Astroblast!Canterbury Astronomical Society's public open nights 2026

10 April 2026 - 09 October 2026

Region(s): Canterbury

Type(s): experiences

Come along for an evening under the stars as you and your family discover the wonders of the Southern night sky

See our closest neighbours in our solar system, no one will ever forget their first views of Jupiter or Saturn! Maybe take a closer look at our amazing Moon and discover its secrets or learn about our constellations, closest stars, our galactic core and the beautiful nebula in our amazing universe.

It's fun, amazingly educational and an evening that promises to be, well and truly, out of this world!

So get ready for blast off as there are some great things to keep you entertained and informed this year.

The Canterbury Astronomical Society observatory has four fixed telescopes and an assortment of portable telescopes, which will be open during these sessions.

Each night sky tours starts with a welcome talk starting at 7.30 pm, followed by a guided sky tour and telescope viewing until 9 pm. Gate opens 7.20 pm sharp and there are no early admission.

Opening are always dependent on the weather, so please check the website www.cas.org.nz before heading out to the observatory. Status updates will be post before 6:00pm confirming whether they are open or not on the website.

Dates

• 10, 17, and 24 April

• 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 May

• 5, 12, 19, and 26 June

• 24 and 31July

• 7, 14, 21, and 28 August

• 4, 11, 18, and 25 September

• 2 and 9 October

Venue: RF Joyce Observatory, Canterbury Astronomical Society, 218 Bells Road, West Melton, Canterbury

For more information and tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e/astroblast-canterbury-astronomical-societys-public-open-nights-2026-tickets-1983593650004.