Fly through space at Carter
Take a virtual journey through space in Carter's new planetarium - a state-of-the-art full-dome digital theatre, then take your own steps through space as you walk through the world-class interactive multimedia space experience.
Discover our Universe, along with some of New Zealand's most prestigious telescopes and astronomical artefacts. Before and after you visit we encourage you to download the latest sky chart to spot the stars.
We were so pleased to celebrate the culture, heritage and science of the Southern Skies with the thousands of people who visited on the Open Day and look forward to seeing them and others again soon. In the meantime, if you would like to follow Carter Observatory's redevelopment, subscribe to Carter's e-letter Big Bang now.
Carter Observatory is New Zealand's longest-serving national observatory. Thanks to funding from the New Zealand Government, Wellington City Council, New Zealand Lotteries Grant, and the Pelorus Trust among others, a revitalised Carter opened its doors on 27 March 2010.
The history of Carter Observatory
Carter's name commemorates Charles Rooking Carter, who gifted his estate to the Royal Society of New Zealand to establish an astronomical observatory in Wellington. Parliament established the Carter Observatory in 1937 and it opened its doors in 1941.
Carter became a base for astronomical research in New Zealand. Work began with solar investigations and when new staff joined during the 1970s it expanded to include variable stars, galaxies and asteroids. Carter Observatory became New Zealand's National Observatory in 1977.
In 2005, the New Zealand government commissioned Professor Mike Bessell to review Carter and to explore New Zealand’s requirements and the opportunities in astronomy and space science research and education. Professor Bessell's report kickstarted Carter's transformation into a world class visitor attraction and education facility.
Telescopes
The Carter Observatory curates and maintains three main telescopes. The Thomas Cooke Telescope, an historic 9 3/4-inch Cooke Refractor will be used for public observing sessions. The Ruth Crisp Telescope, arrived as a donation in the 1960s and is still used for astronomy research. Carter also operates the nearby Thomas King Observatory. Local astronomers maintain its 12.5 cm (5-inch) telescope, made in 1882 by Grubb in Dublin. This observatory is available for public stargazing sessions.
