Dubbo observatory

Note this session is usually not available in school holidays and long weekends. Sessions available are listed on the ticketing website.

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Your tour guide Peter Starr has a Masters Degree in Astronomy and was the former manager at Siding Spring Observatory.

The tour is the same as the night sky and telescope tour except it is limit to a maximum of 6 people.

The tour lasts for 100 minutes.

Plus see more objects through telescopes.
Take more photos with your DSLR (Canon or Nikon) through the telescope

Have use of a pair of binoculars during your stay (adult use only)

No queueing behind telescopes.

Free 6 x 4" photo of a nebula or galaxy taken through our telescope
More personalised experience answering your questions.

The night involves
A detailed presentation in the theatrette teaching the night sky and astronomy, showing images taken at the observatory of the objects you will see.

Point out the stars, planets, and constellations with a laser pointer.

View through the main 17"telescope of the planets, stars, galaxies, nebulae, etc

Detailed explanations of what you are viewing.

Answer all your questions about the universe.

If you bring your own a DSLR camera you can take photos of spectacular nebulae, galaxies, and globular star clusters through the telescope. We take 4 photos per camera. The objects we take photos of are listed below as are the compatible cameras.

If you do not have a camera, my Canon Ra mirrorless camera can be used if you have a memory card that fits. Or purchase a SD card from our gift shop.

The show is limited to 6 people maximum. So you can book 1 spot or up to 6. Other people can book the remaining spots until the maximum 6 has been reached.

Note the tour is mainly outdoors so please wear appropriate clothing to suit the weather conditions.

Premium Session

$99 per person

plus a non-refundable ticketing fee.

Tickets

Tickets are available online only.

Go to the bookings page in the menu and click on the link to purchase tickets for the relevant month.

Cancellation by the customer or changing sessions.

For tickets purchased with a gift card or credit note or moved from another night, a new credit note is issued for you to use at another future session of the same value, but only if we can resell your ticket.

For other tickets, We only refund your ticket if we can resell your ticket.The booking fee is non-refundable.

Cancellation by Dubbo Observatory

If the sky is overcast we cancel the show and give you a refund. We will notify you 45 minutes prior by text message if this occurs.

(For December shows: if you attended at 8:30pm to view the planets Venus, Jupiter and Saturn, and the 10:30pm show is later cancelled, no refund is given, but a credit note is issued to purchase at ticket for a future date.

We also cancel the show if the tour guide is sick, there is a major equipment breakdown, or we have been asked to close due to covid-19 orders. A refund excluding the booking fee is given unless the ticket was purchased with a gift card or credit note, where another credit note number is issued.

Darkest Skies: 24th to 30th

Planets: nil

Moon* Visible during show - 9th to 23rd

New Moon 1st

First quarter 9th

Full Moon 16th

Nebulae (moonless session only)

Eta Carina Nebula, Tarantula Nebula

Open Star Clusters

Pincushion Cluster, Gem Cluster, Southern Beehive Cluster, Butterfly Cluster, Ptolemy's Cluster, NGC 6231, NGC 3114, Beehive.

Globular Clusters: (Moonless Nights)

Omega Centauri, M4

Galaxies: (Moonless session only)

Magellanic Clouds, Sombrero Galaxy, Leo Triplet, Centaurus A

Planetary Nebulae (Moonless sessions):

Ghost of Jupiter, Blue Planetary Nebula,

Multiple Star Systems

Alpha Cen, Alpha Cru, Gamma Vel, 145 CMa

Comets (Moonless Nights Only) nil

Constellations Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Crux, Hydra, Corvus, Centaurus

Asterisms Diamond Cross, Southern Cross, False Cross, The Sickle., Hook

Photography: We can take 4 photographs with your Canon, Nikon, DSLR camera

47 Tucanae,, Eta carina Nebula, Sombrero Galaxy, Omega Centauri

on moonless nights. On bright Moon nights, we photograph the Moon and bright star clusters.

