Overview
Highlights
Please feel free to contact me directly to discuss the experience content, timings and locations before booking.
Why choose Peak Astronomy?
Unlike many astronomy experiences we will have the ability to use telescopes equipped with dedicated cooled astronomy cameras and specialist filters to view the night sky. This opens up the opportunity to experience the colourful world of deep sky objects including galaxies, nebulae and also the milky way. Astronomy also becomes much more accessible in urban areas with higher levels of light pollution. Without the use of a telescope equipped with a camera you would be limited to only observing the brighter objects such as stars, star clusters, the brighter planets and the moon. Depending on the length of your experience there is also the option to capture a high quality image which I will then carefully process for you after the event. This will normally take up about an hour of your experience, and it will give you a good understanding of what is involved in astrophotography. If the skies stay clear, and my availability allows, I will continue capturing the image after your experience ends - with astrophotography the longer you capture an image the better the quality.
Please contact me whenever you are ready to discuss options for the content of your experience, either before or after purchasing your activity. We will also discuss potential locations for your activity, select a provisional date (if not already booked), or if you prefer you can just indicate roughly when you'd like it to take place. Depending on what you wish to focus your experience on could also influence the best times to hold your experience, such as taking account of moon phases and the astronomical seasons. I can help guide you on selecting a suitable date and location.
Flexibility & Weather
For me, flexibility is key to planning a successful night under the stars. For all outdoor astronomy activities your booking is valid for 1 year from the time of purchase.
Locations
All activities are bespoke and can take place at any suitable location in the area or at your own home or another agreed location such as a holiday property or suitable countryside location. The listed prices cover delivery at locations within a 25 miles radius of my base in Macclesfield. This includes the whole of the Peak District and most of Cheshire East, North Staffordshire and Manchester areas (see map on my website www.peakastronomy.co.uk). Activities can also take place at other locations across the UK, whether that be at your home location, or a particular dark sky location, interesting landscape feature or viewpoint. I can recommend suitable locations. This can be particularly useful for training courses or workshops focussing on the milky way or landscape astrophotography or to capture the highest quality images of deep sky objects.
For locations outside of the area indicated on the map please contact me in advance so we can discuss locations, timings and additional travel costs. In most cases an additional charge of £25 per hour will apply for travel time from my base to and from the location (excluding the 1st 2 hours which are included in the standard price), although if I'm able to link your booking with another activity or a multi-night booking this could be reduced.
Peak Astronomy is delivered by the same team as the award winning myGuidedWalks, Experience of the Year 2023.
Inclusions
What's Included
🧰 Equipment - Telescopes and astronomy cameras are provided but if you have your own kit and want to bring it along please feel free.
📋 Other - Experienced astrophotographer
🖼️ Photos - Pictures taken on the night available to download
What you'll need
🧤 Warm Clothing - Warm clothing and warm footwear with good grip, hats and gloves. Standing around at night can be cold whatever the time of year.
☂️ Waterproofs - In case of a passing shower, although we'll aim to avoid these. Also good to keep the wind off and stay warm.
🍴 Food - Snacks for during the event
🥤 Drink - Drinks or hot flask for during the event
📋 Other - A head torch and spare batteries, ideally with a red light. The red light prevents the torch from disturbing your night vision. The torch doesn't need to be bright and it best if it isn't.
- An extended bespoke experience at a date, time and location to suit you, even at your home if you wish.
- The additional hour (more can be added) will enable you to see more highlights of the night sky and enable us to capture more images or better quality images (which require longer exposures).
- Journey through space and time with the aid of computer controlled telescopes and state of the art astronomy cameras.
- Discover the Milky Way, galaxies such as Andromeda, planets and many colourful Deep Space Objects such as the Orion Nebula.
- Learn to recognise the north star, star constellations and the planets.
- For 2024/25 we are also at the peak of the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) 11 year cycle so an even better time to stargaze.
- Capture astronomy photographs to keep and share.
- Available across the Peak District, East Cheshire, Manchester and North Staffordshire areas. Available at wider locations across England and Wales for an additional supplement.
- Accessible experiences available - you can even sit inside, linked via Wi-Fi to a telescope outside.
