Get out of Melbourne and into outer space at star-bright spots across regional Victoria. Stargazers young and old can discover the wonders of the cosmos at these incredible dark-sky locations – no experience required.
Leon Mow Dark Sky Site, Heathcote
The night sky here is pristine, free of city lights, and ideal for deep-sky observation. Available to Astronomical Society of Victoria members at any time. BYO telescope or binoculars, or simply gaze with the naked eye.
Mt Burnett, Dandenong
This community observatory in the Dandenong Ranges hosts popular, family-friendly viewing nights each month, giving you the chance to use their incredible telescopes.
420 Paternoster Road, Mt Burnett
SkyHigh, Mt Dandenong
Surround yourself with lights from the summit of Mt Dandenong after dark. Melbourne’s city lights spread like a carpet below while the night sky competes with its own display above. Start or end your astronomical explorations at Sky High’s award-winning bistro.
26 Observatory Road, Mount Dandenong
Winton Wetlands, Benalla
Bring your telescope to one of Victoria’s best stargazing spots, where you’ll find the Milky Way and its inhabitants visible in clear and unobstructed skies. This is also the site of the largest wetlands restoration project in the Southern Hemisphere. Combine sky and earth on a Lunette Night Walk, where stars and landscape create a memorable spectacle, or stay the night under canvas.
652 Lake Mokoan Road, Chesney Vale
Phillip Island Observatory
Take a guided night-sky tour, watch a movie in an immersive, state-of-the-art 360-degree outdoor planetarium dome, or do some DIY viewing through high-tech telescopes. Bookings are essential at this private observatory, which takes one small group per night.
Snake Valley
Despite the name, this is an official Australian Dark Sky Site. Join the Snake Valley Astronomical Association at monthly club nights and various astronomy classes for unmissable gazing at the moon, nebula, star clusters, galaxies and all the fascinating endlessness of the universe.
825 Linton-Carngham Road, Snake Valley
Snake Valley Astronomical Association
Ballarat Observatory
This historic municipal observatory was the first of its kind in Australia when it opened in 1886. Today, star lovers come for 3D Astrotour movies, events and educational programs. The telescope is also the first in the country that is accessible for people with disabilities.
439 Cobden Street, Mount Pleasant
Ballarat Municipal Observatory
Koorooya State Park
What could be more spectacular than staring at the night sky from a landscape of 400-million-year-old granite outcrops? The park’s flat plains give planeteers uninterrupted views of the world above us and the earth’s visible curvature. You can also camp under the stars at Camp Kooyoora.
792 Brenanah–Whehla Road, Inglewood
Mornington Peninsula Astronomical Society
Based in Mount Martha, this is one of the largest volunteer astronomy groups in Australia. The first community-based nationally registered observatory in Australia, this Society owns and operates a significant astronomical observatory that has provided regular family-friendly stargazing evenings since the Moon landings in 1969.
The Briars Historic Park, Mount Martha
Mornington Peninsula Astronomical Society
Original Blog Posted Here: https://www.visitmelbourne.com/see-and-do/outdoor-and-adventure/stargazing
