A Brilliant Dark Sky

We’re still ecstatic over our Dark Sky Project experience at the University of Canterbury Mount John Observatory. We left rainy Christchurch behind for some simply glorious weather on our way to Lake Tekapo. The countryside was stunning as is the destination, which is a beautiful glacier lake. It turned out to be the perfect night for star gazing — absolutely clear weather, no moon whatsoever, and the incredibly informative and engaging staff made for an unforgettable experience. We saw the Aurora Australis, both Magellanic Clouds, the Southern Cross, a few familiar constellations but upside-down, plus (via telescope) the rings of Saturn, the bands of Jupiter, moons from both planets, the two visible stars making up Alpha Centauri, and lots more. Just…wow…