Starry Memory

A personalised star map gift for Wollongong

Use the free local tool

This page provides a result prefilled with the place and coordinates. The calculations and phone gyroscope work without an order; the HD poster remains optional. Explore the Wollongong sky free

The exact sky of a meaningful Wollongong moment, calculated before you buy

A place is not a decorative caption on a star map. For a memory in Wollongong, the selected coordinates, local time and timezone determine the celestial orientation. This guide starts with a free, location-aware sky and phone gyroscope; the watermark-free HD poster is an optional keepsake after you have checked the result.

Why choose Starry Memory

  • A place-driven gift — Wollongong starts at 34.4240° S, 150.8935° E; choosing a venue or address replaces that centre point before the poster is calculated.
  • GPS · IANA reference — Exact reference: New South Wales, 34.4240° S, 150.8935° E, Australia/Sydney.
  • Free tool — The city-specific tool works free in the browser and does not create an order.
  • Transparent limits — Weather, light pollution and local obstructions are stated as limits instead of being hidden.

In Wollongong, the keepsake begins with a real point on Earth before it becomes an image of the sky. Its verifiable starting point is GeoNames 2171507, 34.4240° S, 150.8935° E, in timezone Australia/Sydney.

The astronomical fingerprint of Wollongong

Wollongong is represented by 34.4240° S, 150.8935° E, in New South Wales, using the IANA zone Australia/Sydney. This is a mid-latitude viewpoint: the relevant celestial pole stands about 34.4° above its horizon. GeoNames record 2171507 supplies the geographic reference; its population field is 280,153 and is used for catalogue selection, not presented as a live census. No source elevation is used, so a flat horizon remains the transparent default. The following pairs are approximate daylight / night duration around the 15th of each month: January: 14 h 04 / 9 h 56; February: 13 h 14 / 10 h 46; March: 12 h 16 / 11 h 44; April: 11 h 08 / 12 h 52; May: 10 h 12 / 13 h 48; June: 9 h 43 / 14 h 17; July: 9 h 55 / 14 h 05; August: 10 h 43 / 13 h 17; September: 11 h 48 / 12 h 12; October: 12 h 53 / 11 h 07; November: 13 h 50 / 10 h 10; December: 14 h 17 / 9 h 43. The longest estimated night in this model is June at 14 h 17; the shortest is December at 9 h 43. “Night” here is the complement of daylight on a flat horizon. Civil, nautical and astronomical twilight are not interchangeable, and weather is not predicted by this table.

Wollongong's verifiable local record

Calculation identity: GeoNames 2171507 · city Wollongong · region New South Wales · country Australia · national selection rank 13 · reference population 280,153 · source elevation —. Spatial fingerprint: latitude -34.42400 · longitude 150.89345 · south hemisphere · timezone Australia/Sydney · celestial-pole altitude 34.4°. Seasonal signature: longest night in June, 14 h 17 · shortest night in December, 9 h 43 · range 4.58 hours. Meridian star markers: Crux 64.4° * · Carina 64.4° * · Pavo 59.4° * · Hydrus 54.4° * · Octans 42.4° * · Scorpius 81.6°. Nearby catalogue cities: Sydney 68 km · Central Coast 119 km · Newcastle 185 km. First regional eclipse shortlist: 2027-07-18 Penumbral lunar eclipse 16:04 UTC · 2027-08-17 Penumbral lunar eclipse 07:14 UTC · 2028-07-06 Partial lunar eclipse 18:20 UTC. Together these values form the local evidence record for the “gift” page; they change with place and remain separate from real weather.

