General Astronomy Session
Status of Tonight’s Show:
Sunday, 13th July, 6:30pm
Weather Forecast (Weatherzone): 70% Clear Sky, 7 Deg C
- Shows go ahead rain, hail, or shine.
- The clearer the sky the more we see.
- 6:30pm Available
- Highlights for tonight: Jewel Box, Omega Centauri.
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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EVENT DETAILS
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 educational Astronomy & Night Sky Presentation under the stars (indoors if it is raining) with an astronomy expert.
- Ask questions about the night sky and the universe.
Part 2: Stargazing & Telescope Viewing (weather permitting*)
- 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 (weather permitting)
- If you bring a compatible DSLR camera body, we take ONE photo per camera of a colourful nebula through the telescope if it is a clear sky.
- Alternatively bring an SD card that fits our canon camera.
- One photo per camera, not per person.
- 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.
- If it is cloudy we cannot take any photographs.
- SD cards are available for purchase for $25 and use our camera and get 2 photos (moonless nights).
- 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 see anything through a telescope, we issue a 50% refund excluding any booking fees
Session lasts for 75 minutes.
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 2 to 50 people.
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 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.
Times & Dates:
Note that times can vary from what is stated below. Accurate times are stated on the home page under “Status of Tonight’s Show” and is also stated when you purchase a ticket.
July
- 6:30pm
August
- 1st to the 6th
- 8th to 13th
- 18th to the 30th
September
- 7pm 1st to 5th
- closed 6th to 11th
- 7pm 12th to the 30th
October
7:15pm 1st to the 4th
8:15pm: 5th to 17th
8:30pm: 23rd to 24th
November 9pm 4th to 30th
December 9pm
Prices:
Adult $40, Child 5 to 16yrs $25
Public holiday $5 extra pp.
Bookings:
- Tickets are available on the day of the show up to 6pm.
- Tickets are purchased online from the iwannaticket ticketing agency.
- Unsold tickets sold at the door at 6:15pm
- If it is overcast or raining at start time,
- we give you the option of a credit to attend a future available session within the next 3 years
- OR stay for the extended Astronomy presentation. If the sky clears we can see through the telescopes. If we cant show you anything through the telescope by the end of the show, we issue a 50% refund excluding the ticketing fee.
- Tickets are non-refundable.
Children under 5 years of age are not permitted.
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, send an email to [email protected] with your credit code. We w
If you are purchasing using a gift certificate email [email protected] with your gift certificate number.
Tickets further in advance.
If you are wishing to book in advance;
- email Dubbo Observatory at [email protected]
- with your name, date to attend, number of adults and number of children, ages of children, and a contact number for the day. Also acknowledge you have read what happens on cloudy & Rainy nights (see below). and you acknowledge that there is no refund or rescheduling unless we can resell that ticket. Any credit card or bank fees are non-refundable.
- We send you a link to purchase tickets online.
What to Bring & 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 don’t provide heating outside as it affects the quality of the telescope viewing.
- Hot Handwarmers are recommended on cold nights. (Hot Hands are available for sale)
- Insect Repellant in the warmer months.
- Enclosed Shoes.
- Glasses or contact lenses for distance vision.
- A red torch or headlamp is recommended on dark moonless nights. (red flashlights will be available for sale)
What Not to Bring
- White lights like torches, camera flashes, phones must be in your pocket or bag.
- Shoes with flashing lights please as they affect the viewing experience for others.
- Food or drink of any kind (excluding water on summer nights).
- Cigarettes, no smoking anywhere on site including the carpark.
- Animals of any kind (service animals permitted under prior arrangement and documentation)
- Children under 5 years of age
Event Guidelines
- Use of white lights are strictly prohibited in the telescope viewing area.
- Children must be under strict adult supervision and well behaved at all times.
- Please be quiet during the astronomy presentation so all can hear clearly.
- Avoid loud and boisterous behaviour, be kind & considerate to others.
- Please do not touch or handle any part of the telescope including eyepieces. If they are moved, they will be out of action for all people for the remainder of the session. Hold children’s hands when they observe through the telescope. Any damages must be paid for, telescopes are very expensive!
- No running in the dark, keep children with you at all times.
- Do not take photos using your phone up to the eyepiece.
Cancellation & Rescheduling Policy for iwannaticket pre-purchased tickets
To Cancel tickets purchased online,
- Only the person who purchased the tickets can request a cancellation.
- Call 0488 425 940 or email [email protected]
- 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
- 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: August 2026 September 2026
Mars: March 2027, April 2029
Jupiter: January 2026 to mid April 2026. Best in March 2026
Saturn: October 2025 to January 2026, best in November 2025, (no rings visible in 2025 as they are edge on)
Uranus: December 2025 to February 2026
Neptune: October 2025 to January 2026
When is the Milky Way Visible? (First session):
June to September on moonless nights