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Embark on a journey 14 billion years in the making…
This tour includes accommodation!
Social Nature Movement Dark Sky Stargazing NZ Tours include outstanding and distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment protected for its scientific, natural and educational value, its cultural heritage and public enjoyment.
Our Dark Sky Stargazing in Auckland will delight your senses in Dark-Sky Parks, Reserves and Sanctuaries typically placed in a remote locations with few (if any) nearby threats to the quality of its dark night skies.
In the darkest depths of the night we will enlighten your deep space odyssey through our 8” Newtonian telescope. Ideal for astrophotography and visual viewing of deep sky objects such as galaxies and nebulae during our Dark Sky Stargazing.
Dark Sky Stargazing Tours
Your guide will point out all the highlights of the southern sky with a high-powered laser pointer, teach you about Maori legends of the sky, explain how to navigate and use the stars to orientate yourself, discuss places where stars are born, clarify why stars scintillate and planets don’t.
Throughout the Dark Sky Stargazing in Auckland, you will wonder at the beauty and the magnificence of this magical nocturnal environment as you hear your guide tell you that 80% of people in the world can't see the Milky Way because they live beneath skies polluted by artificial light. Then your ears pep up hearing that 79% of people in the world don’t even know what they are missing because they’ve never seen a starry night!
See more, see further, see deeper with Dark Sky Stargazing Tours.
Dark Sky Stargazing options
- Piha
- Hunua Ranges
- Shakespear Regional park
- Great Barrier Island
How dark are our Dark Sky Stargazing Tours?
We measure the quality night skies using a Unihedron Sky Quality Meter (SQM). The meter converts light into units of magnitudes per square arc-second (mac/arc sec2). A reading of 21.00 shows a dark sky while a reading of 16.00 would mark a light-polluted sky. Since 2020 we have measured sky quality meter readings between 21.51 and 21.93 mac/arc sec2, so your experience is of quality and value.
Dark sky Deities
- Ranginui: Sky father. According to Māori myth, Ranginui played a pivotal role in the birth of the sun, moon, planets, stars and constellations – collectively called Te Whānau Mārama (the family of light).
- Rehua, the star god with the power of healing.
- Whiro, the lord of darkness and embodiment of all evil and death.
Dark sky Goddesses:
- Ikaroa, the long fish that gave birth to all the stars in the Milky Way.
- Hinenuitepō, the goddess of night and death, and ruler of the underworld.
Book your Dark Sky Stargazing Tours now!
Check out our booking tab, click the book now button or fill an enquiry here.
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Itineraries
Piha
Hunua Ranges
Shakespear Regional park
Great Barrier Island
You must make you own way to your chosen location; specific details of exactly where you will be camping and where we will stargaze will be given upon booking.
Guide and light refreshments. We can always embellish your tour further, just ask!
It depends on the weather. All of our dates are alligned with the new moon so that the skies are at their darkest. We just need to hope that there are no clouds.
Because that is about the latest sunset (summer) to keep times consistent, allows people to finish work or catch transport and get to us but moreso chances of seeing meteor showers are better later in the night!
This changes depending on what we do and where we go, but generic items are:
Clothing
- Thermal bottom leggings,
- Pants
- Swimwear
- Socks
- Thin merino shirt / thermal shirt x 2
- Fleece jumper x1
- Woolen jumper x1
- Wind and Rain-proof Jacket
- Warm beanie
- Neck warmer / scarf
- Warm gloves
Equipment
- Closed-toe footwear
- Personal medication
- Water bottle,
- Head torch,
- Toiletries.
- Waterproof pack liner
- Backpack to put all of the above in
All of the above is available to rent / hire / buy
Includes:
One staff
Staff carry:
First Aid Kit
Emergency shelter