AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL MEDIA RELEASE

9 March 2006

Stardome to continue shining until 2025

Auckland City's Arts, Culture and Recreation Committee has approved the extension of Stardome Observatory and Planetarium's lease to 1 July 2025.

The observatory is located within One Tree Hill Domain and its current lease for the site was due to expire on 10 February 2016.

Chairperson of the Arts, Culture and Recreation Committee, Councillor Penny Sefuiva, says the council is committed to supporting one of Auckland's leading attractions.

"Stardome is a unique, 'out-of-this world' asset to Auckland and a great educational opportunity for children of the region. It is a great place to visit and an attraction to adults and children alike. Auckland City is pleased to continue its support of this facility."

The Stardome Observatory is owned and operated by the Auckland Observatory and Planetarium Trust Board, a non-profit charitable trust.

ENDS

Background information about Stardome Observatory

Auckland is one of the few cities in the world that has an astronomical observatory and a planetarium. The foresight of early local astronomers secured a position within Auckland's largest centrally located park area, giving readily accessible dark skies. In 1967, a bequest from Edith Winstone Blackwell enabled the installation of a 50cm diameter Zeiss telescope - one of the largest in the world available for public viewing. Thirty years later, a modern planetarium was added, allowing 'virtual' night sky viewing regardless of the weather.

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