Inspire your nights with a visit to Carter Observatory

4 April 2012

Inspire your nights with a visit to Carter

Hot on the heels of the meteor sighting over Wellington this week, the team at Carter Observatory wants to remind you of some special activities happening at Carter in April.

We invite you to inspire yourself with a visit to Carter during their special week of late nights starting on 8 April and running through until 14 April. During this week we’ll have planetarium shows at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm. If the weather is kind to us, we’ll have telescope viewing using our historic Thomas Cooke Refractor.

In keeping with our theme Nearest Neighbours, we’ll be running our popular gallery trails and competition during the school holidays (starting 6 April) with children using their creative talents to design a mission patch inspired by the Kiwi crew heading to the Mars Desert Research Station later this month.

Exciting activities such as making a Huygens lander (that’s the lander that parachuted onto the surface of Titan, Saturn’s largest moon), and seeing if you can land it in the right spot, or have a go at our Saturn ring toss, or make your very own Saturn on a stick. These additional school holiday activities will be available from 10 April until 20 April each week day between 10.30am and 12.30pm and 2pm to 4pm.

On April 18, you’re invited to hear Dave Mclennan, President of the NZ Spaceflight Association will give a talk about the Cassini mission to Saturn. This has been one of the greatest space exploration success stories and Dave will share some of the highlights. Doors open from 6.30pm and the talk starts at 7pm.

All the events listed above are at our normal admission prices: $18.50 adults, $13.50 for concessions, $8 for children (4-16 years).

Family passes and our Star Pass memberships are available as well. Sign up for your Star Pass while you’re at Carter and we will credit the cost of your admission to your Star Pass (applies to full price admission only).

• The planet Saturn is less dense than water – so, if you put it in an enormous bathtub, it would float. It might leave a ring though!
• Make a day of it! Combine a visit to Carter with a ride on the Cable Car and a walk through the Botanic Garden.
• Parking for up to four hours is available in the Botanic Garden car park, at the top of the Cable Car on Upland Road. Cost $3 p/hour.

ENDS

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