Night Sky Tours

Tour Start Times

Night Sky Tour Types

The 2024-25 Schedule

Dark Sky Nights

Dark sky nights are when there’s no Moon. The fainter objects such as globular clusters and nebulae show up well against the darker background of a moonless sky.

Moonlit Nights

Moonlit nights are when the Moon is one of the observing targets. The best detail on the lunar surface is seen around the half-moon phase. Star clusters and bright nebulae will also be visible.

Focusing on the Full Moon Tours

Focusing on the Full Moon Tours occur when a Full Moon occurs. For more details and to book, click the link below:

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Special Night Tours

These are night tours where we decorate the Observatory and you can come dressed up to the nine or in costume and have a chance to win a best-dressed prize as we celebrate a particular date.

14/09/2024 – International Observe The Moon Night Tour

31/10/2024 – Halloween Night Tour

23/11/2024 – Dr Who Night Tour

31/12/2024 – New Year’s Eve Night Tour

14/02/2025 – Valentine’s Night Tour

05/04/2025 – Star Trek Night Tour

04/05/2025 – Star Wars Night Tour

25/05/2025 – Towel Day Night Tour

What If It’s Cloudy

In the event of cloudy or rainy weather, we will still conduct our Night Sky Tour, which includes a captivating astronomical presentation and a guided tour of our facility, where you can discover the rich 120-year history of Perth Observatory. Should the sky clear up enough for us to begin or continue stargazing through the telescopes, we will happily do so.

During the Spring, Summer, and Autumn seasons, we guarantee that you will see at least 4 celestial objects through our telescopes. If this minimum is not met due to cloudy conditions, we will deem the Night Sky Tour a “cloudy night” and email you a 50% discount code for a future tour. When attending your rescheduled tour, you may postpone again to an alternative date if cloudy conditions are forecast.

We understand that unexpected circumstances may arise, and we allow for bookings to be transferred to another date up to 24 hours before your scheduled tour. However, we do make exceptions for situations such as a death in the family, illness, or plane delays.

We only cancel our Night Sky Tours in the event of a bushfire close by, loss of power to the Observatory, and the Bureau of Meteorology has issued a Severe Weather Warning for the Perth Metropolitan region, including the Perth Hills/Bickley area, during the scheduled tour time or within 6 hours prior to the tour start time. In such a case, we will notify you promptly by phone call and/or email. You will then be given the option to receive a full refund or transfer your booking to an alternative tour date or time.

If you would like to reschedule your tour due to anticipated inclement weather, please contact us via phone at 08 9293 8255, email at info@perthobservatory.com.au or even send us a message through our Facebook page up until the day before your scheduled tour.

Please be aware that if you have booked your tour using a cloudy night coupon code received from a previous tour that was cancelled due to cloudy or rainy weather, you may get in touch with us on the day of your tour.

General Tour Info

Time

Aim to arrive 15 minutes early to minimise inconvenience, especially on the evening sessions.

Dress Appropriately

Our star viewing sessions are outdoor activities, in the bush and in the dark and can be cold.

Young Children

Children must be supervised by an adult at all times. Children under 5 are free, but it’s recommended that children be at least 8 years of age to attend telescope viewing events, as the ability to take instructions, understand the information given and patience for the duration of approximately 90 minutes viewings is necessary.

Smoking

Is totally prohibited in the Observatory grounds and buildings.

Litter

The Observatory is in a National Park and is part of the Department of Parks and Wildlife, which requires visitors to take their litter when they leave.

Concession Ticket Definition

Concession* is defined as one of the following:

• Current and former defence and emergency personnel
• WA Seniors Card holders
• Seniors and Australian Health Care Card Holders who hold one of the following:
  • Blue Government Card or White Senior Card
  • Pension Card
  • Repatriation Health Card (Gold)
  • Health Care Card specifying reason as “age”
  • Veterans Affairs Card
  • For overseas seniors, Proof of Age Cards or Passport showing age as +65 years old
• Students
  • Any Australian student card with a valid sticker or date – the student must be studying in Australia
• WA Parks Foundation members

Wheelchairs Accessibility

Please note that step or platform ladders may be required to access the eyepieces of some of our telescopes. While we do offer a pantograph telescope for individuals in wheelchairs, please keep in mind that this telescope requires a range of head and upper body movement to use, and positioning the wheelchair with precision in the dark may be necessary.

If you or someone in your group requires the use of the pantograph telescope, please indicate this in the notes field when booking your tour, and we will ensure that it is prepared and available for use on the night.

If you plan on having dinner before your tour, there are several great dining options in the area. In Gooseberry Hill, Embers Restaurant offers a delightful experience, while Lesmurdie boasts the Village Pizza Kitchen and Buns & Co. For a wider selection of dining options, Kalamunda is the largest town in the Perth Hills and offers a diverse range of restaurants including:

• The Vault
• Kishi Bar
• Taco Maria
• Kandel Pan And Grill
• Kalamunda Tap House
• Kalamunda Hotel
• The Best Drop