Constellations & the Arafura sea

NT Dark SkiesA viewing night with a difference tonight...
Had an impromptu BBQ on the shores of the Arafura sea in NE Arnhem land.
With Jupiter rising in the east as the sun set, a lovely evening began.
The constellations you would all be familiar with (Centaurus, Crux, Carina, Vela etc..) dominated the southern horizion.
Following a great BBQ Dinner it was lights out & a sky tour of the northern constellations of Auriga & Ursa Major as it rose through the NE horizion.
The clear skies were ensured by the fact that I didn't take a telescope along.
A very interesting story from one of the guests of his experience in 1958 (I think)
watching through a small refractor and seeing a new "Star" appear!
Expecting a tale of a supernova, I had not heard of, I was surprized to hear that he had in fact witnessed one of the moon missions, where they curcumnavigatred the moon.
The bright new "Star" was in fact the stage 1 & 2 separations of the launch rocket.
Now we can so easily watch the ISS pass us by, predicted within an accuracy of seconds

How the times have changed.