Mount John Observatory was established in 1965 and offers night tours for viewings on one of the 5 telescopes. This 360 degree view from the café was created from bracketed shots.
Located below and fed by the Southern Alps this 83 square km lake hosts a small holiday town and an astronomical observatory on the nearby 1,000 meter peak of Mount John. The turquoise blue color of is caused by rock flour from surrounding glaciers.