Stars are actually very visible in Australia, especially away from cities, but many people in urban areas struggle to see them due to severe light pollution, which washes out fainter stars, even though Australia has some of the best dark sky spots globally, like the Outback, for incredible views of the Milky Way. So, it's not that stars aren't in Australia, but rather artificial lights in cities make them invisible for many residents, notes ABC News and The Guardian.
The Milky Way contains billions of stars, and when you gaze into the desert skies above Central Australia, you'll feel like they are all blazing down on you. Just outside of Alice Springs, Earth Sanctuary's astronomy tours highlight planets, constellations and lesser-known phenomena such as dark nebulae.
The number of stars we see in the night sky is rapidly decreasing due to light pollution. Over the last 12 years, citizen scientists around the world have been gathering data on the constellations they could see.
But the most dramatic difference in the appearance of the night sky has to do with the observer's latitude, i.e. how far North or South of the Equator you are.
The earth's orbit around the sun is not perfect. So when it's summer in Australia we're actually a little bit closer to the sun compared to when it's summer in Europe. In fact it's actually 10% worse UV in Australia when it is summer in the respectives Hemisphere.
Australia is the sunniest continent in the world, and Aussie households are world leaders when it comes to harnessing energy from the sun to power our lives.
Australia is unlikely to become entirely uninhabitable soon, but climate change is making large areas, especially in the north, extremely hot and potentially unlivable under higher warming scenarios (around 3°C), straining infrastructure, impacting agriculture, and displacing vulnerable populations, while coastal areas face rising sea levels and severe erosion, making parts of cities and towns uninsurable and at risk. The primary threats are extreme heatwaves, bushfires, droughts, floods, and sea-level rise, disproportionately affecting regional, Indigenous, and disadvantaged communities, forcing significant adaptation and threatening the nation's food security.
Yes, the Moon looks different in Australia (the Southern Hemisphere) compared to the Northern Hemisphere because of perspective; it appears rotated or "upside down," with features like the 'Man in the Moon' oriented differently due to viewing the Earth's curved surface from opposite sides, making it seem like the crescent moon points down in the south instead of up.
Due to its geographical location and close proximity to the equator, Australia experiences some of the highest levels of solar UVR in the world. The earth's elliptical orbit brings the earth closer to the sun in January, during summer in the southern hemisphere, resulting in higher levels of UVR.
Yes, flying the Eureka Flag is generally legal in Australia as a symbol of democracy, but it's illegal on federally regulated construction sites due to federal building codes linking it to union activity and potential "no ticket, no start" policies, leading to fines for employers. Outside of construction, it's widely used by various groups, though its association with far-right elements also creates negative connotations, notes Quora users.
“It's totally 100% true – nearly all the elements in the human body were made in a star and many have come through several supernovas.”
We are extremely confident black holes exist due to overwhelming evidence like stars orbiting invisible, super-massive objects (Sagittarius A*), gravitational waves from merging black holes detected by LIGO, and direct imaging of their shadows by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). While "100% sure" is rare in science, the consistency between Einstein's relativity, observed phenomena, and these new direct proofs leaves virtually no doubt within the scientific community.
Located just 90 minutes north east of Adelaide in SA's Murraylands region, the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve spans over 3,200sqkm, offering spectacular viewing of Southern Australia's night sky protected from light pollution.
The Commonwealth Star
This star has 7 points which symbolise the 6 Australian states, with the seventh point added in 1908 to recognise Australia's territories.
Seasonal Stargazing in the Southern Hemisphere
Here's a seasonal guide to what you can see from Australia: Summer: Orion, Canis Major (with Sirius, the brightest star), Taurus, and Gemini rise in the east.
Australia is an outdoorsy nation. Long summer days, sports, going to beaches, and the searing heat are hallmarks of our culture, and with that comes the tendency and desire to tan. Bronze skin has been seen as a beauty and health standard in Australia for generations.
When it's in that part of the orbit, it's around 147 million kilometres from the Sun. So during our summer, when Earth's tilt means Australia is pointing at the Sun, we're 5 million kilometres closer to it. That means we cop more intense UV (and other sunlight).
Australia has some of the highest levels of UV radiation in the world –in fact, just 15 minutes of unprotected exposure (when the UV levels are 3 or above) is enough to start to cause damage to your skin. UV radiation from the sun is also one of the best natural sources for vitamin D so a balance is important.
It comes from the fact that Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere, "below" almost all other countries on the usual arrangement of a map or globe which places cardinal north at the top.
Bonus fun fact: Australia is actually wider than the Moon. The Moon sits at 3400 km in diameter, while Australia's diameter from east to west is almost 4000 km.
As these constellations were identified by people in the northern hemisphere, we can see them when we look towards the north in the night sky. And, since they were described in the Northern Hemisphere, down here in the Southern Hemisphere, they appear upside down.
Cons of Living in Australia
Finance experts believe that Australia is well on its way to being cashless, and that the change could come as soon as 2030.
The survey also asked respondents which state or territory will be the safest place to live as the climate changes. Tasmania is the clear winner, with two in five Australians (41 per cent) choosing it, with other states falling well behind.