Astronomy is weather dependent and is best done when cloud cover is less that 30%. Being an island nation bordered by the Tasman Sea and the Southern Pacific Ocean, Aotearoa-New Zealand has a temperate marine climate. This means that the weather is changeable and having certainty about the forecast of suitably clear skies for astronomy can be a challenge up to three days out and even on the day of our tours.
For these reasons we pencil customers in on our tours and make contact later in the afternoon before the tour to confirm that the weather is suitable to run an astronomy session.
We require a $20 deposit per person for bookings which can be fully refunded where weather results in cancellation. This deposit is otherwise non refundable when customers cancel in less than 24 hours. We accept payment of the balance by EFTPOS on site before the sessions begin.
The bank account number to make a booking deposit is Hamurana Skies Ltd 02-0412-0257363-000
We run two types of tours:
1, Guided Astronomical Tours: which run a week either side of the full moon. The skies are darker without the moon and we are able focus on distant deep sky like galaxies, nebulae, planetary nebulae, globular clusters, open clusters, and planets with clouds, rings, or moons. The objects that we can see with our telescopes change with the seasons. These tours begin one hour after sunset and last for about ninety minutes. This tour probably more suitable for people who are eight years old and over. The price for this tour is $80 per person. All tours are limited to a maximum of eight people.
2, Full Moon Tours: On our full moon tours we discuss moon phases, the tides, what the moon is made of and its surface features, the Apollo landings and why the moon is so important for the existence of life on Earth. Our full moon tours are better for younger children because they start earlier and run for an hour. The price for our Full Moon Tours is $40 per person. All tours are limited to a maximum of eight people.
Please use the Contact Button or call us on 0211587052 to make a booking.
In the meantime, please acquaint yourselves with our terms and conditions.