When clouds covered the skies over Takapō, our view of the moon may have been hidden — but our curiosity was anything but. Inside Dark Sky Project, visitors gathered to celebrate International Observe the Moon Night, where Dark Sky Project astronomy guide Olive led a journey through the story of our moon and its celestial companions.
Though the telescopes stayed under wraps thanks to the weather, the audience was captivated as Olive brought the cosmos to life — from the moon’s fiery beginnings to its mysterious far side and the dance it performs across our night sky.
How the Moon Was Born
Our moon, Olive explained, was born out of chaos. Around 4.5 billion years ago, a Mars-sized object called Theia collided with the early Earth. From this cataclysm came a ring of molten debris — material that would eventually cool, coalesce, and become the glowing companion we see today.
It’s a story of destruction turned to beauty — one that reminds us that even cosmic violence can create something extraordinary.
The Moon’s Familiar Face
One of Olive’s favourite facts? We only ever see one side of the moon. That’s because the moon is tidally locked — it spins at the same rate that it orbits Earth. Its far side, once a mystery, has now been photographed and explored, revealing a cratered surface quite unlike the smoother, darker patches of our near side. Those darker areas, Olive explained, are called lunar maria — once thought to be oceans, they’re actually vast plains of ancient lava that mark the moon’s volcanic past.
Phases, Light and Distance
As the moon moves around Earth, its changing position relative to the sun gives us the phases we see each month. From the delicate curve of a waxing crescent to the radiant glow of a full moon, each phase tells us where the moon sits in its orbit.
And though it feels so close, the moon is a staggering 384,000 kilometres away — far enough to fit 30 Earths between us. Light takes two and a half seconds to reach us from the moon, a small delay that connects our nights to ancient sunlight reflected off its surface.
The Magic of Eclipses
We’re lucky, Olive said, to live at just the right moment in cosmic history. The sun is 400 times larger than the moon, but also 400 times further away — making them appear the same size in our sky. It’s this perfect coincidence that gives us solar and lunar eclipses, some of the most breathtaking celestial events visible from Earth.
In Aotearoa, our next solar eclipse will be in July 2028, while the next lunar eclipse arrives in March 2026 — a chance to see our moon bathed in a haunting red glow, often called a “blood moon.”
Looking Beyond – Life on Other Moons?
The evening didn’t end with our moon. Olive took the audience further into the solar system, exploring some of the hundreds of moons that orbit our planets. Two in particular — Enceladus and Titan, both moons of Saturn — have captured scientists’ attention for their potential to host life.
Beneath Enceladus’ icy crust lies what might be a hidden ocean, spewing plumes of water vapour and organic molecules into space. Titan, on the other hand, has thick orange clouds and lakes of liquid methane — a strange, alien world that might show us what early Earth once looked like.
A Celebration of Wonder
Though the clouds didn’t part, the night at Dark Sky Project reminded everyone that astronomy isn’t just about seeing the stars — it’s about feeling connected to something vast and timeless. From fiery beginnings to frozen moons, Olive’s storytelling reminded us that the universe is always changing, always inviting us to learn more.
As she said, “We may not have seen the moon tonight — but it’s still up there, glowing for us, just beyond the clouds.”