The night sky over Sydney when Cathy Freeman won the 400 metres
On 25 September 2000, Cathy Freeman won the women's 400 metres final at the Sydney Olympic Games. She ran 49.11 seconds in front of a home crowd of more than 110,000 people.
Ten days earlier, Freeman had lit the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony. The whole country knew how much the race meant.
The sky above Sydney Olympic Park, Australia on 25 September 2000
The sky was almost fully dark, with a trace of twilight left. There was a waning crescent Moon, 8% lit, but it was below the horizon. Mercury and Venus were above the horizon and could be seen without a telescope.
The sky is almost fully dark, but a trace of twilight still hides the faintest stars.
- Local time
- 8:10 pm
- Time in UTC
- 25 September 2000 at 9:10 am UTC
- Sun
- Astronomical twilight
- Sun position
- 16° below the horizon
- Moon phase
- waning crescent Moon
- Moon lit
- 8%
- Moon position
- 49° below the horizon
| Planet | Visible | Direction | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Yes | west | 7° |
| Venus | Yes | west | 11° |
| Mars | No | west | -43° |
| Jupiter | No | east | -50° |
| Saturn | No | east | -39° |
| Uranus | With a telescope | north-east | 60° |
| Neptune | With a telescope | north-east | 71° |
| Star | Constellation | Direction | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rigil Kentaurus | Centaurus | south-west | 37° |
| Vega | Lyra | north | 16° |
| Achernar | Eridanus | south-east | 27° |
| Hadar | Centaurus | south-west | 33° |
| Altair | Aquila | north | 47° |
| Acrux | Crux | south-west | 23° |
| Antares | Scorpius | west | 50° |
| Fomalhaut | Piscis Austrinus | east | 47° |
| Mimosa | Crux | south-west | 24° |
| Gacrux | Crux | south-west | 20° |
50 constellations are above the horizon. Highest in the sky: Sagittarius, Corona Australis, Telescopium, Microscopium, Indus, Capricornus, Scutum, Ara, Pavo, Scorpius, Grus and Piscis Austrinus.
What happened that night
Freeman ran in a hooded, full-body suit. She took the lead in the home straight and held it to the line.
After the finish she sat down on the track for a moment. Then she ran a lap of honour carrying the Aboriginal and Australian flags together.
Why people remember it
Freeman, a Kuku Yalanji and Birri Gubba woman, became a symbol of hope and reconciliation for many Australians.
A star map of this night makes a gift for a runner, a sports fan, or anyone who remembers where they watched those 49 seconds.
Questions about this night
It shows 8:10pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time on 25 September 2000, the start time of the women's 400 metres final. New South Wales started daylight saving early that year because of the Games.
49.11 seconds, in the 400 metres final on 25 September 2000.
At Sydney Olympic Park in Homebush, western Sydney. It is now called Accor Stadium.