calendar.

The primary name for May’s Full Moon is the Flower Moon, signifying the abundant blooming of flowers and the height of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Other traditional names include the Budding Moon, Corn Planting Moon, Egg Laying Moon, Hare Moon, and Milk Moon… which together sound less like Moon names and more like a very confusing breakfast menu.

These names come from North American Indigenous traditions, with the Flower Moon name linked to the Algonquin, Cree, and Ojibwe peoples. They were later popularised in the 1930s through the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Celtic and Old English names include Mothers’ Moon, Bright Moon, Hare Moon, and Grass Moon, which all sound like they belong in a fantasy novel.

Now, about that “Blue Moon”… it’s not actually blue. A Blue Moon is either the second full moon in a calendar month, or the third of four full moons in a season. It typically happens every 2–3 years, which is where the phrase “once in a blue moon” comes from, dating back to 1940s folklore.

This Full Moon is also an Apogee-Syzygy Moon, also known as a Micro Moon, meaning it will look slightly smaller than usual. The Moon’s orbit isn’t perfectly circular, its furthest point from Earth is called apogee, and its closest is perigee. “Syzygy” refers to the alignment of the Sun, Earth, and Moon.

So if you’re out tonight or tomorrow night, look up.

#Perth #WA #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #space #spacenews #astronomy #astronomynews #westernaustralia #perthlife #perthgram #perthhappenings #astrophotography #lunarphotography #moonphotography #astronomicalevent #flowermoon #flowermoon2026 #moon #fullmoon #luna #moonlovers #astrophoto #stargazing #perthobservatory #perthobs

The International Space Station (@iss) will fly over extremely bright on Saturday, May 2nd at 6:45 pm (Mag -3.6), and on Sunday, May 3rd at 5:58 pm (Mag -3.6).

To use the attached maps, face south and hold the map above your head, and you'll see the path of the flyover.

#spotthestation #internationalspacestation #spacestation #iss #Perth #WA #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #westernaustralia #perthnow #perthgram #perthevents #perthlife #perthtodo #perthhappenings #ThisisWA #wanderoutyonder #perthhills #perthisok #perthlife #experienceperthhills #experienceperth #perthentertainment #seeperth #whatsoninperth #stargazing #nightsky #perthobservatory #perthobs

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