http://www.skyandtelescope.com.au 75Asteroid Day
June 30
A global day of education to help protect
Earth from asteroids.
asteroidday.orgSydney Astrofest
July 7
Free family telescope viewing, planetarium
shows and more.
sydney.edu.au/science/outreach/Star Stuff II
July 7–8
A weekend of astronomy fun on NSW’s
north coast.
starstuff.com.auCWAS AstroFest
14 –15 July
Annual astronomy conference and David
Malin Awards ceremony.
http://www.cwas.orga.au/Astrofest/National Science Week
August 11–19
Lots of astro events around the nation.
Keep visiting the website for the latest
info.
scienceweek.net.auPublic viewing nights
August 17–18
Presented by the Sutherland Astronomical
Society at its Green Point Observatory in
Sydney’s southern suburbs.
sasi.net.auSiding Spring StarFest
September 28–30
Public lectures, telescope tours and family
activities at Coonabarabran, NSW.
starfest.org.auInternational Observe the
Moon Night
October 28
An annual worldwide event that
encourages observation and
understanding of our Moon.
lpi.usra.edu/observe_the_moon_night/VicSouth 2018
November 2–6
Annual week of astronomy under very
dark rural Victorian skies.
vicsouth.info/vicsouth.htmN
ew Zealand is home to the
world’s first official ‘Starlight
Highway,’ or Te Ara O Rehua, a
stretch of road that includes all of State
Highway 80 to Mt Cook village and part
of State Highway 8 between Twizel and
Fairlie; about 150 kilometres in total.
The Starlight Highway passes
through the Mackenzie Basin, which
has spectacular views that have drawn
tourists and visitors for decades. Until
recently, however, most people just
passed through rather than stopping
and staying for a few nights. But that
has all changed due to the huge growth
in astro-tourism in the region.
This new industry has been fuelled
by three factors: the presence of the
University of Canterbury’s Mt John
Observatory, the formation of the
Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark
Sky Reserve, and the spread of light
pollution that is blotting out the stars
across the developed world.
Mt John Observatory is perched
high above dazzling Lake Tekapo. The
observatory has four optical telescopes,
including the 1.8m MOA telescope.
The latter was installed in 2004 in
partnership with Nagoya University
and is used for research on dark matter,
exoplanets and stellar atmospheres using
gravitational microlensing.
The pristine dark skies have long
been protected from light pollution,
thanks to the foresight of the
Mackenzie District Council. Back in the1980s, the council introduced lighting
ordinances to enable international
astronomical research to continue at
the Observatory. These ordinances,
coupled with the low population
level, have successfully protected its
magnificent night skies.
The value of the night sky here was
recognised by the founding in 2012 of
the Aoraki Mackenzie International
Dark Sky Reserve, the world’s largest,
covering an immense 4,367 square
kilometres. It’s no wonder it has been
granted coveted Gold Tier status, the
highest level, by the International Dark-
Sky Association. Today, the spectacular
starry skies found within the AMIDSR
differentiate this area from other parts
of New Zealand that have equally
stunning day-time scenery.
The newly-designated Starlight
Highway reflects the importance of
this local asset, which has fuelled
the growth in astro-tourism. This
began in 2004 when the University
allowed a local company to deliver
astronomical public outreach through
day-time and night-time tours of Mt
John Observatory. Since then, astro-
tourism has become a multi-million
dollar industry (AS&T May/June 2018,
p74); proof that natural dark skies are
valuable from an economic viewpoint,
and not just the environmental and
aesthetic perspectives.
Official recognition of the
Starlight Highway by the New Zealand
Transport Agency would not have been
forthcoming without tremendous
support from former and present
Mackenzie District Council mayors
Claire Barlow and Graham Smith, the
local community boards at Twizel, Tekapo
and Fairlie, and many other individuals,
businesses and organisations. It took a
lot of time and effort to work through
the bureaucracy, but the Starlight
Highway was formalised late in 2017
and the signage is now in place.■ REBECCA GREATREX is a member of
the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark
Sky Reserve Board and initiator of the
Starlight Highway.WHAT’S UP?
Do you have an event or activity coming up?
You can’t miss the Email us at [email protected]
Starlight Highway sign in Fairlie.