Dubbo observatory

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 with extras and is a private tour of the night sky. This can be for yourself, or with your partner or other friends or family you want to bring. No other people can attend just you or your group.

The tour lasts for approx 100 minutes.

Extras:

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 an SD card from our gift shop.

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

Private Session

$150 per person

plus a non-refundable ticketing fee.

Tickets

Tickets are available online only at www.dubboobservatory.com

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

This takes you to the iwannaticket booking agency website. Select the tour Private or Astrophotography Tour (relevant month) - 2022.

You have to select the relevant month.

It will only let you buy 1 ticket. Once you purchase this ticket email me at peter@dubboobservatory.com if you have extra people you want to bring. I will arrange for you to purchase extra tickets. Cost is $150 per person plus a small non-refundable booking fee.

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: 1st to 7th to the 20th to 30th.

Planets: Saturn low on horizon so wont be at its best.

Moon* Visible during show - 8th to 19th

New Moon 30th

First quarter 7th

Full Moon 14th

3rd Qtr

Nebulae (moonless session only)

Lagoon Nebula, Swan Nebula, Eta Carina Nebula

Trifid and Eagle photographically

Open Star Clusters

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

Globular Clusters: (Moonless Nights)

Omega Centauri, M4, 47 Tucanae, Hercules Cluster

Galaxies: (Moonless session only)

Centaurus A,

Southern Pinwheel photographically.

Planetary Nebulae (Moonless sessions):

Ring Nebula, Blue Planetary Nebula,

Multiple Star Systems

Albireo, Alpha Cen, Alpha Cru

Comets (Moonless Nights Only) nil

Constellations Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Crux, Centaurus

Asterisms Diamond Cross, Southern Cross, False Cross, Hook, Teapot

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

Eta carina Nebula, Lagoon Nebula, Trifid Nebula, Swan Nebula

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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Private Session Bookings

Private Tour

Prices

Session Dates and Times

Objects
Private Session 10:30pm session in June 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