
Events
The events listed below are either hosted by the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve board, or are events of interest by other organisations around New Zealand and the world.

Our universe is ever-changing, filled with exploding stars and hungry black holes! Hear more about the dynamic nature of the universe with Dr Ryan Ridden, University of Canterbury astrophysicist and guest lecturer for the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand’s Beatrice Hill Tinsley Lecture series.
About Dr Ridden:
He studies some of the largest explosions in the Universe, using space telescopes like TESS, and the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as some of the largest telescopes on Earth.
Dr Ridden completed his honours degree in Mathematical Physics at the University of Canterbury then obtained a PhD in astronomy and astrophysics at the Australian National University. During his PhD, he discovered several new cataclysmic variable stars. He worked at the Space Telescope Science Institute, building data analysis tools for space telescopes, then returned to the University of Canterbury. He now leads a research group with the support of a Marsden Fast Start Grant, and a Rutherford Postdoctoral Fellowship. Alongside his research, Dr Ridden has given numerous public talks, helped build the Young Stars outreach programme, and produced educational videos on YouTube.
Event details are:
Date and time: Friday, 25 August 2023, 7.30pm
Venue: Mackenzie Community Centre Theatre, Main Street Fairlie
Tickets: Adults $5, or Students $2 (cash only at the door please)
Contact for more information: office@darkskyreserve.org.nz
This lecture is brought to you by the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand, the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, with support from Genesis Energy.