Christchurch Private Stargazing Experiences 2024/25

This is a private astronomy tour, available for couples, families or small groups of upto10 people. There is a minimum booking of 2 adults and kids between 10-15 yrs of age can use junior tickets.

Introduction…

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.

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

Oh, heavenly orb…

On nights when the moon takes over the heavens, the star tour will be shortened so that we can spend more time having a look at our nearest neighbour in space. Luna is a riveting object full of features, and it is simply stunning on a good night. We will travel its ‘seas’, look to its many types of craters, and peer at its ranges. Along the way, our skyguides will provide information about various sites and how they formed.

If the clouds come rolling in...

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 a VR tour for groups of 4 or less, or an indoor informal presentation & seminar type talk with your questions answered for larger groups. It is advisable that you check the weather for Lincoln - Rural (not Christchurch) on the MetService website prior to booking (see the FAQ). If you do not want to attend the indoor session due to poor weather conditions, please advise us when making your booking and we can offer a 50% refund - this option is not available unless requested at the time of booking. On any indoor tour if the weather improves we will attempt to get you outside and visa versa if the weather closes in once we've started.

More information...

This is an event where the program is based outside for approximately 60 to 90 minutes. You will likely get cold. We highly recommend that you dress appropriately, and wear warms clothes and remember thick socks, especially in winter!

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.

If you require further details please refer to https://astro.nz