Charleville, QLD
Ever since we left suburbia and ventured into the wide world of outback travel, we look up into the starry evening sky and it feels like for the first time, it is with a new appreciation.... An appreciation for the beauty and enormity of our incredible galaxy. Looking up at night is always something you seem to do, but since living on the road, we’ve realised there is more to the night sky that one would actually realise.... and unknowingly we have started to finally see it in a new light.
“If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I’ll bet they’d live a lot differently” - Bill Watterson
So when the opportunity came up for us Trekkers to be able to view the night sky up close and personal, we just couldn’t resist! I must say we had no idea exactly what to expect but boy are we so glad we decided to visit the Cosmos Night Observatory, because besides all of us being utterly star struck, we left that night feeling so much more connected to our universe.
What made it so special for us on the night
The kids found it really cool to go on a night time excursion and get to stay up late.... For me, I think it has definitely been one of the coolest experiences we’ve had to date. I mean how often do you get to use a super powerful Meade telescope to clearly view in detail our star system?
We were blown away by the clarity and definition of the moon and by both the singular stars and prominent clusters- such as Sirius, Alpha Centauri and the Jewel Box. This phenomenal experience was topped off by getting to see the two largest planets in our solar system up close; Saturn and Jupiter.
Accompanying our viewing experience, was a really cool introduction to the cosmos. The senior guide Les, was overflowing with knowledge and interesting facts about astronomy; commonly used terms, incredible facts about the different star collections, the planets and their many orbiting moons, how to locate and read the constellations plus some pretty cool details about the moon that you may not have known... Like how it‘s unique texture come about, why you never can see its back side and a Charleville special- The little Moon-Bilby that stares down at you.
Attraction related fact.
Our Galaxy (the Milky Way) is made up of several hundred billion stars suspended in space, globular clusters that look like twinkling diamonds. Interestingly though, our Galaxy is only one of several hundred billion galaxies within the Universe! It’s just incredible when you really think about it!
What is it all about
This unique Charleville attraction is open to everyone and was created as a way for visitors and locals to have an up close experience with our solar system. On a clear night you can get uninterrupted views of the moon, numerous star clusters, planets, nebulae and this is accompanied by a brilliant narration of the experience.
You will get a real insight into the Milky Way and just how we fit into the solar system. This fascinating journey through the Cosmos you will leave you feeling enlightened and exhilarated for days if not weeks or months to follow.
Price and Appeal
Sessions run all year round (times and days dependant on the months) and will last approximately 1 hour. At $28/A, $19/C or $70/F, it really is a must do for everyone. Recommended age 6+, our mini trekkers absolutely loved their experience..... As did we big Trekkers! You don’t want to miss this one!!!!
Grab this unique opportunity with both hands, and go get lost in the cosmos.
Bookings are essential- so to secure your star gazing session, contact the Charleville Cosmos Centre and Observatory on 07 46547771
Acknowledgement
A massive thank you to our incredible shining guides on the night Les, Mike and Gabby. A great combination of experience, knowledge and humour, the evening flowed perfectly and we all got so much more out of our experience than we could have imagined. The detail and effort the Cosmos Centre go to to make sure everyone’s experience is maximised was nothing short of awesome.
Bravo Cosmos- we will be back, especially when your NEW planetarium is up and running.
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