Welcome To The Perth Observatory
Your Gateway To The Universe
Welcome to the Perth Observatory Website
Western Australia’s oldest observatory is located 25 km east of Perth in Bickley. The Observatory has served WA for over 120 years and remains actively involved in the service of public education. In recognition of its scientific, cultural and historical significance, the Observatory was entered on the state’s Heritage Register in 2005. The Observatory is now run under a community partnership agreement between the Department of Parks and Wildlife and the Perth Observatory Volunteer Group.
Night Sky Tours
Our experienced and passionate tour guides will operate our unique collection of modern and historic telescopes to give evening visitors a glimpse into the fascinating world of astronomy, space science and astrophotography.
Viewing targets will differ depending on the month, the weather and the lighting conditions (dark, moonlit and full moon). Types of objects usually seen through the eyepiece include globular clusters, star clusters, nebulae and galaxies. Sometimes satellites and meteors flash across the sky unexpectedly too.
School Day Tours
Our primary school day tours have been designed for primary school excursions and relate directly to the Australian National Curriculum. The students will participate in activities around the Observatory’s grounds to broaden their knowledge of astronomy and physics while seeing our range of modern and historical telescopes.
Our day tours can be adapted for other groups of children aged between 7 and 12. Please contact us with full details if you are interested in a student tour outside this age range.
Adopt A Star
Looking for an awesome gift for that special someone?
Our star adoption program provides a unique gift and is a way to recognise a family member or friend through the adoption of a star. All available stars in the program are between stars that are visible to the naked eye or stars that are visible in binoculars, all in the Southern Hemisphere.
Sunday Guided Day Tours
Wondering where to go for your Sunday drive? Meander through the beautiful Bickley Valley and join us for a special Guided Day Tour of the Perth Observatory.
Discover what Perth Observatory looks like in the day whilst walking our grounds and learning about our amazing history.
Sunday Guided Day Tours from 2 to 4pm on the first Sunday of each month.
Prices are just $15 adult, $10 concession, $5 children. There’s no need to book, just pop in and we’ll meet you. The AstroShop will be open for drinks, ice cream, novelties or a memento of your visit.
Next Tour: 6th of January
Abseiling At Perth Observatory
Date: 6th of Jan and 3rd of Feb
Sessions From: 12 pm and 2:30 pm
Price:
$35 per adult for 3 abseils
$30 per concession for 3 abseils
$25 per child for 3 abseils
Need a bit of thrill in your life? Perth Observatory is teaming up with Spacechameleon Adventure Co to organise a family friendly event where you can abseil our Lowell Telescope Dome. Each participant will get 3 abseils through the dome’s trap door and descend the full 20m in a controlled free fall to the ground.
Astrophotography One Day Workshop
Date: 2nd of Feb
When: 1:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Price: $150.00 per person
Get started with astrophotography using your camera for widefield astrophotography. Learn what your equipment is capable of and how to make the most of what you have to get a start on astrophotography, as well as what equipment you may wish to consider in the future. The small group setting enables you to get maximum benefit from this workshop.
Valentine's Day Night Tour
Date: 14th of Feb
When: 8:30 pm to 10:15 pm (Gates Open 7:00 pm)
Price: $45 per adult, $35 per concession & $25 per child
Everyone loves a Valentine and this year the Perth Observatory is offering a special deal for couples who come along to the Star Viewing Night on Tuesday, February 14th. You could win a voucher for a return visit if you arrive wearing funky matching or coordinated apparel. Don't forget sparkles are our favourites too!
Booking to organise your of picnic food baskets coming soon.
2019 Summer Lecture
Date: 1st of Mar
When: 8:00 pm (Gates open: 6:00 pm)
Price: $20 per adult & $15 per concession/child
There is a long standing tradition at the Perth Observatory. Every year, we invite hills and city folks alike to come along on a warm summer evening in February to hear what's new and what's exciting in the world of Astronomy and Space Science.
This year we're thrilled to have Professor Fred Watson as our speaker and he's going to present his "The Volcanic Solar System" talk. Professor Fred Watson has recently been appointed Australia's first Astronomer-at-large, following his career with the former Australian Astronomical Observatory. He is best known for his radio and TV broadcasts, talks, and other outreach programs, which earned him the 2006 Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science. He has also written a number of award-winning books, and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2010. Fred has an asteroid named after him (5691 Fredwatson), but says that if it hits Earth, it won’t be his fault
This is an IAU100 event
March Offsite Night Tours
Date: 9th, 23rd & 30th of Mar
When: 8:00 pm (Sausage Sizzle from: 6:30 pm)
Price: $40 per adult, $30 per concession & $20 per child
The Perth Observatory site will be closed for a couple of weeks from the second week of March for maintenance on our Main Office Building. The thing is, we can't sit and relax for that amount of time, we have to be showing the public the stars or we'll go nuts.
TThanks to Lesmurdie Senior High School, we're going to stay sane and we'll be taking our telescopes to the school and running our night sky tour from their oval. We'll have a sausage sizzle on the night and our Volunteers will take you on a grand tour of the Southern Hemisphere’s sky with a wide range of targets including Nebulas, planets, dying stars, and enormous star clusters.
This is an IAU100 event
2019 Astrofest
Date: 16th of Mar
Where: Curtin Stadium, Curtin University
When: 5 pm to 9 pm
Price: It's FREE
Back again in 2019, Astrofest is a free astronomy festival of epic proportions that will get the whole family engaging in a celebration of Australian science. Astrofest will be held on Saturday the 16th of March from 5 pm to 9 pm at Curtin Stadium, on the grounds of Curtin University in Bentley.
As well as optical and radio telescopes observing throughout the day and night, Astrofest will feature a myriad of interesting, engaging and exciting indoor and outdoor activities for the whole family.
There will also be many different telescopes to try out, and you can bring your own for some expert advice in getting the most out of it. There'll be awesome food trucks come early make yourself comfortable in the picnic area. The Perth Observatory volunteers will helping out on the night to be sure to stop us and say hello.
