Perth Observatory

Thank you to all artists who applied for the Outdoor Sculpture category of the Perth Sky Sculpture Park Exhibition & Awards. We are delighted to announce that 60 sculptures have been selected for this year’s Outdoor exhibition, opening 31 October 2026 at the @perthobservatory We greatly appreciate the strong interest and support shown from across Western Australia, nationally, and internationally. Swipe to view the participating sculptors. Congratulations to all selected artists. For those not selected at this time, we warmly encourage you to stay connected. Further exhibition opportunities will follow beyond our inaugural event, and we look forward to continuing to engage with artists into the future. Applications for Perth Sky’s Small Works category have now also closed and are currently in selection. Artists will be notified by the end of May. Perth Sky’s Sculpture Park is kindly supported by the Perth Observatory and City of Kalamunda. Pictured: ‘Beyond the Surface’ by @samhopkins_sculpture . #sculpture #sculptors #australianart #contemporarysculpture #perthartist

Well done @perthobservatory on such a successful May 4th event. So glad that the event could raise funds for the Dogs Refuge Home. @rebellegionwraithbase and @501stdsg had a great time helping out. It was great to come down today to the Dog's Refuge Home at Shenton Park and help with the donations of food, towels and dog collars. #rescueisthebestbreed #rebellegion #501stlegion #wraithbase

Last Saturday night at around 7 pm, our own (@matthewlwwoods ) headed down to the coast and captured this stunning image of Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) using a Seestar S30 Pro telescope. This image is made up of a total of 16 one-minute exposures, revealing the faint glow and delicate tail of this ancient icy visitor. C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) is a distant traveller that has paid a brief visit to our corner of the Solar System before continuing its long journey back into the depths of space. The comet was discovered in 2025 by the Pan-STARRS survey telescope in Hawaii. Pan-STARRS, short for the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System, spends its nights scanning the skies for near-Earth asteroids, new comets, and anything else unexpected… including, hypothetically, the occasional Goa’uld Ha’tak warship. Since May, the comet has been appearing low in the western sky within the constellation of Orion, currently sitting near the bright star Saiph just after sunset. For the best chance of spotting it: 🔭 Head out around 7 pm 🌅 Look low toward the western horizon ⭐ Find the constellation Orion and the star Saiph 🏖️ Choose a location with a clear horizon, such as a beach or open coastline Unfortunately, the comet is no longer visible to the naked eye. However, it may still be glimpsed with binoculars under dark skies, and a camera with a 100 mm lens and tripod will greatly improve your chances of capturing this faint cosmic visitor. With an estimated orbital period of around 170,000 years, C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) likely originated from the distant Oort Cloud, a vast spherical shell of icy objects surrounding the Solar System. Long before humans built pyramids, invented writing, or argued online about whether Pluto is a planet, this comet was already silently making its way through deep space. #Perth #WA #spacenews #space #astronomynews #astronomy #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #westernaustralia #perthlife #perthgram #perthhappenings #whatsinthesky #stargazing #astrotourism #astrotourismwa #nightphotography #astrophotography #nightscapes #astrophoto #comet #comets #CometWatch #CometC2025R3 #CometPanSTARRS #perthobservatory #perthobs

To all the amazing mums, grandmothers, step mums, foster mums, carers, and mother figures in our community, all of us here at Perth Observatory hope you’ve had a truly wonderful Mother’s Day 💐✨ Whether your day was filled with family gatherings, quiet moments under the stars, phone calls from loved ones, or simply a well-earned cup of tea and some peace and quiet, we hope you felt appreciated for everything you do. Mums are often the first people to encourage curiosity, imagination, and wonder about the world around us. You help inspire the next generation of dreamers, explorers, scientists, and stargazers 🌌 Thank you for all the love, care, patience, and support you give every day. From our Observatory family to yours, Happy Mother’s Day ❤️🔭 #perth #WA #WesternAustralia #MothersDay #HappyMothersDay #MothersDay2026 #WomenInSTEM #Family #Community #Love #ThankYouMum #MumLife #PerthObs #PerthObservatory

Happy Revenge of the Fifth, everyone May your chains be broken!!! #MayThe4thBeWithYou #DarthMaul #StarWars #StarWarsDay #StarWarsDay2026 #starwarsfan #starwarsfans #sith #maytheforcebewithyou #starwarsnerd #starwarsnerds #lucasfilm #darkside #revengeofthefifth #revengeofthesith #darthvader #sithlord #Perth #WA #westernaustralia #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #perthhappenings #whatsoninperth #empire #perthobservatory #perthobs

The Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower peaks on the morning of Thursday, May 7th!!! The cosmic crumbs left behind by Halley’s Comet tail happen each year around this time of year as Earth passes through this leftover trail. The tiny dust and ice particles collide with our atmosphere at 66 kilometres per second—burning up in brilliant streaks of light. The meteor shower is named after the star Eta Aquarii, part of the constellation Aquarius, which marks the region of the sky where the meteors appear to radiate from. While Halley's Comet won’t return until 2061, its dusty trail continues to create not one, but two annual meteor showers—the Eta Aquarids in May, and the Orionids in October, with the Eta Aquarids being first documented by Western astronomers in the 19th century. In 2026, the Eta Aquarids are expected to peak before dawn on Thursday, May 7th, but you can see meteors from late April through to about 10 May. The best time to look is from 2:30 am to sunrise, while Aquarius is in the eastern sky. The Moon will be near the last Quarter phase, so the light pollution from it will cause the fainter meteor to be hard to see. During peak, observers in dark-sky areas can expect to see up to 10 meteors per hour, with long, fast trails—some even leaving glowing trains that linger for a few seconds. In the city, we may only see a few per hour due to the light pollution. Tips to see: • Find a dark location. • Give your eyes 15 minutes to adjust to the dark. • Lie back to see as much sky as possible. • You just need your eyes and a bit of patience. • Dress warmly Best Places to Watch in Perth: • Rest stops in the Central Wheatbelt • Golden View Lookout at Mundaring Weir • Herron Point, and Island Point Reserve • Bold Park (near Reabold Hill) #perth #wa #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #westernaustralia #perthlife #perthgram #perthhappenings #EtaAquarids2026 #EtaAquarids #Halley #meteors #meteorshowers #shootingstars #astrophotography #photography #nightphotography #nightscapes #astrotourism #astrotourismwa #astronomynews #astronomy #spacenews #space #AstronomyEvents #FamilyFun #roadtrip #perthobservatory #perthobs

Happy Star Wars Day, everyone. May the 4th be with you!!! Image: Kyle Katarn #MayThe4thBeWithYou #MayThe4th #StarWars #StarWarsDay #StarWarsDay2026 #starwarsfan #starwarsfans #jedi #sith #mandalorian #maytheforcebewithyou #starwarsnerd #starwarsnerds #lucasfilm #lightside #darkside #Perth #WA #westernaustralia #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #perthhappenings #whatsoninperth #perthobservatory #perthobs

The Moon will reach its Full Moon phase on May 2nd at 1:23 am in Perth, which is a very civilised time if you’re a vampire, an insomniac, or someone who accidentally opened TikTok at midnight and lost control of their life. And just when you think the Moon has done enough… surprise! There’ll be an additional “Blue Moon” on May 31st. That’s right, two full moons in one month, because even the Moon knows how to overbook its calendar. The primary name for May’s Full Moon is the Flower Moon, signifying the abundant blooming of flowers and the height of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Other traditional names include the Budding Moon, Corn Planting Moon, Egg Laying Moon, Hare Moon, and Milk Moon… which together sound less like Moon names and more like a very confusing breakfast menu. These names come from North American Indigenous traditions, with the Flower Moon name linked to the Algonquin, Cree, and Ojibwe peoples. They were later popularised in the 1930s through the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Celtic and Old English names include Mothers’ Moon, Bright Moon, Hare Moon, and Grass Moon, which all sound like they belong in a fantasy novel. Now, about that “Blue Moon”… it’s not actually blue. A Blue Moon is either the second full moon in a calendar month, or the third of four full moons in a season. It typically happens every 2–3 years, which is where the phrase “once in a blue moon” comes from, dating back to 1940s folklore. This Full Moon is also an Apogee-Syzygy Moon, also known as a Micro Moon, meaning it will look slightly smaller than usual. The Moon’s orbit isn’t perfectly circular, its furthest point from Earth is called apogee, and its closest is perigee. “Syzygy” refers to the alignment of the Sun, Earth, and Moon. So if you’re out tonight or tomorrow night, look up. #Perth #WA #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #space #spacenews #astronomy #astronomynews #westernaustralia #perthlife #perthgram #perthhappenings #astrophotography #lunarphotography #moonphotography #astronomicalevent #flowermoon #flowermoon2026 #moon #fullmoon #luna #moonlovers #astrophoto #stargazing #perthobservatory #perthobs

The International Space Station (@iss ) will fly over extremely bright on Saturday, May 2nd at 6:45 pm (Mag -3.6), and on Sunday, May 3rd at 5:58 pm (Mag -3.6). To use the attached maps, face south and hold the map above your head, and you'll see the path of the flyover. #spotthestation #internationalspacestation #spacestation #iss #Perth #WA #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #westernaustralia #perthnow #perthgram #perthevents #perthlife #perthtodo #perthhappenings #ThisisWA #wanderoutyonder #perthhills #perthisok #perthlife #experienceperthhills #experienceperth #perthentertainment #seeperth #whatsoninperth #stargazing #nightsky #perthobservatory #perthobs

