Nā te pō, ko te ao, ko te ao mārama

From the darkest depths of the night we become enlightened

At Dark Sky Project, formerly Earth & Sky, we connect manuhiri (visitors) to our night skies, igniting a lifelong passion for dark sky preservation and what lies above.

We're proud to be regarded as leaders in astro-tourism and stargazing experiences.

Red light spilling from observatory dome with snowy mountains and milky way

THE SUMMIT EXPERIENCE

Premier guided stargazing tour at the summit of Mount John.

Our exclusive mountaintop stargazing tour held at the summit of Mount John – home to a world-renowned astronomical research centre, the University of Canterbury Mt John Observatory.

Evening/Outdoors

2 Hours tour

Stargazing using 9 ¼ - 16” telescopes

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The image shows a person looking through a telescope under a clear, star-filled night sky. The Milky Way galaxy is vividly visible, stretching across the sky with its bright cosmic clouds. The person is standing in an open field, illuminated by a soft re

THE CRATER EXPERIENCE

Stargazing from Cowan's Private Observatory

The perfect introductory stargazing experience. Enhance your knowledge of our Southern skies and ponder the possibilities during an evening of discovery.

Evening/Outdoors

75 minutes tour

Stargazing using 9 ¼ - 14” telescopes

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Dark Sky Project Dark Sky Experience Hero 8842

THE DARK SKY EXPERIENCE

Indoor guided astronomy experience at Dark Sky Project Base.

An indoor, daytime all-weather astronomy experience. The Dark Sky Experience combines Māori astronomy, storytelling and science with fascinating multimedia installations.

Daytime/Indoors

45 minutes tour

Family friendly experience

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The image shows three silhouetted figures seated outdoors at night, gazing up at a stunning star-filled sky. The Milky Way is prominently visible, stretching across the sky with bright clusters of stars and cosmic dust. The silhouettes add a sense of scal

VIRTUAL STARGAZING EXPERIENCE

Discover the night sky at any time of day with our indoor stargazing experience.

Our daytime astronomy experience takes you on a journey into the night sky using captivating virtual reality technology, you truly feel like you are amongst the stars.