Night Sky & Telescope Viewing Tour

The Night Sky & Telescope Tour includes

An Astronomy Presentation

Point out the Stars, Planets, and Constellations with a laser pointer.

Look through up to 7 telescopes at the stars, planets, nebulae, and galaxies.

Answer your astronomy questions.

Take one photo with your DSLR Camera of a colourful Nebula or the Moon. Compatible Cameras are listed below.

Duration is 60 minutes + 15 minutes for astrophotography if you have a camera or SD Card that fits our Canon RA camera.

Group size depends on which covid-19 restrictions apply at the time but the maximum group size is 50 people.is a maximum of 50 people. If you prefer a smaller group size, consider the Premium session which has a limit of 6 people.

The show is appropriate for people 5 years and older. Children under 5 years do not get much out of the show but if you decide to bring them they will need a pre-paid ticket.

Every person regardless of age requires a pre-paid ticket to attend.

You must wear a mask when onsite.

This is an outdoors activity so please dress appropriately for weather conditions, its cold from Autumn through to spring. Summer we can get some mozzies on dusk so best to be covered up with long sleeve shirt, long pants with shoes and apply some insect repellant on uncovered skin in the summer months.

With Covid-19 restrictions the show has been altered. The presentation is now done outdoors, numbers that can attend change depending on how restrictions change, you must have a pre-purchased ticket to attend, provide your email address and contact number when you purchase a ticket which is used in case NSW Health wish to contact trace.

We have up to 7 telescopes to view through, the number depending on how many guests there are.

We observe approx. 12 different objects.

We will show any planets that are visible, star clusters, binary stars, nebulae, and galaxies.

On nights around Full Moon, galaxies and nebulae are usually not visible.

The objects we view vary depending on the time of night and the time of the year due to the Earth's rotation and orbit around the Sun.

The objects we plan to show are from the list below for the current month.

We will explain what you are looking at and answer your questions.

If you own and bring your DSLR camera, we can take a single photo of a colourful nebula through the main telescope. On nights around full moon, nebulae don't photograph well so we take a photo of the Moon.

Or bring your compatible SD card and take a photo using our Canon Ra camera.

We use the camera body only and attach our T-ring and T-adapter which will then fit onto the main telescope.

One photo is taken per camera.

Extra photos can be taken if time permits at $10 per photo or consider either the astrophotography tour (12 photos) or Astroexclusive tour (4 photos)

Compatible Cameras

Canon DSLRs and mirrorless that fit an EF type lens

Nikon D series DSLR

Pentax K DSLR

Sony including mirrorless (ensure it can take a photo without the lens attached)

Other brands, models, mirrorless cameras may work but I cannot guarantee they are compatible as I may not have the correct T-ring.

We sell photos of the objects I have taken in our gift shop if you don't have a camera.

Please know how to operate your camera, I know some cameras but not all. ISO, exposure time, and setting to manual or bulb setting is required to be known.

Note that start times can vary on certain nights but time confirmed upon booking.

Night Sky & Telescope Tour Times

January .............................9:00pm

February.............................9:00pm

March..................................8:30pm

April..............8:00pm (7pm once daylight saving time finishes)

May.......................................7:00pm

June......................................7:00pm

July........................................7:00pm

August..................................7:00pm

September...........................7:00pm

October.................................8:00pm,

November............................8:30pm

December............................9:00pm

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LATE SHOW

January 2021

22nd Friday Night (12:15am Sat morning)

Choose 22 Jan 11:45pm (but it is actually 12:15am 30 mins later)

23rd Saturday Night (12:15am Sun morning

Choose 23 Jan 11:45pm to book)

24th Sunday Night (Choose Mon 25 12:30am to book)

25th Monday Night 10:30pm

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Best Months to view the planets for the first session.

All objects are at their best when they are overhead in the sky as we are observing through less atmosphere. When objects are low they can be blurry as we look through much more atmosphere.

Mercury..............................Always too low for good viewing in session 1

Venus..................................Oct to Nov 2021

Mars.....................................Dec 2022

Jupiter................................Sept to Nov 2021

Saturn ..............................Sept to Nov 2021

Uranus...............................Dec 2020 to Jan 2021

Neptune..............................Oct to Dec 2021

Best Months to view the Milky Way

July to September on moonless nights

Night Sky & Telescope Viewing Session.

Prepaid tickets from the ticketing agency.

Monday to Saturday................$26 per person

Sundays........................................$30 per person

Public Holidays.........................$40 per person

Late Show....................................$40 per person

(Note the Late Show is only on selected nights, not every night)

A booking fee applies to tickets purchased online through the ticketing agency.

Online tickets are available up to an hour before start time unless sold out.

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Prices at the Door

$30 per person Mon - Sat.

$34 on Sundays

$44 on Public Holidays

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Great Big Adventure Pass

Not available during covid-19 restrictions

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Enquiries

Call Peter on 0488 425 940

Email: peter@dubboobservatory.com

You must have a pre-purchased ticket to attend. These are shown on your phone on arrival.

All people regardless of age require a pre-paid ticket to attend. You wont be permitted to bring extra people along regardless of age unless they have a ticket.

The show is not suitable for children under 5 years of age. If you decide to bring them, they will need a pre-paid ticket.

To purchase a ticket:

Select bookings in the menu

Note this is entirely an outdoor activity. It can get very cold in winter. You will need to bring as many warm clothes as possible.

