When it comes to the best stargazing places in WA, we are very lucky indeed! We have some of the most pristine night skies in the world.
Perth is the most isolated continental capital city in the world which means you don’t have to travel far to find terrific stargazing under dark, Western Australian night skies.
Here are our top 10 stargazing places in Western Australia
1. WA’s Wheatbelt & Mid West
WA's Wheatbelt and Mid West Regions are only 1-2 hours’ drive from Perth. This means dark night stargazing is within easy reach from the bright city lights. The night skies are filled with thousands of stars. On a moonless night you can see the Milky Way Galaxy stretch across the night sky.
2. Lake Ballard in the Golden Outback
The stars over the Gormley sculptures on the lake bed will take your breath away. The stark contrast of the metal human figures stands out against the stillness of the landscape.
3. Wave Rock at Hyden
When you’re off the beaten track, you’ll have a big sky from horizon to horizon. On a dark night you’ll gaze in awe at how many stars you can see. All you need is a comfortable chair to sit back in!
4. The Pinnacles, Nambung National Park
Along the Indian Ocean Drive on the Coral Coast. If you’re a budding astrophotographer, you’ll take some interesting images. Under moonlight, the shapes of the Pinnacles cast wonderful shadows.
5. Wooleen Station in the Murchison
An awe-inspiring place with views of the Milky Way Galaxy so close you feel like you could touch it. On a full Moon, it’s so light, you can almost read a book!
6. Roebuck Bay near Broome
The Staircase to the Moon appears each month from March to October. As the Moon rises, the reflection of its light on the tidal flats makes for a spectacular sight and a real stargazing treat. Make sure you don’t miss Greg Quicke (aka #spacegandalf) and his Broome Astro Tours when you’re in the region.
7. Gingin and Toodyay
Both of these places aren’t too far from Perth but just far enough away from bright city lights. Gingin is a charming town with a village atmosphere and Toodyay is vibrant with lots of activity on weekends. GDC Observatory is a short drive away from Gingin and near Toodyay is The Limes where you can organise a stargazing night.
8. Dryandra Country near Narrogin
There are some great camp and cabin sites that make ideal spots for seeing meteor showers or shooting stars. The Geminids Meteor Shower in mid December each year is best seen in the early hours of the morning.
9. Albany and Esperance along the southern coast
If you’re lucky you may witness the Aurora Australis. It’s very rare in WA and usually only ever seen from the very south when it occurs.
10. Perth Hills
Here you have some protection from the glow of city lights. The volunteer guides at Perth Observatory run stargazing nights for public visitors where you can learn more about astronomy.
Stargazing is a wonderful pastime anywhere in WA. Our Sun is but one of about 300 billion stars in our Milky Way Galaxy. There are billions more to see!
Want to learn how to properly use a telescope?
We have telescope classes all through the year. It’s a great place to learn how to use a telescope or to figure out which one to buy.
We look forward to welcoming you to our friendly community of Stargazers & Astronomy Lovers where we thrive on making learning about the galaxy easy & fun!
Carol
Astrotourism WA
If you’re interested to find new places to go, hop over to Astrotourism WA.
Local towns in WA are choosing beautiful country locations and welcoming visitors for stargazing, telescopes and astrophotography.
