Astro December

Welcome to our space and astronomy summer programme. Look at the Sun through our solar telescope if the weather is good, experience the Universe with our virtual reality VR headsets and our planetarium software, hot chocolate (or tea) and enjoy amazing sweeping views of Wairarapa’s hill country. This is a 90 minutes introduction to astronomy and space session on location at Star Safari. No prior knowledge necessary.

At AstroDECEMBER you will learn about what’s in the sky this month:

Mars and Jupiter their moons and how they formed, how the sky moves, the International Space Station, and the latest news in space (and on Mars) - what rocket launches are coming up, what new science is there, latest cool photos from James Webb.

Kids 15 and under are free because they should not pay for inspiration.

Read here our December sky overview https://milky-way.kiwi/the-night-sky/december/

Other people might tell you stories about the night sky. They might talk about star lore and star constellations, or even try and tell your future. We do science. An astrobiologist, Hari trained for Mars at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah and lectures at Auckland University in Planetary Protection. She is on the Wairarapa Dark Sky Association and Women in Space Aotearoa Committees and was a finalist of the New Zealand Woman of the Year in 2019 and picked to go to the European Space Agency Astronaut Selection in 2021. For the last 25 years, Sam has been living in Wairarapa, observing the night sky from his private observatory. Sam is a former airforce pilot and intelligence officer, studying astrophysics and now a professional space science communicator.

The address is 1169 Ponatahi Road and our observatories are on top of the hill. Once you get to the gate, follow our signs to the top of the hill. The location is on a working farm so please drive slowly and be cautious of any animals. The last part of the drive is on gravel road. Drive gently and consistently and stick to the road.