In the summer months there can be some mozzies just on dusk so wear shoes, long pants and a long sleeve shirt. Apply insect repellant before you arrive.

You must wear a mask onsite.

Note the State Government can change covid-19 restrictions at any time with short notice. This may impact us if we are forced to reduce our number limit. If this happens we may have to cancel some customer bookings.

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Customer Cancels with more than 72 hours notice (3 days)

A refund is given if more than 72 hours notice of cancellation is given by the customer. You will lose your booking and credit card fee.

Customer cancels with less than 72 hours (3 days) notice or does not arrive.

No refund is given

If you cancel with less than 72 hours notice due to a government health order such as you a from or have visited a covid-19 lockdown area, been asked to quarantine or self isolate, a credit is given of equal monetary value to a future session within the next 12 months. This also applies if you are cancelling due to bushfires.

Changing the date or session on your ticket

72 hours notice is required to change the tickets to another session.

A credit note is issued and you use that credit note number to purchase a new ticket.

Note that if the future session is cancelled by us a refund is not issued but a new credit note is issued to purchase tickets at another future date.

If this is not acceptable for you, it is best to cancel your booking and purchase a new ticket if you wish. A refund is issued then if we cancel the show.

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Changing numbers after you have purchased tickets

72 hours notice is required to change the number of people in your group. You may lose your booking fee.

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Show Cancellation

The show is cancelled in the event of rain or it is completely overcast and it appears not to clear during the show. We make a decision at start time. If you are planning to drive from a distance like Mudgee, or Orange and then drive back that night we recommend you purchase a ticket on the day when the weather forecast is certain and definitely not prior.

A refund is given. To claim your refund please reply email me your booking details and bank details. Do not send a text.

There is wheelchair access to the main building, a disabled toilet, the theatrette, and to the outside viewing platform where the outside telescopes are.
There is no wheelchair access to the observatory where the main 17"telescope is.
There is wheelchair access to the presentation and pointing out the stars and planets in the night sky with the laser pointer at the outside viewing platform.
There is an issue with looking through telescopes for customers confined to a wheel chair unless they can stand up briefly. The reason is
The height above ground level of the eyepiece of the telescope varies depending on how high above the horizon the star to view is located, If the star is overhead the eyepiece is at its lowest point and is more accessible. If the star is lower in the sky the eyepiece is much higher.. So it depends on how high the disabled customers eye is up from the ground and would be too low to view most objects through a telescope.
An alternative would be to hire a pair of our binoculars for that part of the tour.

We plan to show you at least 12 objects from the following list.

What we show will depend on the location of the Moon which can hinder the visibility of galaxies and nebulae. The objects will be different for the Late Show.

The following is for session 1 only at 9pm

Darkest Nights 2nd to the 16th

Planets: Mars, Uranus

Asteroids: nil

Moon:

Full Moon 29th

New Moon 13th,

First Qtr 21st

Visible for night show 1st to 2nd, 18th to 31st

Comets: (moonless nights) nil

Nebulae: Tarantula Nebula, Orion Nebula, Eta Carina Nebula (except on the nights around full moon)

Globular Clusters: 47 Tucanae (except on nights around full moon)

Open Clusters: Pleiades, Southern Beehive Cluster, Pincushion Cluster

Binary Stars: Acamar, HD 56578

Galaxies: (Moonless nights) Magellanic Clouds, Silvercoin Galaxy.

Supernova Remnants: Crab Nebula

Planetary Nebulae: Nil

Constellations: ,Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Orion, Canis Major, Canis Minor

Asterisms: Diamond Cross, Saucepan, False Cross

Astrophotograph with your compatible DSLR camera: Orion Nebula or the Moon

The Show is restricted to outdoors with a limit of 1 person per 4 square metres of floor space.

You must have a prepurchased ticket to attend with your name on it.

This applies to every person regardless of age including babies and toddlers.

If you bring an extra person regardless of age we have no option but to turn that person away.

In order to be viable there is a flat charge per person regardless of age.

We must keep the name and contact details of each person onsite. Please provide every person's name when purchasing your tickets.

In order to keep everyone safe please:

Do not come if

Have tested positive for covid-19

You are feeling unwell or have any covid 19 symptoms.

You are supposed to be in quarantine

You are waiting for your corona virus test results

You have been to any locations on the dates specified listed under headings

.....................Self Isolate and get tested immediately

.....................Monitor for symptoms

.....................at https:www.nsw.gov.au/latest-news-and-updates

You are not prepared to follow the following safety precautions

You must wash or sanitise your hands on arrival. Please use as often as needed through the evening.

If you do need to sneeze or cough, please do so into your elbow

Social distancing of 1.5m is to be followed at all times.

If you are bringing children, they must stay with you at all times and not run around breaking the 1.5m rule.

Extremely important not to touch the eyepieces or telescopes though of course you can look through them

You must wear a mask onsite.

Peter@dubboobservatory.com

more

Bookings

Night Sky & Telescope Tour

1: astronomy Presentation

2: Point out the Stars & planets

3: Telescope Viewing

4: Take an Astrophotograph with your DSLR Camera

Times and Dates

Prices

tickets

Changes, cancellations, refunds

Wheelchair access

Carers Card

Objects visible
January 9pm session

Session 1

Corona virus restrictions information

Dubbo Observatory

17L Camp Rd, Dubbo, NSW, 2830

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