Heritage Stargazing at the Observatory Tower
Experience stargazing from the Observatory Tower (1896) at The Arts Centre. Join us for a short 30-minute experience to view the Southern Sky.
Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre and the University of Canterbury welcome you and your whānau to join a short stargazing experience in the heart of the city.
The Townsend Teece Telescope (1864) was donated by English settler James Townsend to Canterbury College (now the university) in 1891.
The College received a £420 donation from The Astronomical Society of Christchurch, alongside funds originally earmarked for a medical school to build the Observatory Tower, completed in 1896.
After the University of Canterbury had moved to Ilam, and the site became The Arts Centre, the university continued to operate the observatory with regular Friday night public viewings.
Then came the February 2011 earthquake. The tower collapsed, and the telescope was damaged. Now both have been meticulously restored.
Please note that if the weather is poor (cloudy, wet or windy), your session may be cancelled by 5pm. You will be notified by email and/or text, and receive a refund. The observatory dome cannot be opened if it is wet or windy, as the telescope is a valuable antique; therefore, the observatory dome may be closed at short notice during your session, but the astronomers will still show you the telescope and dome, and lead a talk about astronomy in the exhibition room.
Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre and the University of Canterbury welcome you and your whānau to join a short stargazing experience in the heart of the city.
The Townsend Teece Telescope (1864) was donated by English settler James Townsend to Canterbury College (now the university) in 1891.
The College received a £420 donation from The Astronomical Society of Christchurch, alongside funds originally earmarked for a medical school to build the Observatory Tower, completed in 1896.
After the University of Canterbury had moved to Ilam, and the site became The Arts Centre, the university continued to operate the observatory with regular Friday night public viewings.
Then came the February 2011 earthquake. The tower collapsed, and the telescope was damaged. Now both have been meticulously restored.
Please note that if the weather is poor (cloudy, wet or windy), your session may be cancelled by 5pm. You will be notified by email and/or text, and receive a refund. The observatory dome cannot be opened if it is wet or windy, as the telescope is a valuable antique; therefore, the observatory dome may be closed at short notice during your session, but the astronomers will still show you the telescope and dome, and lead a talk about astronomy in the exhibition room.
The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora, 2 Worcester Boulevard, Christchurch Central
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