Welcome to The Observatory Science Centre

Spectacular Science

Come and enjoy the fabulous atmosphere that surrounds the Observatory at night and, weather permitting look through some of the largest telescopes in the country at some extraordinary night sky objects. Don't worry if it is cloudy we have a cloudy night contingency.

A fantastic opportunity to learn how to navigate your way around the night sky using the constellations as your guide. Taught in one of our domes under the backdrop of a historic telescope and outside under the stars, you will learn how to recognise star patterns and find out more about the mythologies behind them. Spring and Autumn dates are available.

This course is a mix of classroom based teaching in one of the domes and practical hands-on teaching outdoors so you can learn how to use your telescope. Members of local Astronomy Societies will guide you through setting up your telescope and getting the best out of it. Weather permitting they will also start you on your way to viewing the night sky. Spring and Autumn dates available.

Tuesday 28 October 2025: Half day workshop for 7 - 11 years. What does it take to become an astronaut? We will investigate with some exciting activities to discover the challenges faced when reaching space.

Wednesday 29 October 2025: Twilight workshop for 7-11 years. What makes volcanoes blow, the Earth quake and the icecaps melt? What is in space and how do we know? This workshops looks at our dynamic Earth and how we look beyond Earth into space using a telescope. If the weather is clear we may even get to look at the magnificent Moon and the planet.

This 4 week course is above beginner level and is aimed at those with an understanding of the basics in astronomy. It will take a more in depth look at stars and galaxies, introduce you to cosmology and give you an understanding of where we are in the Wider Universe.

15th November 2025. The debris left behind by the comet Tempel-Tuttle gives rise to the Leonids meteor shower and the debris trail left behind by comet Encke gives rise to the Taurid meteor shower. Join us for a warming curry and informative talk before heading out to try and spot some meteors (shooting stars). If the weather is good you will also have an opportunity to look through an historic telescope; we have some of the largest working telescopes in the country. ADULTS ONLY

5 December 2025: Come and join us as we celebrate the joyous festive season with Santa and festive music plus viewing the stars (weather permitting).