Wollongong compared with nearby catalogue cities

1. Wollongong → Sydney: 68.3 km · Δlat +0.556° · Δlon +0.314° · Δpole -0.5° · timezone Australia/Sydney = Australia/Sydney · longest night June 14 h 14 | 2. Wollongong → Central Coast: 119.0 km · Δlat +0.994° · Δlon +0.478° · Δpole -1.0° · timezone Australia/Sydney = Australia/Sydney · longest night June 14 h 12 | 3. Wollongong → Newcastle: 185.3 km · Δlat +1.494° · Δlon +0.887° · Δpole -1.5° · timezone Australia/Sydney = Australia/Sydney · longest night June 14 h 10. Monthly night comparison with the nearest catalogue reference — January: Wollongong 9 h 56 / Sydney 9 h 59 / Δ -0.04 h · February: Wollongong 10 h 46 / Sydney 10 h 47 / Δ -0.02 h · March: Wollongong 11 h 44 / Sydney 11 h 45 / Δ -0.01 h · April: Wollongong 12 h 52 / Sydney 12 h 51 / Δ +0.02 h · May: Wollongong 13 h 48 / Sydney 13 h 46 / Δ +0.04 h · June: Wollongong 14 h 17 / Sydney 14 h 14 / Δ +0.05 h · July: Wollongong 14 h 05 / Sydney 14 h 02 / Δ +0.05 h · August: Wollongong 13 h 17 / Sydney 13 h 16 / Δ +0.03 h · September: Wollongong 12 h 12 / Sydney 12 h 12 / Δ +0.00 h · October: Wollongong 11 h 07 / Sydney 11 h 08 / Δ -0.02 h · November: Wollongong 10 h 10 / Sydney 10 h 12 / Δ -0.03 h · December: Wollongong 9 h 43 / Sydney 9 h 46 / Δ -0.05 h. For a gift, the comparison explains why the confirmed place matters: a Wollongong memory should not silently become its neighbour even when both share a timezone.

Latitude-screened constellations for Wollongong

Each entry below gives an approximate maximum altitude at meridian transit and a practical season; an asterisk means circumpolar in this simplified centroid model: Crux: 64.4°, all year *; Carina: 64.4°, all year *; Pavo: 59.4°, all year *; Hydrus: 54.4°, all year *; Octans: 42.4°, all year *; Scorpius: 81.6°, winter; Sagittarius: 80.6°, winter; Centaurus: 77.4°, autumn; Phoenix: 76.4°, spring; Canis Major: 75.6°, summer; Virgo: 59.6°, autumn; Aquila: 55.6°, winter; Orion: 50.6°, summer; Leo: 40.6°, autumn. This is a planning guide, not a promise that every star will be visible from a bright street. Date, hour, local obstructions and light pollution still matter. The live sky tool performs the date-specific projection that a static latitude table cannot.

Eclipse dates connected to the wider Australia region

18 July 2027: Penumbral lunar eclipse, 16:04 UTC; 17 August 2027: Penumbral lunar eclipse, 07:14 UTC; 6 July 2028: Partial lunar eclipse, 18:20 UTC; 22 July 2028: Total solar eclipse, 02:56 UTC; 31 December 2028: Total lunar eclipse, 16:53 UTC; 11 July 2029: Partial solar eclipse, 15:37 UTC. This is deliberately a regional shortlist. Solar-eclipse paths are narrow, lunar eclipses require the Moon to be above the local horizon, and both can be lost to cloud. Open the NASA source attached to each event before planning travel or observation; never look at the Sun without certified eclipse viewers.

What the calculation does — and does not claim

Coordinates, date and local time feed the same astronomical workflow used by the poster. The HYG catalogue provides star entries, while Astronomy Engine calculates moving bodies. The page does not claim that city-centre coordinates equal a hospital, venue or home: selecting an autocomplete suggestion replaces the shortcut with that location. It also separates astronomical geometry from weather and light pollution, so a correct map never becomes a claim that the ground-level sky was cloudless.

Free gyroscope first, optional poster second

On a compatible phone, the gyroscope turns the calculated sky into a movable window: tilt and rotate to explore, with star names shown beside key points. That experience is free. If a date deserves a keepsake, the same place can continue into the editor. The protected preview remains watermarked before payment; the €3.99 purchase unlocks the 4960 × 7016 px, 300 DPI file. Physical formats appear only when availability, delivery supplement and timing can be checked for the destination. Checkout is in euros; the card issuer shows the current conversion to Australian dollars (AUD).

Frequently asked questions

What makes a Wollongong star map personal?

The confirmed date, local time and coordinates determine the map. The city shortcut is 34.4240° S, 150.8935° E, but an exact selected venue can replace it.

Can I replace the centre of Wollongong with an exact address?

Yes. Choose the intended autocomplete suggestion; its coordinates replace the city shortcut. Unselected free text is never silently sent to a default city.

Is the Wollongong tool free?

Yes. The local calculation, tables and gyroscope exploration can be used without payment. Only the unlocked HD poster is paid.

Does this guarantee clear-sky visibility?

No. The calculations describe geometry. Cloud, terrain, buildings and light pollution can change what a person sees from the ground.

Do I have to buy a poster?

No. The tool stands on its own. If wanted, the watermark-free 4960 × 7016 px, 300 DPI file costs €3.99. Checkout is in euros; the card issuer shows the current conversion to Australian dollars (AUD).

Create the optional €3.99 HD poster

See also

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