Stardome (Auckland) New Zealand - Planetarium, Timings, and Entry

Stardome , Auckland Overview

Stardome is an observatory planetarium in Auckland, a perfect attraction for people interested in science, especially space. The research team at Stardome have always followed their love for the area and has shared this with people from across the globe. This place is not only open to public viewing in the evenings but also to daytime visits and educational school trips. The team at Stardome has been sharing their research on space for over 60 years now and is grateful for the support it gets from people and ratepayers.

This planetarium is not only supported by its visitors but also by sponsors and trustees. Organisations that heavily contribute to its success include Asia New Zealand Foundation, Auckland Astronomical Society, Edith Winstone Blackwell Foundation, Chisholm Whitney Family Charitable Trust, Oxford Sports Club, Clement T Bostock, and North Foundation and many more. Visitors are also welcome to contribute to this planetarium by sponsoring shows, purchasing educational equipment or telescopes, sponsoring marketing or promotional collateral, or sponsoring the annual New Zealand Astronomical Yearbook. In addition, Stardome wishes to provide its visitors with digitised and up-to-date facilities so that the public can get a mix of entertainment and learning experiences in a planetarium environment.

Architecture

The planetarium is an 11-meter dome that can take around 88 people. This place has a Zeiss ZKP3 star projector, a video projector and 18 panoramas. This was, however, changed and upgraded to Digistar 4,5 and 6 in 2018. A major part of this planetarium is the Edith Winstone Blackwell Telescope. This is a 0.5-meter classical telescope manufactured by Carl Zeiss of Jena. The telescope was installed in 1996 and is also one of the 20 comparable instruments produced by Zeiss. The telescope has never been removed or replaced. However, it was upgraded in 2013 when it was changed to complete digital pointing. Stardome is one of the most modern planetariums in New Zealand.

History

The concept of Stardome was conceived in 1948 when the Auckland Astronomical society started fundraising for a public observatory event in Auckland. It was in 1956 when they had collected enough funds to buy a telescope for public use. In 1960, the Auckland Astronomical Society obtained a 21-year lease from the One Tree Hill Borough Council and the Observatory was opened in 1967. However, it was opened without a planetarium because the Auckland Museum was already running as a planetarium with the help of the Farmers Trading Company since 1958. Nevertheless, it shut down in 1989, giving the Society to build a new planetarium in the Observatory itself.

With the joint efforts of the Auckland City Council, Lotteries Commission and the ASB Community Trust, around $3 million were raised and the new planetarium was finally opened in 1197. Since then, it has undergone regular renovation in order to maintain its world-class facilities.

Timings

The opening hours for Stardome are as follows:

Monday: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Evenings are closed on Monday.
Tuesday: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Saturday: 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Monday to Friday, during school hours, the planetarium has no public shows.
The last entry at Stardome is 15 minutes before closing time.

Entry Fee

Entry fee for the space gallery and exhibit is NZD 2 per adult and NZD 1 per child

As for the Night Sky show (Wednesday-Sunday) 8:00 pm, the entry fee is as follows

Adult- NZD 15

Child- NZD 12 (3-15 years)

Senior- NZD 12

Students (with a student ID)- NZD 12

Family pass- NZD 50

As for all other planetarium shows (excluding Tuesday night and special nights), the entry fee is as follows:

Adults- NZD 12

Child- NZD 10 (3-15 years)

Students- NZD 10 (Students with ID)

Seniors- NZD 10

Family pass (2 adults and 3 children)- NZD 40

Tuesday special shows are for NZD 34 for music and laser nights, wine, cheese and astronomy. The ticket package includes one glass of beer or wine for those who are 18 years and above with an ID and snacks.

Things to Do

See the Space galleries and exhibits where visitors can learn about the history of spacecraft or how telescopes work, see the most diverse display of meteorites, climb onto the weighing machine to see your weight on other planets or take a look at the replica NASA spacesuits.
Come on a school trip and learn about space with a guide.
Attend shows such as Matariki Sky Night, Matariki Dawn, Night Sky, Perfect little planet, Attack of the space pirates, Dinosaur at dusk, The accidental astronauts, Giant Leap Exhibition, Pink Floyd Laser Lights , Mission to the Moon, Secret of the Cardboard Rocket, Beyond the solar system, Tilt, Moon Milestone,Winter stories in the Sky, The little star that could, We are stars and Tycho to the Moon
Take the Grand Tour of the Solar System
Become a sponsor and get the chance to earn a few rewards.
See the Courtyard telescopes or the Zeiss Telescope
Attend the Music and Laser Lights or Cheese, Wine and Astronomy
Check out the Solar System Odyssey or the Celestial Navigation
Take a look at WISE: Women in Science Exhibition

Show Timings

Shows at Stardome do not really have fixed timings. These keep changing weekly depending on schedule and sponsorship. As a result, some shows play during the evening while others play in the morning or the afternoon. In order to find out which shows are playing on which day, visitors should go to the official Stardome website, to the “What’s On” section and find out.

How To Reach Stardome

Stardome is located on Manukau Road at One Tree Hill Domain in Auckland. It is on the Southern slopes of Maungakiekie (One Tree Hill). The address is 670 Manukau Rd, One Tree Hill Domain, Auckland, New Zealand. This location would be available for cabs.

For tourists, the nearest airport is Auckland Airport. Cabs, taxis as well as buses run from the airport till the planetarium. Bus route number 30 also goes from Queen Street to the planetarium via Newmarket. There is free parking available outside Stardome as well as in the lower playground. Parking is also available across the street, on Haydn Avenue.