Darksky Experience - Stargazing Tour Winter 2024

Should there be no moon in the night sky, your experience will follow this program.
The stars have many tales to tell, both mythic and scientific. Our skyguides will take you through the narratives of the night sky, connecting you with stories that are ancient and information that is up to date.

Our groups are kept quite small so that we can show you more objects in a pleasantly unhurried manner. Along the way, we can take time to respond to individual requests and answer any of your questions. If you have a particular object you want to see, just ask! We’ll let you know if it is up and able to be viewed.

Travelling the night sky…

We begin the night with a general, “naked eye” orientation to the celestial sphere. You will learn about the signposts in the sky that were first established by astronomers of the past, and how, to this day, we still use them as guides. Rug up warm, grab a seat or a beanbag and search the skies using our astronomy rated binoculars.

So many stars and a planet or two…

You will then be shown stellar sights (through our large 12 inch GOTO Dobsonian telescope) that the ancients could never dream of seeing: pairs of stars so close that they appear to be one, colourful families of stars, and round clusters that have stars so plentiful that they appear to be frozen fireworks. Young and old (really old!), near and far; the stars have so much to tell us

The realm of the nebulae…

On those nights when the moon acts shy and hides below the horizon, the wonders of deep space become available for viewing. This is when we get to visit the realm of the nebulae. We will have a look at those that reflect the light of stars, those that emit their own light, and those great ‘holes’ in the starry fields that hide the light of countless stars behind them.

Fixed Date Tickets

We can't control the weather. As a result, each of our tours operates on a fixed date basis, this means your event will go ahead on the specific date of your booking even if there is cloud cover. However it will take the format of an indoor informal presentation & seminar type talk with your questions answered. On any tour if the weather improves we will attempt to get you outside and visa versa if the weather closes in.

General Information

Join us on our ventures into the night sky. We look forward to sharing its beauty and knowledge with you.

This is an event where the program is based outside for around 60 minutes. You will get cold. We highly recommend that you dress appropriately, and wear warms clothes and remember thick socks, especially in winter!

Refunds

If you are not able to attend, you can request a refund up to 7 days before the event starts, but refunds or re-bookings are not available after this time. Any customer who cancels within 7 days of the event start will be charged a 50% cancellation fee. Any customer who cancels within 48 hours of the event start or who does not show on the day will be charged a 100% cancellation fee. If you are late for the event start, we reserve the right to refuse entry with no refund. If you need to contact us after you have purchased tickets, please use the contact organiser link in the email that contained your ticket information.

Monitor our website for notifications to check if you event is going ahead.