Submitted by Sarah Brown on the 2020 winter session program in New Zealand sponsored by the Department of Animal and Food Sciences…
One of my favorite things about traveling to New Zealand is getting to admire the beautiful nature around me. This past weekend, I trekked out to a place called Mt. Cook Village, a small town near Mount Cook, the tallest mountain in the Southern Alps in New Zealand. The area around Mount Cook is a dark sky reserve, meaning light pollution is kept to a minimum. There is a guided tour to go stargazing at one of the hotels at Mount Cook, so our group booked one on a clear night and learned about the stars. The sun was just setting when we left – at ten o’clock!
On the tour, our guide pointed out many familiar constellations, including five of the zodiacs, Orion, and Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. It was interesting that Orion was upside down when viewed from the Southern Hemisphere! We also got to see the Southern Cross, a constellation that is only visible in the Southern Hemisphere. Most of the constellations we saw were based on Greek origin, but we also saw some Maori constellations, such as a canoe with it’s captain on a voyage. The milky way was incredibly bright and highlighted the sky as it got darker. In addition, we learned about the colors of stars and got to look at clusters of stars through telescopes, among them the nebula making up Orion’s sword.
I had never seen the stars as brightly lit as they were at Mt. Cook and I left with a feeling of awe. I looked at the sky differently afterwards, knowing the meaning behind some of the patterns. It was also incredible to me that some constellations, such as Orion, are visible from my own backyard in Delaware. I am hoping to be able to spot these same constellations when I get home. It’s amazing that I can see the same stars from the opposite side of the world!