Holiday Stargazing and Summer Events at Outback Astronomy

December 2024: Holiday Stargazing Magic Under the Outback Sky

As the year winds down and summer heats up, Outback Astronomy welcomes locals and travellers alike to join them in Broken Hill for a season of celestial wonders. This summer we’re bringing back some favourite events and introducing new ones to ensure your stargazing experience is unforgettable.

The “Eves” are Scheduled!

Note that events are now listed for 24 December 2024 and 31 December 2024.

Hang out with the Stars® has now been listed on Christmas Eve – a date that resonates with many people as the start of the festive season here in Australia. This sky show is a late starter at 9:30pm however it will end by 11:00pm and allow you to get back to your accommodation, tuck yourself in and get to sleep, before traditional gifting commences from midnight by the man in red!

Note also our New Year’s Eve listing on 31 December 2024.

We certainly intend to welcome in a fabulous New Year after nearly three years of uncertainty and unfulfilled business plans whilst battling a power station (Hydrostor – see our earlier blogs on this matter). We will endeavour during 2025 to explain more about how this “battle” has impacted us, noting that the end is still not in sight as the outcome of the development application for this power station is still unknown.

Planets are Visible!

We simply love this time of year when the summer stars paint an iconic hunting scene. We see Orion, Taurus and Canis Major as the Milky Way begins its rise during December early in the evenings. It continues to rise higher throughout January, February and March. Click here to find out more information about Orion and a northern hemisphere view of the sky at this time of year … you just might recognise the Saucepan!

This year’s sky views are more exceptional with visible planets strung across the sky.

Parents, you will love this offer.

If you have children, two can attend Planet Viewing free of charge! This is a great family friendly event for the holidays. So please join us for some Planet Viewing this summer to see Venus, Saturn and Jupiter with naked eyes and through powerful telescopes. From early 2025 we will also welcome back Mars.

We will use the optics to show other celestial highlights, including the Moon if it’s out and about.

See these events scheduled on our sky show calendar.

Sausage Sizzle Nights Under Moonlit Skies

Starting in January, Outback Astronomy reintroduces the popular sausage sizzles. This time, you can eat your sizzle in air conditioned comfort, or, if you prefer, outdoors on our sky deck (the back verandah off the café) that overlooks the enormous gum trees where the local bird life can be observed at dusk.

Have a bite to eat and a cold drink before your sky show. We host these light snack events during warmer months and by demand. Some will also be hosted during winter. These events offer an affordable way for families and groups to gather, enjoy a relaxed night out, and finish off the day by taking in the beauty of the stars.

The Sausage Sizzle events are hosted early in the evenings before scheduled events like “The Sky Tonight”, “Discover the Moon” and “Planet Viewing”. Details can be found by opening our sky show calendar, scrolling through to January 2025, and clicking on Sausage Sizzle.

Outback Astronomy is a café operator and a licensed venue. We offer a selection of other food and beverages to enjoy while you stargaze. We kindly remind visitors not to bring food or drink onto the property. Drinking water is available on-site and you are welcome to refill your water bottles here.

Geminids Meteor Shower

December kicks off with the dazzling Geminids meteor shower, one of the year’s brightest and most reliable meteor displays. This shower offers an amazing sight, with meteors streaking across the sky during the early part of the month, peaking mid month.

This year though, you’ll need to time your viewing to avoid the bright moon. Join us for our early December events, The Sky Tonight or Planet Viewing (see when these events are scheduled our online calendar) and we can share details of when best to view the meteor shower if you are here at this time under the big skies of the outback.

Sky Dome Café Reopening in January 2025

We’re excited to announce that Outback Astronomy’s Sky Dome Café will be reopening in January! The café will slowly ramp up, offering snacks and meals, hot and cold drinks, a welcoming environment and a chance to connect. For our family, friends and locals curious about our experiences over the last few years, as we navigated the NSW Planning processes for Hydrostor’s proposed power station, we’ll be available in person to share with you the details of our experiences, or the latest updates and potential impacts.

The café was temporarily closed for essential infrastructure renovations in mid 2022. It offered a comfortable space to chat over a light snack. After a much longer than expected closure, due to the power station situation and uncertainty and shock that it caused us, we now very much look forward to welcoming you back.

For visitors to Broken Hill, our café offers an alternative, quiet place to relax and revive during your outback adventure. The views from the back sky deck are splendid.

Join Us for a Magical Summer of Stargazing

With so much to look forward to, Outback Astronomy is the perfect stop on your summer holiday road trip or an ideal night out for locals. During the darkest, moon-free nights from the middle to the end of January 2025, book into our fabulous Hang out with the Stars® sky show to experience the joy of stargazing during the warm, enchanting southern hemisphere nights.

Whether you’re here for meteor showers, amazing views of planets, a starry hangout, or a friendly chat over a sausage sizzle, we can’t wait to welcome you.

Image Credit:  Geminids meteor shower time-lapse, NASA/JPL.