Perth Observatory - Star Viewing Nights and Tours

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.

Unfortunately due to the continued spread of the Coronavirus and the fact that WA has recorded its first infection through community spread, our board has decided to cancel this weekends tours (28^th to the 28^th of March). Over the weekend they will be making a decision with what will happen with the proceeding weeks and we’ll be contacting everyone who has made bookings early next week.

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. The maximum number of students that we can cater for in one tour is 60.

10% discount on School Day Tour bookings for term 1 until 9th April
Discount only offered for available tour booking days in Term 1

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 $20 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: 7^th of June

Abseiling & Telescopes Night

Date: 4^th of April
Sessions From: 4 pm and 7 pm
Price:
$60 per adult for 3 abseils
$50 per concession for 3 abseils
$40 per child for 3 abseils

Need a bit of thrill in your life? Perth Observatory and Spacechameleon Adventure Co have organised 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 12m in a controlled free fall to the ground.

On the night, we’ll be able to show you the Moon, nebulas and star clusters. If it’s cloudy we’ll then provide you with an amazing guided tour of the Observatory and an astronomical presentation.