The best time to view the planets is when they are closest to the Earth and are ideally overhead in the night sky.

These are the dates for the Premium Session.

Mercury: Never in this session

Venus : Never in this session

Mars: Dec 2022 to Jan 2023

Jupiter Sep 2021 - Nov 2021

Saturn Sep 2021 - Nov 2021

Uranus Dec 2020- Jan 2021

Neptune Oct 2021 - Dec 2021

Best Time to view the Milky Way is July through to September.

Compatible DSR Cameras

Canon EOS DSLR

Canon Mirrorless with an adapter to fit an EF Lens

Nikon D DSLR

Pentax K DSLR

Sony alpha E mount (ensure it can take a photo with the lens not attached before booking)

For other cameras we cannot guarantee our camera adapters will be compatible, but bring the camera along and we can try.

You will need to bring a remote shutter release to get the best photos. We have some that fit some camera models.

You will also need to know how your camera operates and in particular change settings such as

ISO sensitivity

Manual Setting

Exposure time

Mirror lock

Bulb Setting

Live view

enabling the remote shutter release for Nikon cameras.

Ensure I can take a photo without the lens attached.

Darkest Skies: 2nd - 9th, 23rd - 31st

Planets: nil

Moon* Visible during show -7th - 20th

New Moon 30th,

First quarter 23rd

Full Moon 16th

Nebulae

Eta Carina Nebula

Open Star Clusters

Jewel Box, Gem Cluster, Pincushion Cluster, Butterfly, Ptolemy's, NGC 6231, NGC 3114

Globular Clusters (Moonless Sessions)

Omega Centauri, M4

Galaxies: (Moonless nights only): Centaurus A, Sombrero Galaxy, Large Magellanic Cloud.

Planetary Nebulae (Stellar remnants): Ghost of Jupiter

Multiple Star Systems

Alpha Crucis

Comets (Moonless Nights Only) nil

Constellations: Leo, Cancer, Gemini, Taurus, Corvus, Hydra, Orion, Canis Major ,Canis Minor, Crux, Centaurus

Asterisms: Southern Cross, False Cross, Diamond Cross, Sickle, Hook

Photography: We can take 4 photographs with your Canon, Nikon, DSLR camera

Darkest Skies 1st to 7th. 20th - 31st

Planets: Nil

Moon

Visible 8th to 19th

New Moon: 29th

First Quarter 8th

Full Moon 14th

Last Quarter 21st

Multiple Star Systems: Alpha Centauri, Alpha Crucis, Gamma Vel

Open Star Clusters: Southern Beehive Cluster, Southern Pleiades, Jewel Box, Gem Cluster, Butterfly Cluster, Ptolemy's Cluster, NGC 6231.

Globular Clusters, Moonless Nights: Omega Centauri, M4

Emission Nebula (moonless nights): Eta Carina Nebula, Swan Nebula, Lagoon Nebula

Planetary Nebulae (moonless nights): Ghost of Jupiter, Blue Planetary.

Galaxies (moonless nights): Sombrero Galaxy, Centaurus A

Comets (moonless nights): Nil

Meteor Showers (moonless nights):

Constellations: Leo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Corvus, Centaurus

Asterisms: Hook, Southern Cross, Southern Triangle, Teapot, False Cross, Diamond Cross.

Photography: If you bring a compatible DSLR camera, we take 4 images for you.

Moonless nights - Trifid Nebula, Lagoon Nebula, Swan Nebula, Eta Carina Nebula.

Nights with the Moon visible - Moon, Jewel Box, Eta Carina Nebula, Butterfly Cluster/

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Premium Session Bookings

Premium Tour

Prices

Session Dates and Times

Objects
Exclusive Session 9:30pm session in april 2022

Best time to view planets.

Objects
Exclusive session in May 2022

objects Exclusive session in june 2022

Enquiries: 0488 425 940
Email: peter@dubboobservatory.com