Gisborne Astro Tours

Gisborne Astro Tours Explore the universe with Gisborne Astro Tours!

Learn how to find constellations and look at beautiful celestial delights through one of NZ's largest astro-tourism telescopes - with one of NZ's most renowned astronomers, John Drummond (MSc - Astronomy).

25/02/2026

The Gisborne Astro Tour experience Tucked away from the hustle and bustle and set in the beautiful backcountry of the East Coast, you can experience a…

Hi. We had a great astro tour last night. We saw the attached comet. Only looked like a fuzzy blob without much of a tai...
29/01/2026

Hi. We had a great astro tour last night. We saw the attached comet. Only looked like a fuzzy blob without much of a tail visually. I snapped a few shot with the 11cm f7 Stellavue refractor + 1500D DSLR, 1600iso, 20 x 20 sec. No calibration sorry. N=up, E=right. FoV=~1x1 degree. Low in SW sky. Bright Moon (10.5 days old).

Had a great night last night (Saturday 29th Nov 2025) with Sue and Zeva, and Drs Heather and Patrick. Zeva (a past stude...
29/11/2025

Had a great night last night (Saturday 29th Nov 2025) with Sue and Zeva, and Drs Heather and Patrick. Zeva (a past student of mine) had her Canon DSLR camera and we hooked it up to the 11-cm (4") finder scope and took photos of the targets that we were looking at with the 35-cm Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain. Some of her photos (M42, 47 Tucanae, Matariki (Pleiades), The Tarantula Nebula) are attached. BTW, if you want to take your own photos, book a tour and bring your Canon or Nikon DSLR camera. Cheers, John

Should be a great night for an astro tour tonight (Sat 29 Nov 2025), 8:15pm start. Both Saturn and the Moon will be view...
28/11/2025

Should be a great night for an astro tour tonight (Sat 29 Nov 2025), 8:15pm start. Both Saturn and the Moon will be viewable. Check Saturn now as it will soon be sinking down into the west in the evening twilight after sunset. Pretty much gone by late January 2026. If keen on a tour, email me at [email protected] (bookings essential). BTW, bring you Canon or Nikon DSLR camera out and we can take some astrophotos for you to take home!
Cheers, John D

Taken from Gizzy at 6:09am this morning (Mon 8 Sep 2025). I fatally rolled over when the alarm went off! Much dawn twili...
07/09/2025

Taken from Gizzy at 6:09am this morning (Mon 8 Sep 2025). I fatally rolled over when the alarm went off! Much dawn twilight and low in the west by the time I got this shot. 70mm f6 refractor, Canon 1500D, 1/4 sec, 3200iso. Cropped.

Hi. I'm not sure if someone else has raised this, but the full Moon will be eclipsed on Monday morning (8th Sept 2025) s...
05/09/2025

Hi. I'm not sure if someone else has raised this, but the full Moon will be eclipsed on Monday morning (8th Sept 2025) starting at 4:30am (NZST), it enters totality (completely covered by the Earth's shadow) at 5:30am. By this stage the sky is starting to get light (astronomical twilight currently starts at 4:53am in Gizzy). The eclipsed Moon will set at 6:20am in the west - the same time as the Sun rises in the east. The eclipsed Moon may be difficult to see when eclipsed and as the sky brightens.

There will be a better eclipse (higher in the sky) on 3 March 2026.

Attached is a photo I took of the August 2007 eclipse with my observing friend John Burt looking through my telescope.

Cheers
JD

Hi. The full Moon will be eclipsed on Monday morning (8th Sept 2025) starting at 4:30am, it enters totality (completely ...
05/09/2025

Hi. The full Moon will be eclipsed on Monday morning (8th Sept 2025) starting at 4:30am, it enters totality (completely covered by the Earth's shadow) at 5:30am. By this stage the sky is starting to get light (astronomical twilight currently starts at 4:53am in Gizzy). The eclipsed Moon will set at at 6:20am in the west - the same time as the Sun rises in the east. The eclipsed Moon may be difficult to see when eclipsed and as the sky brightens. There will be a better eclipse (higher in the sky) on 3 March 2026. Gisborne Astro Tours won't be doing anything for the 8th Sept eclipse - not at 5:30am! Enjoy it - and try using binoculars. Attached is a photo I took of the August 2007 eclipse with my observing friend John Burt looking though my scope.

24/04/2025

Internationally recognized authority, Professor Wayne Orchsiton will be speaking about New Zealand meteorites at the Gisborne Astronomical Society meeting on Monday 12th May, 8pm. All welcome. 23 Bilham Road, Patutahi (Gisborne Astro Tours). There may be telescope viewing after the talk (if clear). Free admission but please bring a plate for supper.

Hi. Attached is a photo of NASA's high altitude balloon captured this morning (Sat 19th April) from Gisborne in the dawn...
18/04/2025

Hi. Attached is a photo of NASA's high altitude balloon captured this morning (Sat 19th April) from Gisborne in the dawn. To the naked eye it appeared as a bright stationary star brighter than Venus. It lay to the west of Gizzy. I took the photo through a small telescope. It's about 34 km up (I think). BTW, it's still (8:45am) easily visible in the daylight in the west, about a fist (at arm's length) above the western horison...

Hi, it's only two weeks until the popular 6-week Introduction to Astronomy course. Tuesdays from 4 March to 8 April, 202...
21/02/2025

Hi, it's only two weeks until the popular 6-week Introduction to Astronomy course. Tuesdays from 4 March to 8 April, 2025. 7:30pm start, ~10:30pm finish. Patutahi. Each night I give a talk on some aspect of astronomy, we have supper, and then do some telescope viewing and astrophotography (weather permitting). $240 per person for the entire course ($120 for under 18s). If keen contact me on [email protected] or phone 0275 609 287. Maximum of 20 attendees.

Hi. I'm running the popular 6-week Introduction to Astronomy course on Tuesdays from 4 March to 8 April, 2025. 7:30pm st...
01/02/2025

Hi. I'm running the popular 6-week Introduction to Astronomy course on Tuesdays from 4 March to 8 April, 2025. 7:30pm start, ~10:30pm finish. Patutahi. Each night I give a talk on some aspect of astronomy, we have supper, and then do some telescope viewing and astrophotography (weather permitting). $240 per person for the entire course ($120 for under 18s). If keen contact me on [email protected] or phone 0275 609 287. Maximum of 20 attendees.

Address

Patutahi
4010

Opening Hours

Wednesday 8pm - 10pm
Saturday 8pm - 10pm

Telephone

+64275609287

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