This section of the website summarises the main areas of professional and amateur astronomy in Aotearoa. A fine review of past, present and future NZ astronomy by Professor John Hearnshaw can be found at NZ Astronomy: The Past, the Present and the Future (2004).
New Zealand’s indigenous name Aotearoa, which means land of the long white cloud, may not sound too propitious for astronomy, but in fact we do have several advantages! We are uniquely placed to see the sky from the most southerly latitude and are the only sizeable land mass in the extensive south Pacific Ocean. So we are an important link in whole sky coverage.
We can and do make an important contribution to a variety of areas in astronomy.
The small number of professional astronomers in New Zealand reflects the size of the population (just over four million) rather than interest in astronomy, because there has always been a very large number of active amateur astronomers. This has given rise to the very friendly and productive relationship between amateurs and professionals that is a feature of NZ astronomy. The most outstanding example is the late Frank Bateson, “Father of NZ Astronomy” who trained a league of amateur observers and put visual variable star observing on a scientific basis, yet was entirely self-taught. Today there are many amateurs still dedicated to variable star observing, though they now use CCD cameras rather than their “natural photometers”.
The Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand, to which most local societies are affiliated, encompasses both amateur and professional astronomers. Several active Sections cater for particular interests and activities including astrophotgraphy, comets and meteors, aurorae and solar astronomy, occultations, dark sky and education.
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