The Omaka Observatory Charity Trust operates a unique a crater observatory in the Omaka Valley, Marlborough. We are offering star gazing and astronomy tours for school groups and the public. Discover the Southern Skies at our purpose built Crater Observatory! The design minimises light pollution and the effects of the wind and allows our tours to take place under the canvas of the night sky. Our professionally trained guides will give take you on a tour of the solar system with their hand held laser pointers before giving you hands on experience with our telescopes. Through our range of telescopes you will be able to view planets, galaxies, star clusters as well as view the moon in close detail. We will have astro-photography equipment available for you to capture your own photos from your evening.
We are including special Tātai Arorangi sessions with our Te Reo Māori presenters, who will bring to life the stories and legends of the sky.
We have currently seven telescopes in our collection, with a selection of Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes ranging from 14″ to 6″, and the Unistellar eVscope.
One of the wonderful things about an outdoor observatory is you can enjoy the beauty of the land as well as the sky. Journey through our tī kōuka (cabbage tree) reserve to our purpose built crater and enjoy the incredible deep sky objects seen through our range of telescopes.
We have information on our school group tours, astronomy tours, as well as the latest news on the construction of the Observatory.
Cloud Cover Forecast for the Omaka Valley
Wonder if the sky will be clear? Check the Clear Outside Forecast below, shows the next 72 hours at the Observatory.
White in the total cloud means heavy cloud, dark blue is a clear sky. With the summary red means not suitable for star gazing, orange means it will be marginal and green means it should be clear, also shows temperature on-site.
Want to join us?
We operate an Astronomy club which holds meetings once a month in Marlborough.
Join the Omaka Observatory and get free access to our monthly meetings which are held on the first Monday of every month. These meetings will include the opportunity to meet other like minded astronomers, listen to talks and use our range of telescopes. If you are looking to purchase a telescope or other equipment, club discounts are often available from some suppliers. If you have a telescope and are not sure how to get the most out of it, are wanting to start as an astronomer, are looking to take photos of the nights sky or just want to meet other astronomers then joining our club would be perfect for you.
We are proud to have been awarded a Qualmark Silver Award for our Observatory Tours
Contact us:
Any questions email us at info@omakaobservatory.co.nz or call us on 03 929 3417.