Night Sky and Telescope Viewing
23rd to the 29th of January 2025 We are closed on these dates
Status of Tonight’s Show
20th Jan
The clearer the sky, the more we see
Alternative program on cloudy and rainy nights for pre-purchased tickets
Cancellation policy for pre-purchased tickets
Got a question? Refer to FAQ page or call /text 0488 425 940 or email [email protected]
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WHAT THE SHOW ENTAILS
Join astronomer Peter Starr (Yes, that is his real name) to experience the Night Sky & Wonders of the Universe.
Part 1: Astronomy Presentation
- A 30-minute informative Astronomy & Night Sky Presentation under the stars (indoors if it is raining).
- Ask questions about the night sky and the universe.
Part 2: Stargazing & Telescope Viewing
- Stargazing where we point out the stars & constellations with a laser.
- View the stars, planets, and deep sky objects through our telescopes.
- There will be between 2 and 9 telescopes to view through depending on the number of people booked (6 people per telescope on average).
- If it is overcast or raining, we extend part 1 of the show as cannot view through the telescopes.
Part 3: (optional) Astrophotography
- If you bring a compatible DSLR camera body, we take one image of a colourful nebula through the telescope if it is a clear sky.
- If it is near or on Full Moon, we take an image of the Moon instead. We can take extra photos if time permits at $10 extra per photo.
- Alternatively bring an SD card that fits our canon camera.
- Or you can purchase an SD card from us for $25 and use our camera and get 2 photos.
- Compatible cameras are Canon DSLR, Nikon DSLR with a removeable lens, and Sony mirrorless.
What is visible varies through the night and time of year. There is a list of what we plan to see if you scroll to the bottom of this page.
What we see also depends on how dark the sky is. The darker the sky the more we see. The best nights are when the Moon is not visible during the session, or at least before First Qtr Moon. Galaxies and nebulae are not visible after first quarter (> 50% illuminated to 2 days after Full Moon). This is updated daily on our home page.
How much we see depends on the amount of cloud cover. The clearer the sky, the more objects we see.
If it is overcast or raining at start time, you have the choice of;
(A) moving to another session of the same value within the next 3 years
or
(B) stay for an extended informative indoor astronomy presentation and view through the telescope if the sky clears. If we cannot view anything through the telescope a 50% refund issued (excluding the booking fee)
Session lasts for a minimum of 1 hour. It can extend an extra 20 minutes sometimes if it is busy.
The show is outdoors, please dress to the weather conditions. It is very cold in winter, please wear lots of warm clothes, a beanie, scarf and gloves. No heating is provided as it affects the viewing. In Spring and summer we can get mosquitoes on dusk so either cover up or apply Aeroguard before you come.
You need to be able to stand at least briefly to view through the telescopes.
Group size is 1 to 50 people. If you prefer a small group, consider the Premium Session limited to 6 people or booking a private session.
The show is suitable for people 8 years and above that are interested in astronomy or the night sky.
Children under 5 years are not permitted to attend the observatory site due to previous damage to equipment and disruption of the show. If you bring a child under 5, you won’t be permitted entry and there is no refund if you purchased tickets. Please arrange to have someone look after your child at your accommodation.
We are located at 17L Camp Rd, Dubbo NSW 2830. We are 8km from Dubbo and you will need your own transport.
You won’t be permitted entry if you arrive late. Once the session has started, you may be unable to reach us by phone or text as we will be busy entertaining the group. There are no refunds if you miss the session. Please plan your travel and dinner accordingly. Plan to arrive 15 minutes before start time. Doors open 15 mins before start time. We recommend you do not book a taxi as unfortunatley we have found they let our customers down 50% of the time.
Times & Dates:
January: 9:15pm.
19th to the 22nd.
30th an 31st.
Not available 23rd to 29th.
Dates for February: 9pm 3rd to the 19th. 23rd to 28th
Prices:
Night Sky & Telescope viewing sessions : Adult $35, Child 5 to 16yrs $25
Bookings:
Tickets for Night Sky & Telescope Viewing Session
Tickets are sold on the day of the show only.
50 tickets are available per session. If you prefer a smaller group size, consider the Premium or Private sessions.
If you wish to reserve spots for today’s session,
Tickets can be purchased online from the iwannaticket ticketing agency on the day of the show up to 8pm.
Unsold tickets are sold at the door, 15 mins before start time
- We cut the numbers at 50 people so first in first serve.
Children under 5 years of age are not permitted on the site. You won’t be allowed entry otherwise.
Children 5 to 16 yrs must be accompanied by a paying parent or guardian.
If you are using a credit from a previously cancelled session, please call Peter at the Observatory on 0488 425 940 to book a ticket with your credit code. or send an email to [email protected]
If you are purchasing using a gift certificate call Peter on 0488 425 940 to book with your gift certificate number.
