SunLive – Archaeoastronomy in Tauranga

Traveling through Peru to explore archaeoastronomy is the subject of a presentation at the August meeting of the Tauranga Astronomical Society.

Originally scheduled for July, but postponed twice due to a weather bomb and then Covid, Gary Spark, President of the Hawke’s Bay Astronomical Society and Director of the Hawke’s Bay Holt Planetarium, is in Tauranga today to give a live presentation on the subject at a public meeting tonight.

“In 1997, I had the opportunity to do a specialized astronomical tour in Peru,” explains Gary.

“We visited well-known sites that few members of the public had ever seen. In my talk, I will share some of my images and some of the ideas we discussed during the trip.

Gary will speak at the Tauranga Astronomical Society meeting at the Tauranga Observatory, Fergusson Park, today Tuesday, August 23 from 7:30 p.m.

Weather permitting, people will also have the chance to see Saturn which will be well placed for observation as well as see some interesting star clusters. The Moon will not be visible, so the sky will be very dark, says a member of the Tauranga Astronomical Society.

Anyone interested in learning how to use their telescopes and being part of the team to help with observing parties are invited to join in the fun.

Face masks will be required as a condition of entry. The company says there will be no exceptions to this rule.

“Many of our volunteers and members and/or their family members are immunocompromised and/or have existing health conditions that make them particularly vulnerable.

“We are also asking visitors to maintain social distancing, including around people operating the telescopes.

“Thank you for understanding and helping to keep everyone safe and healthy.”

Admission is $5 for visitors (free for members). School-age children are free. No EFTPOS is available on site.

The Tauranga Astronomical Society Observatory is located in the Otumoetai Sports & Recreation Club building in Fergusson Park, at the end of Tilby Drive, Matua, Otumoetai, Tauranga.

Regular public meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month (February through November) at 7:30 p.m.

Presentations are given on current astronomical topics.

Anyone interested in astronomy in the Bay of Plenty district is welcome to attend.

Weather permitting, there may be opportunities to view sessions through various telescopes.