Stargazing events throughout regional WA to bring astronomical hype for eclipse

A stargazing tour starting later this month aims to enchant locals and draw visitors to the regions in the run-up to the solar eclipse in April. Astrotourism WA’s Eclipse Discovery tour will be stopping in towns across regional WA, including the Mid West and Gascoyne, bringing telescopes, laser pointers and experts to guide guests across the night sky and talk about space science in WA. The list of events begins on March 25 in Three Springs, with events also being held in Mingenew, Cervantes, Greenough, Morawa, Denham, Murchison Settlement, Carnarvon, Mullewa, Onslow, Perenjori, Gascoyne Junction and Carnamah, as well as towns in the Wheatbelt, up until April 28. Carol Redford, Astrotourism WA founder, said the stargazing nights would hopefully attract astronomy fans from abroad who have arrived in WA for the eclipse, giving them an opportunity to take in the clear view of the cosmos on offer in small towns. “The aim is to draw visitors who are here for the eclipse into our beautiful regions, and get them to stay and holiday longer in Western Australia, and appreciate our amazing dark sky,” she said. The events will feature telescopes for guests to take a look at the stars and planets, as well as guides offering their knowledge, and presentations about the eclipse and what to expect. A clear night sky and sights unique to the Southern Hemisphere such as such as the Southern Cross, the dwarf galaxies called the Magellanic Clouds and the star cluster known as Jewel Box are experiences perfect for tourists from big cities in Europe and North America, Ms Redford said. “We’re very lucky with our dark night skies, you don’t get them everywhere around the world,” she said. There will also be speakers from groups such as CSIRO, the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, Curtin University and Scitech to talk about the many space science projects being carried out in WA. The solar eclipse is set to occur on April 20.