Canterbury Astronomical Society

Stargazing / West Melton

Our well equipped observatory is one of the best places to see the stars in New Zealand and conveniently located just 45 mins from Christchurch. Tours available at great prices!

Welcome to the Canterbury Astronomical Society. Thanks for stopping by at our little corner of the universe. We are a friendly, like minded, bunch of astronomers with a tendency for spending late nights out under the stars.

Join us for an evening under the stars as you and your family discover the wonders of the Southern night sky with our skilled amateur astronomers.

See our closest neighbours in our solar system, no one will ever forget their first views of Jupiter or Saturn!  Maybe take a closer look at our amazing Moon and discover its secrets or learn about our constellations, closest stars, our galactic core and the beautiful nebula in our amazing universe.

It's fun, amazingly educational and an evening that promises to be, well and truly, out of this world!

So get ready for blast off as we have some great things to keep you entertained and informed this year.

Tickets for our Open Nights always sell out fast - book early to avoid disappointment - Bring a friend, the kids or book a VIP group tour for the evening for your work, social club, school or just grab a bunch of friends to enjoy a night under the stars. 

Group bookings please contact us via the website or Facebook.

The Canterbury Astronomical Society observatory has 5 fixed telescopes ( 2 x 11", 14", 16" and 120mm) and an assortment of portable telescopes, which will be open during our public open night programme.

Your night sky tours starts with a welcome talk starting at 7:30pm, followed by a guided sky tour and telescope viewing until 9:00pm. Gate opens 7.20pm sharp - no early admission sorry.

Opening are always dependent on the weather, so please check our website www.cas.org.nz before heading out to the observatory. We will post a status update before 6:00pm confirming whether we are open or not on our website.

Further information of our outreach public open nights can be found on our website.

Tours suitable for everyone aged 5 and over - Kids aged 5 -15 must be accompanied by an adult.

Make sure you wrap up warm - grab those extra socks and come along to the observatory for a night of fun.

Unfortunately weather can effect viewing. In the event that we are closed due to weather, you will be issued a refund and given the opportunity to re-book online. 

Memberships are also welcome and come with a range of benefits including access to our well equipped observatory in West Melton, training and education and the chance to rub shoulders with some great astronomical minds.

Our society has strong links to education with an active kids training programme and public open night calendar every year.  Feel free to register for a free account on the site and browse around.


location How to find us

Additional Information

Pricing Information

tickets from $10 kids $15 adults plus booking fee

Group Information

Group bookings please contact us via the website or Facebook.

Opening Times
  • : Closed
Price

from $10 - 15 NZD

Minimum Age

5

Phone

Phone: +64226406649

Website

cas.org.nz