At the end of a very active and engaged year for RASNZ, and as we enter what is invariably a quiet holiday period for most astronomers, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on the highlights for RASNZ in 2023.

EXPANSION OF MEMBERSHIP & SECTIONS

    • There has been a substantial increase Ordinary Membership reaching a historic high of 314. This represents a 51% growth since August 2022. 

   • We have a new Corporate Member, the Southern Regional Dark Sky branch of Great South, an organisation tasked to support the economic growth and promotion of Southland, which has been active in supporting the protection of ‘dark skies’ in the region.

    • A new RASNZ Section, Fireballs Aotearoa, has been formed. It has a rapidly growing 80+ member network of meteor cameras including more than 30 cameras hosted by RASNZ members including 11 affiliated societies.

SUPPORT OF AND PUBLIC OUTREACH VIA AFFILIATED SOCIETIES

    • We have experienced a full year of RASNZ co-ordinated well attended monthly Affiliated Societies meetings. 

   • There has been a full uptake of G-E grants available for 2023 which, in addition to speakers to individual affiliated societies, included a lecture tour by Professor Wayne Orchiston to seven affiliated societies and the ‘Aurora, the Science and the Splendour’ lecture tour to four affiliated societies and two other groups. 

   • The RASNZ Lecture Trust’s 2023 BHT Lecture Tour titled Cosmic cataclysms: A dynamic and changing Universe was successfully undertaken by Dr Ryan Ridden who delivered to nine affiliated societies and three schools.

SPECIAL PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN

    • An amateur astronomical research survey which received  98 responses. The findings were supplemented by three workshops in which a combination of professional and amateur astronomers totalling 24 took part. The findings and recommendations are scheduled to be published in the December 2023 issue of Southern Stars. 

   • RASNZ responded to the invitation of the Parliamentary Petitions Committee and provided a submission on the petition for “National legislation to limit light pollution and promote dark skies” which is expected to be considered by the Parliamentary Petitions Committee in 2024.

DIRECT PUBLIC OUTREACH DELIVERED

    • RASNZ supported the development and installation of a permanent display panel entitled ‘A Journey through Space – From Earth to Andromeda’ at Ohakune Carrot Park, a tourist destination which we are told attracts more than 10,000 visitors a year.

ASTRONOMY PUBLICATIONS DELIVERED

    • There has been a full year of publication of this newsletter’s monthly ‘NZ Science Today’ that showcases the work of New Zealand’s professional and amateur astronomers.

    • There has been a full year of publication in this newsletter of the monthly Affiliated Societies Feature which showcases the work of these societies, with 15 of the 22 societies having been covered to date.

    • We have been honoured by the National Library of New Zealand which has seen fit to proactively allocate an ISSN number to our newsletter.

    • Southern Star Research, an open access, free to publish, online publication for peer reviewed astronomical research articles has been created as a sister publication to RASNZ’s well known Southern Stars journal. It is expected to be formally launched in 2024.

ANNUAL RASNZ EVENTS COMPLETED

    • The 2023 RASNZ annual conference, which also provided the opportunity for its affiliated Society, Auckland Astronomical Society, to celebrate its centennial.

    • The 2023 New Zealand Astrophotography Competition, run in partnership with affiliated society Auckland Astronomical Society, which grew by 79% over the year with a record 566 entries, with 74% of the increase coming from the two new categories introduced this year.

Looking ahead to 2024, here are some  dates for your diary:

    • March/early April 2024 – the RASNZ Lecture Trust’s 2024 BHT Lecture Tour around New Zealand with Professor Lisa Kaltenegger giving a lecture titled ‘Searching for Alien Earths’.

    • May – September 2024 – entries are open for the annual New Zealand Astrophotography Competition ( https://www.nzastrocompetition.co.nz/ )

    • 24-26 May 2024 – RASNZ’s flagship event, the annual conference hosted by RASNZ affiliated society, Nelson Astronomical Society ( https://www.rasnzconference.org.nz/ )

    • 20-23 October 2024 – the Starlight Conference in Tekapo jointly undertaken by RASNZ and the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve ( https://starlightconference.org.nz/ )

THE 2024 RASNZ CALENDAR

Our 2024 calendar, the constructive result of scientific and artistic collaboration, once again provides an invaluable ‘ready reference’ guide for all who are interested in astronomy. It also showcases the works of some of NZ’s leading astrophotographers. This calendar is now available at: https://astronz.nz/products/copy-of-2023-rasnz-calendar?_pos=1&_psq=cale&_ss=e&_v=1.0

RASNZ SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR 2024

A time of the year when existing members re-subscribe and new members join, this process can now be very easily completed on the RASNZ website which also provides the opportunity to give gift memberships to friends and family and make donations.

Existing members can re-subscribe for 2024 on: https://www.rasnz.org.nz/applications-forms/existing-members---subscription-2024

For those of you who are considering becoming members see: https://www.rasnz.org.nz/applications-forms/new-member-application-2024 I am pleased to advise that anyone joining as a new member now will have their membership subscription carried over for 2024.

At a cost of $40 for annual membership ($20 for students), a RASNZ Gift membership, see: https://www.rasnz.org.nz/applications-forms/gift-membership-1 provides a quintessentially thoughtful and lasting present.

Please note that the cost of membership subscription for 2024 can be fully recovered by using the RASNZ members' discount when attending the RASNZ annual conference scheduled for 24-26 May 2024 in Nelson. There are also a number of diverse benefits which are outlined on the following page: https://www.rasnz.org.nz/rasnz-info/membership-benefits.

A FINAL THANK YOU

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all of you who support our entirely volunteer-run organisation via membership, donations and/or various voluntary contributions. Such contributions make the ongoing work of RASNZ possible and enable us to better deliver on our mission of promoting and supporting astronomy in New Zealand, a broad church that covers all aspects of astronomy serving professional and amateur astronomers as well as the general public.

Wishing everyone an enjoyable festive season, happy holidays and a great 2024!

Nalayini Davies, FRASNZ, MSc (Astronomy)

President – Royal Astronomical Society of NZ

president@rasnz.org.nz