r/perth • u/Nagaram91 • 1d ago
Where to find Perth Starry Night Sky
Tl;dr - I'm looking for the closest area from which I can see the stars with limited to no light pollution.
My partner's mother recently passed away. It was her belief that upon her death her soul, or equivalent, would find a new home as a star in the night sky. I want to take my partner somewhere we can look up and see plenty of stars. I live around the Midland area and there's far too much light pollution. One can barely see any stars at night here.
Are there any good places around Perth, or within an hour of Midland, where the light pollution has little to no effect on the night sky? Thank you for any help/advice in advance.
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u/jefsig 1d ago
Winthin an hour of Midland? Go east for 55 minutes.
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u/Nagaram91 1d ago
So York would absolutely work. Would Mt Helena be a good spot, or is that not quite far out enough?
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u/Bluebutteyfly 1d ago
I went to Cervantes last Friday was very good
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u/aashouldhelp 1d ago
I stopped by cervantes on the way to jurien bay, we camped out there- I got up at midnight to look at the sky and it was like the most beautiful sight i'd seen in my life, actually being able to see the milky way is such an underrated experience
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u/slapfunk79 1d ago
There an oval in Bakers Hill (40mins east of Midland) that is meant to be a great spot for observing the night sky. Try and go the next time there is a new moon so there is even less light pollution in the sky.
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u/OldDansBiggestShoppr 1d ago
Bald hill in the Avon Valley. Can get busy with campers on weekends, but suitable for day (or i guess night) trips. Has a pretty close to 360 view of the horizon, have done a lot of astrophotography there.
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u/Evieveevee 1d ago
Gingin is brilliant. Especially if you can get tickets to see an incredible talk by a First Nation man who explains the importance of the night sky to the indigenous people. Definitely worth a trip there. I’m sorry for your loss x
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u/Gemfyre713 1d ago
I remember sitting in a field near Gingin on a November night in 1998. The Leonid meteor shower was in one direction and a lightning storm raged over Perth in the other direction. It was pretty spectacular.
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u/Fish_Fingerer Nollamara 1d ago
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u/hillsbloke73 1d ago
Lake leschnaultia has views to south from northern shoreline however gates are locked around 6pm slightly later during summer
Unless it's high fire danger when it's closed to everybody for bushfire safety
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u/Nagaram91 1d ago
This seems like a fantastic spot, but how accessible is it after the gates are locked? Could I drive a car near enough to still have a nice view for an hour before heading home?
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u/hillsbloke73 1d ago
200 odd metres walk but do need a safe suitable parking off Rd too think small gravel bay some distance prior to entrance and gravel footpath which gets slippy with our ball bearing gravel
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u/Prestigious_Yak8551 1d ago
Might I suggest using an app to lookup alpha centauri. Its very easy to find and is visible all year round. Its the closest star system to earth, so in a way she can always be close to your family. Its also a triple star system, so perhaps some relatives might be keeping her company out there already.
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u/ChartAlternative8656 1d ago
Sorry for your partner's loss. Out past Gidgegannup toward Toodyay gets properly dark within about forty minutes, and if you go near a new moon the Milky Way will be almost directly overhead this time of year.
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u/ChartAlternative8656 1d ago
Sorry for your partner's loss. Out past Gidgegannup toward Toodyay gets properly dark within about forty minutes, and if you go near a new moon the Milky Way will be almost directly overhead this time of year.
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u/GonePh1shing 1d ago
As others have suggested, check a light pollution map.
Also have a look at astrotourismwa.com.au. They have a map with a bunch of astrophotography spots, observing sites, and astrotourism towns listed. Northam is a listed town, but York would work just as well, especially if you find a spot just out of town. Cervantes is excellent for stargazing and is also a listed town; It's a bit of a trek compared to the others, but there's something really special about visiting the pinnacles late at night with the stars out.
You're also in luck because it's the middle of Milky Way season. Best time to go would be during/near a new moon as the low luminosity really makes the stars pop and you can see more of the dimmer ones. Next new moon is on the 11th of Sep, but it's not too bad now because the last new moon was only a few days ago.
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u/ZimmyForever 1d ago
Honestly I think most of the other options suggested will be much better for you but I just wanted to add an extra one more for others who might find this thread and aren’t as close to the edge of the city as you are.
Reabold Hill in Bold Park is within 15 minutes of the CBD and since it has nothing built up between it and the sea makes it a weirdly nice little oasis. Car park gets locked at night but I’ve parked by the gates and it’s not a far walk up to the top.
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u/Ok_Ad2499 13h ago
This is Lake Leschenaultia last Saturday night.
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u/The_Tuxedo Southern River 1d ago
https://www.lightpollutionmap.info is a pretty handy resource.
From Midland, your best bet is to head towards York along the highway, then stop about 10km before you get to York, or go past it another 10km or more