- Voucher valid for 1 year from the date purchased. Note: the date/time you select is the start of your 12 month validity. See weather and flexibility section below.
Please feel free to contact me directly to discuss the experience content, timings and locations before booking.
Why choose Peak Astronomy?
Unlike many astronomy experiences we will have the ability to use telescopes equipped with dedicated cooled astronomy cameras and specialist filters to view the night sky. This opens up the opportunity to experience the colourful world of deep sky objects including galaxies, nebulae and also the milky way. Astronomy also becomes much more accessible in urban areas with higher levels of light pollution. Without the use of a telescope equipped with a camera you would be limited to only observing the brighter objects such as stars, star clusters, the brighter planets and the moon. Depending on the length of your experience there is also the option to capture a high quality image which I will then carefully process for you after the event. This will normally take up about an hour of your experience, and it will give you a good understanding of what is involved in astrophotography. If the skies stay clear, and my availability allows, I will continue capturing the image after your experience ends - with astrophotography the longer you capture an image the better the quality.
Please contact me whenever you are ready to discuss options for the content of your experience, either before or after purchasing your activity. We will also discuss potential locations for your activity, select a provisional date (if not already booked), or if you prefer you can just indicate roughly when you'd like it to take place. Depending on what you wish to focus your experience on could also influence the best times to hold your experience, such as taking account of moon phases and the astronomical seasons. I can help guide you on selecting a suitable date and location.
Flexibility & Weather
For me, flexibility is key to planning a successful night under the stars. For all outdoor astronomy activities your booking is valid for 1 year from the time of purchase.
- You can book a date and then reschedule if the weather isn't suitable, unless you'd prefer to go ahead on the booked date or have a training session instead.
- I will regularly review weather forecasts, and keep you updated in the week leading up to your booking.
- A final decision to go ahead will usually be taken within 24hrs of the booked date, although I'll take account of the level of flexibility you have, travel plans etc.
- I always aim to be as flexible as I can in order to ensure you have the best chance of a successful night and I'm happy to discuss any plans or changes. If you're not located within easy reach of the area we can also discuss how best to make a booking work for you, such as booking accommodation that can be cancelled if we need to reschedule or having a backup plan for indoors.
- Partly cloudy weather can still be good but forecasts of full cloud cover or rain will often require a reschedule or change of location ( just relocating by 10 miles can sometimes have a big difference).
- Timings shown are approximate only and may depend on hours of darkness and the weather.
Locations
All activities are bespoke and can take place at any suitable location in the area or at your own home or another agreed location such as a holiday property or suitable countryside location. The listed prices cover delivery at locations within a 25 miles radius of my base in Macclesfield. This includes the whole of the Peak District and most of Cheshire East, North Staffordshire and Manchester areas (see map on my website www.peakastronomy.co.uk). Activities can also take place at other locations across the UK, whether that be at your home location, or a particular dark sky location, interesting landscape feature or viewpoint. I can recommend suitable locations. This can be particularly useful for training courses or workshops focussing on the milky way or landscape astrophotography or to capture the highest quality images of deep sky objects.
For locations outside of the area indicated on the map please contact me in advance so we can discuss locations, timings and additional travel costs. In most cases an additional charge of £25 per hour will apply for travel time from my base to and from the location (excluding the 1st 2 hours which are included in the standard price), although if I'm able to link your booking with another activity or a multi-night booking this could be reduced.
Peak Astronomy is delivered by the same team as the award winning myGuidedWalks, Experience of the Year 2023.
Inclusions
What's Included
🧰 Equipment - Telescopes and astronomy cameras are provided but if you have your own kit and want to bring it along please feel free.
📋 Other - Experienced astrophotographer
🖼️ Photos - Pictures taken on the night available to download
What you'll need
🧤 Warm Clothing - Warm clothing and warm footwear with good grip, hats and gloves. Standing around at night can be cold whatever the time of year.
☂️ Waterproofs - In case of a passing shower, although we'll aim to avoid these. Also good to keep the wind off and stay warm.
🍴 Food - Snacks for during the event
🥤 Drink - Drinks or hot flask for during the event
📋 Other - A head torch and spare batteries, ideally with a red light. The red light prevents the torch from disturbing your night vision. The torch doesn't need to be bright and it best if it isn't.