Some of Australia’s most passionate stargazers are coming together in the Murraylands this weekend to the Internationally accredited River Murray Dark Sky Reserve.
Juggle House Experiences is running a ticketed event at the Walker Flat Hall this Saturday 6 July called Star Party.
A number of esteemed speakers will be at the event, including Australia’s first astronomer at large, Professor Fred Watson OAM.
The groundbreaking researcher and Eureka Prize winner is joined by his wife and Dark Sky Traveller business partner Marnie Ogg, the founding member of the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance.
While Professor Watson’s interests lie in astronomy and telescopes, his wife is most passionate about light pollution and its affect on nature.
“That’s impacting our wildlife species, our pollinators, humans, everything. That’s part of our mission is to help people understand that really,” Marnie Ogg said in an ARN radio chat with Jennie Lenman.
She added that as light pollution is getting increasingly worse around the globe, our region is very lucky to boast one of the darkest places in Australia.
“So the people who are living in that area who are surrounded by this night sky are truly one in a million really as they’ve got such a valuable site… but they also should be thanked for keeping the skies dark and letting other people come and see it. It’s a remarkable, valuable asset that they’ve got and we’re truly excited to come and see it.”
Other speakers at Saturday’s event include Kenneth Wishaw, secretary of the Brisbane Astronomical Society, Mid Murray Mayor Simone Bailey, and founder of the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve Chris Tugwell.
