OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
Enjoy the night sky each week, as we give you the latest on stargazing.
SEE WITH THE NAKED EYE
SEE WITH BINOCULARS AND TELESCOPE
Of course, none of the planets make light of their own, what we see are the features of each planet illuminated by the light from the Sun that gets reflected by our Solar System companions.
After dark adaptation and under the very best observing conditions, the average limiting magnitude of the human eye is about magnitude 6.5.
There are beautiful objects you can see in the night sky, some are circumpolar and some are seasonal.
From Wellington it is always a great time to learn the main asterisms (groupings of stars) that make the main constellations since our light pollution does allow us to observe only the brightest stars.
You can also observe craters on the Moon – here is a comprehensive map of it by Google Moon.
On average, the Moon rises or, if it’s already in the sky, sets about 50 minutes later than the previous day, every day.
New Moon: 15 October, 6:55am
First Quarter: 23 October, 7:31am
Full Moon: 29 September, 10:57pm
Last Quarter: 7 October, 2:47am
Keep an eye out for our astronomy and space courses coming up, details are in our What’s On section.
At Space Place, we open our telescope for viewings every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday night if the weather is on our side. Alternatively, the planetarium live shows is a great place to see our current night skies. Let us know how it went, or if you have any questions by visiting our Facebook.
Clear skies from our team!
Adult: $14
Gold Card Holder / NZ Student (NZ ID required): $12
Child (4-16 years): $9
Preschool Child (0-3 years): Free
Family (2 adults and up to 3 children): $45
Friends of Museum Wellington: Free
Please note that children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Bookings are essential for all schools and tour groups.
Parking is available at Skyline car park, located on Upland Road (charges apply). There are limited parking spaces outside Space Place reserved especially for mobility permit holders.
T: +64 4 910 3140 E: spaceplace@experiencewellington.org.nz
40 Salamanca Rd, Kelburn, Wellington 6012 located at the top of the Cable Car, just a short stroll from the terminus.