Mount Stromlo Observatory in conjunction with the Canberra Astronomical Society invite the Canberra community to attend our public observing nights of 2018. Come and see the rings of Saturn, the craters of the moon, and beautiful star clusters and nebulae. On the night attendees will be taken on a ‘tour of the universe’ with talks by astronomers from Mt. Stromlo Observatory and observations on several telescopes.

Bookings are essential and entry is by gold coin donation. Warm clothing is recommended. The café will also be open to serve food and drink.

In the event of cloudy/bad weather, stargazing will be cancelled (the talks will occur regardless of the weather). You can check out the weather at Mt Stromlo using our all sky camera. We will also post updates on our Facebook page.

2018 Dates: 20 April, 18 May, 15 June, 13 July, 17 August, and 14 September.

FAQs

My preferred date is sold out. Will more tickets become available for it?

Sorry, we do not release extra tickets to our public nights, nor do we maintain a waitlist. However, please check back 1-2 days before the event as tickets may become available again as people cancel their orders.

I am no longer able to attend. How do I cancel my ticket?

You can do this by clicking the "Tickets" link under your name at the top right of the page. Select “Manage your Order” and then choose “Cancel Order”. Further instructions are available on the Eventbrite website.

Is the event suitable for children?

The stargazing will start at 7pm and last for two hours. There will be 10-20 telescope available on the night, with the same objects in the sky being visible all evening (weather dependent), so you can come and go as you choose. There will also be a few talks/lectures during the evening (aimed at a variety of ages and lasting no more than 30 minutes each), and the schedule will be posted on the day (the talks will occur regardless of the weather). The telescopes will be outside the Visitor Centre while the talks will be inside.

The telescopes are suitable for nearly all ages - 3 year olds usually can understand they are looking at the Moon. It also depends on the level of interest of the child - if they are interested, it is more than suitable. There can be waits to look through the telescopes which might be the most difficult part. We suggest getting there earlier (often a few telescopes are set up from 6:30).