Tune in each month for a guided tour of the night sky as seen from Perth, Western Australia. Each episode highlights all of the fascinating constellations, planets, and asteroids that you should be keeping an eye out for in the night sky. And don't worry, we'll also be highlighting the latest in space news so you'll always be in the know when it comes to the extra-terrestrial. Please Look Up is brought to you by https://particle.scitech.org.au/ (Particle) and powered by http://scitech.org.au/ (Scitech).
Oct 26: Saturn's New Shape, Potential Dark Matter & Space Potatoes
This month Leon and Alyshia explore the wonders of the October night sky, starting with Saturn's intriguing new shape and the potential discovery of dark matter and some questionable pictures sent to the moon.
Saturn's Decagon
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasas-hubble-tracks-new-decagon-encircling-saturns-south-pole/
Interesting Read:
https://www.fearandwine.com/post/saturn-decagon-south-pole
Leon's Space Pic -
https://particle.scitech.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/crater-1.png
Alyshia's Space Pic -
https://particle.scitech.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Moon_Art_Scale_Fingers.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Museum
Tarantula Nebula -
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/a-cosmic-tarantula-caught-by-nasas-webb/
As the Milky Way shifts towards the western sky, spot constellations like Scorpius and Sagittarius. Venus and Mercury make a dazzling appearance alongside the moon on October 12. How to see the Orionids meteor with tips on the best viewing times. We also check out the Dorado constellation Large Magellanic Cloud and Tarantula Nebula & significance of Supernova 1987A, a pivotal moment in astronomical history.
3 Sept 2026
September 2026: Rogue Rockets, Untethered Astronauts & Extremely Large Telescopes
September 2026: Rogue Rockets, Untethered Astronauts & Extremely Large Telescopes
This month on Please Look Up, Leon and Alyshia look to the September skies, where Venus meets the Moon, Mercury makes a brief appearance and the constellation Ophiuchus wrangles a celestial snake.
Back on Earth (and the Moon), a rogue SpaceX rocket creates a brand-new lunar crater, China has a spectacular space fail and an enormous Starship hitches a ride home. Plus, we revisit the terrifyingly brilliant time NASA let astronauts fly around completely untethered to retrieve broken satellites, and step inside the aptly named Extremely Large Telescope – a 38-metre-wide monster currently taking shape in Chile.
Alyshia's Space Pic:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Satellites_For_Sale_-_GPN-2000-001036.jpg/960px-Satellites_For_Sale_-_GPN-2000-001036.jpg?utm_source=en.wikipedia.org&utm_campaign=parser&utm_content=thumbnail
https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/51a-46-057.jpg
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/capturing-satellite-november-1984/
Leon's Space Pic:
https://cdn.eso.org/images/screen/potw2627a.jpg
Chinese Rocket that snapped in half & exploded
https://teams.microsoft.com/l/message/19:67aad3c7-8912-4bb1-ae4e-868dc4da5dfb_e7ef984c-f199-4c38-8af5-4104649eb015@unq.gbl.spaces/1788418794605?context=%7B%22contextType%22%3A%22chat%22%7D
4 Aug 2026
What's up in August? Teapots at the centre of the Galaxy, Telstra GPS Fails, and Human Water Balloons
This month Alyshia & Leon discuss Australia's accidental trip back to 2006, a giant space teapot, glowing red-hot rockets & the telescope hunting the universe's biggest mysteries.
This month we're pointing to the centre of the Milky Way with a cosmic teapot, celebrating the launch of NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, watching Space X reusable rockets survive another test flight, and asking whether Australia is a little *too* reliant on GPS.
Along the way we discover why Sagittarius A* has a star in its name, Dark Energy & how astronomers measure the expansion of the universe, and why a software bug sent parts of Telstra back to 2006.
Alyshia's Space Picture
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2026/03/Plato_readies_for_space-like_tests
PLATO Space Telescope in ESA's Large Space Simulator
Credit: ESA
Leon's Space Picture
https://particle.scitech.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/image-3-scaled.png
Inside Starship's Engine Bay
Credit: SpaceX
https://www.spacex.com/launches/starship-flight-13
What's Up in the Night Sky for August?
- Venus dominates the western sky.
- Jupiter has disappeared into the Sun's glare.
- Scorpius is high overhead.
- The Milky Way stretches across the winter sky.
- Sagittarius sits beneath Scorpius - find the "Teapot" and point its spout towards the centre of our galaxy.
Before sunrise (East/North-East)
- Mars glows red in the north-east.
- Saturn appears higher in the northern sky with its distinctive yellow tint.
- Perseid meteor shower (best chance: 12–13 August, very low on the northern horizon).
Dates of Interest
- 12 August – Total Solar Eclipse (visible from Spain, Iceland, Greenland, Portugal & parts of Russia)
- 12–13 August – Perseid Meteor Shower peak
- 27 August – Partial Lunar Eclipse (not visible from Australia)
- 30 August – Planned launch of NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
Constellation of the Month
Sagittarius – A giant centaur wielding a bow & arrow & the Galactic Teapot
Space Flight Focus
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launches 30th August.
Starship Flight 13 Success
China String Catch Success
Space Fail of the Month
Australia's Accidental Trip Back to 2006
A Telstra software bug caused widespread outages after a timing server misinterpreted a GPS week rollover.
Please Look Up is recorded on Whadjuk Noongar Country.
Produced by Leon Smith
Hosted by Leon Smith & Alyshia Gatani,
Edited by Alyshia Gatani.
For more space news check out:
https://particle.scitech.org.au/
Got a question? Leave it in the comments and we might answer it next episode!
Particle is powered by Scitech.
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