Date/Time
Date(s) - Sat 11 July - Sun 12 July
18:00 - 1:00
Location
Star Field site, 10 mins outside of Martinborough
New Moon is on 14 July. Matariki is 11 July.
‘Star Field is at the heart of the newly accredited Wairarapa Dark Sky Reserve, the second dark sky reserve in Aotearoa NZ. (The first is the Aoraki/Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve in the South Island.)
If you’ve never seen the night sky from a dark-sky site before, this will be unforgettable. Antony will give you a tour of the sky with his laser pointer before you get on the telescopes. There is also a lot of expertise available for anyone wanting to photograph the night sky.
This is a free members-only Society event. (To join Wellington Astronomical Society: https://www.was.org.nz/join-us/.) Members are most welcome to bring friends but please let the organisers know in advance. Non-members pay $20 each to attend; children $5.
Register by contacting WAS through FaceBook Messenger or by emailing events@was.org.nz. Include your email and mobile phone in the text if you are using FaceBook Messenger. Directions to the site in the Wairarapa, and any updates, will be emailed out. You are welcome to stay on-site either in a tent or sleep in a car but please tell them if you intend to do so.
What to bring:
Warm clothes as it gets pretty cold at night, beanie, gloves etc.
Snacks if you want.
Warm drinks are provided.
A warm room is available if you need warming up.
A flush toilet is available on-site.
For astrophotography:
A DSLR or mirrorless camera,
A wide angle lens (preferably),
A tripod to fix the camera to,
Be careful with car headlights when you arrive. With people taking photos, please keep lights to a minimum (use red lights if you can), especially car headlights (use parking lights).
For those just interested in Deep Sky Observing, telescopes will be provided unless you want to bring your own.
This event will be updated on the WAS Facebook page by the afternoon of the day of the event if the weather forecast is not looking good.
Star Field is made available to members of the Wellington Astronomical Society through the generosity of John Whitby.