Friday 25 October 2025 | West Taratahi Hall, Carterton
The Phoenix Astronomical Society’s new Phoenix Astronomy Lecture Series continued with a captivating presentation by Karina Leppik, whose career has taken her from the icy isolation of Antarctica to the stratosphere aboard NASA’s SOFIA airborne observatory.
Leppik, who now calls Christchurch home, shared stories from her time at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, where she operated a sub-millimetre telescope during a full Antarctic winter, and from nearly a decade working as Science Flight Planner and Mission Director for NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)— a modified Boeing 747 carrying a 2.7-metre telescope.
Her talk, “Telescopes in Unusual Places,” offered an insider’s look at what it means to conduct astronomy in extreme environments — how scientists chase clear, dry air to capture wavelengths invisible from ground-based observatories. She also reflected on the international teamwork behind each mission and the delicate balance between engineering, science, and exploration.
Audience members at West Taratahi Hall were treated to extraordinary images and first-hand stories of operating observatories where few have ever worked. The evening highlighted how New Zealand’s own clear skies connect to global science efforts — from the frozen plateau of Antarctica to the flying laboratories above Aotearoa.
The event reinforced Phoenix Astro’s (The Phoenix Astronomical Society’s) mission to bring real science and authentic astronomy to Wairarapa’s dark-sky community.
Next in the Series
The Phoenix Astronomy Lecture Series continues on 22 November 2025 with Dr Michelle Thaller, former NASA Goddard Science Communicator, live from the United States.
📅 For upcoming events and news, visit wairarapa.space/events.