Before booking, please read our alternative program below on cloudy and rainy nights when we cannot view through the telescopes. Read our cancellation policy.
The clearer the sky is the more objects we observe through the telescopes. The more cloud cover the less you see. As a guide, if it is 50% cloud cover, expect to see 50% of the number of objects we plan to show. We give a forecast for the day on the homepage.
Check the weather forecast before you book if you only prefer a clear sky.
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Cloudy & Rainy Nights: For pre-purchased tickets from iwannaticket ticketing agency
If it is overcast or raining at start time of the show there are 2 options for full price tickets;
Option A: We issue you a credit to a future session of the same value within the next 3 years. This is non-refundable in the future. We will send you an email with a code with instructions how to book a future ticket directly with the observatory. If the future session is a cloudy night, a new credit for another is issued.
Option B: Continue with the session doing an extended presentation instead. If we cannot show you anything through a telescope by the end of the session due to cloud cover or rain we issue you a 50% refund excluding the booking fee. If you do view through the telescope, there is no refund. The 50% refund does not apply to tickets purchased with a credit or gift certificate.
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What to Wear:
We are outdoors so dress to the weather conditions.
In the colder months it can be extremely cold. A beanie, scarf and gloves can really make a difference and or bring a blanket. We dont provide heating outside as it affects the quality of the telescope viewing.
In the warmer months we can get some mosquitoes at dusk. Please apply insect repellant before you arrive on any uncovered areas.
You must wear enclosed shoes.
No shoes with flashing lights please as they affect the viewing experience for others.
Cancellation & Rescheduling Policy for iwannaticket pre-purchased tickets
To Cancel tickets purchased online,
- call 0488 425 940 or email [email protected]
- The name of the person who made the booking
- The ticket numbers to be canceled.
- There is no refund unless we can resell your tickets
- The ticketing fee is non-refundable
- Do not contact iwannaticket ticketing agency. They may take a few days to respond and forward the request to me. It will be too late to process and you will not get a refund.
To reschedule tickets purchased online:
- You need to purchase new tickets to attend a different session
- Call 0488 425 940 or email [email protected] Quote the name of the person who purchased the tickets and list the ticket numbers.
- A refund is only given if we can resell your old tickets.
- The ticketing fee is non-refundable
Tickets purchased with a gift voucher or a credit code from a previous canceled session
- Call 0488 425 940 or email [email protected] and quote you gift certificate number or credit code
- If more than 7 days notice is given, a new credit code is issued.
- If less than 7 days notice is given, A new credit is issued if we can resell your booking.
Cancellation by the Observatory:
If we cancel the show a refund is issued back to your card.
Astrophotography Camera Requirements:
If you bring a Canon, Nikon, DSLR Camera that has a removeable lens, we can take a photo of a colourful nebula on moonless nights if it is a clear night. On bright Moon nights we photograph the Moon.
We can also take Canon or Nikon mirrorless cameras if you have the dslr lens adapter connected. We can also attach Sony mirrorless cameras.
We attach your camera body with our adapter to fix to the telescope.
Alternatively, if you bring a standard size SD card we can use our camera.
We sell standard size SD cards as well ($25). You can have 2 photos taken if you purchase one of our SD cards.
You will need to know your camera settings before you come. e.g. manual setting, ISO, exposure time, live view, live view can be magnified, a photo can be taken with the lens removed. If you don’t know your settings we may not be able to take a photo for you as I do not know all camera models.
The live view must be able to be magnified otherwise the photo taken will be out of focus. Try this before you come as there will be no time to work this out.
Wheelchair Access:
There is wheelchair access to the main building and the outside telescope areas.
There is no wheelchair access to the observatory where the largest telescope is.
You will only be able to view through a telescope if you can briefly stand.
If you are confined to the wheelchair and can’t view through the telescopes, you can use a pair of binoculars we have and we can show you objects to view. This would be a similar view you would see through our smallest telescope.
We have a toilet that is accessible.
What we plan to observe
We show you as many objects as we can through the telescopes. This number will depend on how clear the sky is. If the sky is 100% clear we see all the planned objects. If it is a 50% clear sky we should see 50% of the planned objects. If the list is blank press the download button.
When are the planets visible (First session):
Planets are not visible all of the time. They are visible at certain times of the year and is different every year.
Venus: October 2024 to mid January 2025
Mars: Late Dec 2024 to March 2025. Best in January 2025, March 2027, April 2029
Jupiter: December 2024 to March 2025. Best in January 2025, March 2026
Saturn: September 2024 to December 2025, best in October 2024, November 2025 (no rings visible in 2025 as they are edge on)
When is the Milky Way Visible? (First session):
June to September on moonless nights