The 2009 National Project was a great success and an ideal way to celebrate National Science Week and the International Year of Astronomy. All around the nation, Australians got involved by looking up at the night sky and making observations of our southern stars. The aim was to conduct a survey of how many stars were visible compared to magnitude maps, providing an indication of light pollution. The Big Aussie Star Hunt survey results have been compiled and are ready for you to check out. Go to the survey results website and zoom in on the map to see how the level of light pollution measured by participants in your area compares to the other side of the country! Thank you to everyone who got out and took a look up – despite some dodgy weather and conditions, over a thousand observations were submitted to the survey.

Congratulations also to the winners of the Big Aussie Star Hunt competition: Madison Hunt from Tasmania and the Collins Creek Public School from NSW who suggested some great ideas for renaming some ancient constellations!

You can continue to be involved by visiting The Big Aussie Star Hunt website and exploring the amazing resources. In addition to the light pollution map, there are sky tours including a virtual online tour and an outdoor guided audio tour, observation tips and tools, fascinating stories about Indigenous astronomy, and information about light pollution issues in Australia and around the world. Get online, broaden your knowledge of the universe and enjoy the delights of the night sky!