Boy, it was foggy this morning! Have you ever wondered what fog is? Have we ever walked through a cloud? That’s basically what fog is. Fog is a cloud at ground level, made up of tiny water droplets suspended in the air. Each droplet is incredibly small, about 10 to 20 micrometres wide, but together they scatter light and reduce visibility. Officially, it’s called fog when you can’t see more than 1 km ahead. If you can see a bit further, it’s called mist. 🌡️ How does fog form? Fog forms when air cools to its dew point, meaning it can’t hold all its water vapour anymore, so that invisible moisture turns into visible droplets. You just need three things: 💧 Moisture in the air ❄️ Cooling temperatures 🍃 Calm or light winds There are a few common types you might experience: 🌄 Radiation fog: Forms overnight as the ground cools, chilling the air above it. Common in valleys and rural areas. 🌊 Advection fog: Warm, moist air moves over a cooler surface like the ocean. Very common along coastlines. 🏞️ Valley fog: Cold air sinks into low-lying areas and traps moisture. ♨️ Evaporation fog (steam fog): Cold air over warmer water, giving that “steaming lake” look. 🪐 Fog isn’t just an Earth thing… 🌕 Titan: Saturn's moon has probably the most Earth-like fog, but made of methane, not water. It forms around lakes of liquid natural gas at a chilly −180°C. 🔴 Mars: Yes, Mars gets fog too. It’s thin and ghostly, made of water ice particles, often seen at sunrise by rovers. ☁️ Venus: Fog on steroids. Thick, permanent haze made of sulfuric acid droplets, and hot enough to melt lead. #Perth #WA #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #westernaustralia #perthlife #perthgram #perthhappenings #fog #mist #foggy #foggyday #foggyweather #weather #weatherwatch #meteorology #earthscience #didyouknow #learnsomethingnew #solarsystem #titan #mars #venus #spacefacts #science #sciencefacts #sciencelovers #perthobservatory #perthobs

Everyone meet Comet PanSTARRS ☄️ Say hello to C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS), a distant visitor currently passing through our cosmic neighbourhood. This comet was discovered in 2025 by the Pan-STARRS survey telescope (Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System) in Hawaii. 🌅 When and where to see it Earlier this month, the comet was visible in binoculars, and even just with the naked eye from dark rural skies, in the early morning before sunrise. Now, it’s making a return appearance in the evening sky. 👉 Look just after sunset low in the western sky 👉 Around 6:30 pm onwards 👉 Find a spot with a clear horizon (a beach is perfect) Bring: 🔭 Binoculars 📷 A camera with a decent zoom lens 📸 A tripod for longer exposures 🧊 Where did it come from? With an estimated orbital period of around 170,000 years, this comet likely originated from the distant Oort Cloud, a vast spherical halo of icy objects surrounding our Solar System. In other words, this comet has been drifting in deep freeze for an absurd amount of time before being nudged inward. 🔥 Why it suddenly “turns on” As it falls toward the Sun, things get interesting. The heat causes frozen ices, water, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide, to sublimate (skip the liquid phase and turn straight into gas). This can be quite an active, even explosive process. That gas and dust: Forms a glowing coma (the fuzzy cloud around the comet) Gets pushed away by sunlight and the solar wind Stretches out into a tail That’s how it goes from an invisible chunk of ice and rock to a faint, glowing object in our sky. #Perth #WA #spacenews #space #astronomynews #astronomy #perthnews #wanews #communitynews #westernaustralia #perthlife #perthgram #perthhappenings #whatsinthesky #stargazing #astrotourism #astrotourismwa #nightphotography #astrophotography #nightscapes #astrophoto #comet #comets #CometWatch #CometC2025R3 #CometPanSTARRS #perthobservatory #perthobs

🍎✨ Harvest, Sip, Explore… and Look Up! ✨🍷 Experience the very best of the Perth Hills this May at the @bickleyharvestfestival 👉 https://bit.ly/2SgwU4l Set against a stunning bushland backdrop, it’s the perfect excuse to slow down and savour the season. Wander through orchards, meet local producers, and indulge in delicious food, wine, cider, and fresh local flavours from some of Bickley’s finest. Bring your family and friends along, there’s something for everyone! While you’re in the valley, swing by Perth Observatory and add a little stargazing to your day. 🌿 We’ll be open both festival days from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm with our Cosmic Fairy Door Discovery Day on Saturday and Guided Day Tours on Sunday 🔭 Enjoy guided tours of our historic telescopes 🧚‍♀️ Discover our magical fairy doors ☀️ Take in the views, explore the grounds, and soak up the atmosphere 🎟️ No booking needed, just pay on the day Why not turn it into a full day out… or even a weekend escape in the Perth Hills? Great food, great wine, and a universe waiting just above your head 🌌 Plan your perfect weekend getaway… we’ll see you there!