Reaching for the stars

Skyline Rotorua is opening a new stargazing experience. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Skyline Rotorua is preparing to launch a new attraction at its Mt Ngongotaha site where people can reach for the stars while staying firmly planted on the earth.

The Skyline Rotorua Stargazing experience will open in December allowing visitors to explore constellations, look for a shooting stars, and discover planets invisible to the naked eye.

Ngongotaha is one of the top eight locations in New Zealand for stargazing where the dark clear skies blanketing Rotorua make for a breathtaking experience.

Skyline general manager Bruce Thomasen said the business would be investing $250,000 in developing the attraction including top-of-the line telescopes to give stargazers the chance to view an amazing array of sights, from the iconic Southern Cross, to nebulas, planets, the Milky Way and other galaxies.

The most impressive telescope on the platform is called "The Don", weighing more than 100kg and performing 2586 times better than the eye to see space like never before.

Mr Thomasen said the power of the scope was jaw-dropping.

"You can look at space in a whole new dimension and there are stars there, not normally visible with your eyes.

"What's unique about this telescope is its sharpness - stars are sharp all the way to the edge, which is not the case for the majority of other telescopes."

The Luminos eyepieces also have an 82-degree field of view creating an immersive experience.

The experience starts for visitors with a scenic gondola ride up Mt Ngongotaha.

A stargazing guide then takes everyone for an orientation and the tour begins with a short walk to the purpose-built stargazing platform.

Guides point out constellations and help visitors to interpret the night sky.

Tours will depart daily (subject to weather), after dark, year-round and run for 75 minutes.

Session times vary as a sunset times change regularly, so visit skyline.co.nz/rotorua in December to see when Stargazing opens for summer.

Cost for the tours will be $85 for adults and $45 for children and includes a gondola ride and hot chocolate.

Mr Thomasen said he was in discussion with the Rotorua Astronomical Society to see what they could do at the site in future.