Picnic by starlight - A Dark Skies event

Next date: Friday, 10 January 2025 | 07:30 PM to 09:30 PM

What to expect

In this event guest speaker Marnie Ogg, of The Dark Sky Traveller and the North Shore Astronomy Association will speak about the importance of maintaining our dark skies at night and introduce participants to stargazing both by eye and through the use of telescopes. You'll get the chance to see the beauty of the cosmos, all from the comfort of your picnic blanket.

Light pollution is one of the most overlooked forms of anthropogenic pollution. This event will highlight how our saturation of the urban night with light has not only robbed us of a cultural connection to the sky, but how our wildlife also suffers from the lack of true darkness. For more information please visit DarkSky International.

Clear skies are essential for stargazing. Patchy cloud is fine. Anything more than that and the event will be postponed.

Timetable

The first 30-45 minutes will be talks about the night sky and stargazing. The rest of the event will be dedicated to appreciating the wonderful night sky. You are welcome to stay after the event to continue stargazing if you wish, but you must sign out with Council staff first.

What to bring

A blanket or throw to sit on and a picnic if you'd like to eat during the event. The event will be in darkness by the end, so a torch (phone is fine) to get back to your vehicle safely afterwards would be beneficial. Please wear sensible footwear and clothes for an evening outside on grass.

Wet weather

The event on 30 November has been rescheduled due to poor weather. The event on 10 January will go ahead in cloudy skies, with an informative presentation given in the Scout Hall as an alternative.