Read: A Clear Night in Aotearoa

Mila and her uncle carried a blanket to a quiet hill near their home. The sky was clear, and the Moon was a thin silver curve. Uncle reminded Mila to give her eyes time to adjust to the darkness. Soon, she could pick out more stars than she had seen from the bright streetlights at home. “Those four bright stars make the Southern Cross,” said Uncle. “People in the Southern Hemisphere can look for it in the night sky. It has helped travellers find their way for a very long time.” Mila traced the cross in the air, then noticed two bright stars nearby. Uncle explained that these are often called the Pointers because they point towards the Southern Cross. Mila used a small telescope. The stars still looked like points of light, but the Moon’s craters seemed clearer. A telescope gathers light and helps us see distant objects in more detail. It cannot make stars look close enough to visit, though. Stars are enormous balls of hot gas, many far beyond our Solar System. The Moon is much closer. It travels around Earth, while Earth and the other planets travel around the Sun. Our Solar System is only one tiny part of the Milky Way, a galaxy containing billions of stars. Mila wondered what else was hidden in the dark. Uncle smiled: there is always more to explore, but tonight they had one simple job—to find the Southern Cross again before heading home.