Perseids Shooting Stars

The Perseids meteor shower occurs as Earth passes through the outskirts of a cloud of debris from comet Swift-Tuttle. The dust and bits of rock left behind are called meteoroids. As they enter the Earth's atmosphere they disintegrate with the larger pieces producing bright streams - meteors - that you can see with the unaided eye before they fade away. These bright streams are also known as shooting stars and can be seen from 14th July until 1st September. The peak of the shower is actually on the night of the 12th August when you may see up to 60-80 shooting stars per hour. 

PLEASE NOTE: Gates open at 7.00pm and there will be a talk at 8.45pm by a guest speaker. All the exhibits will be available for you to explore when you arrive. While you don't need to arrive at 7.00pm the gates will be closed at 8.30pm so please arrive before then.

Itinerary for the evening:

• 7.00pm: gates open (please arrive before 8.30pm). You will be issued with a coloured itinerary and map. The colour denotes the group that you will be divided into for viewing after the talk.
• 7.00pm - 8.30pm: Food served from the Launch Box; drinks/snacks served from the cafe; time to explore the exhibits and the exhibitions. Astronomers will be based in the domes and while it will be too light to see anything through the telescopes you can go along and have a chat to them (bear in  mind you will be going into the domes following the talk. Viewing is subject to weather).
• 8.45pm - 9.45pm: Talk 
• 9.45 - 10.00pm: time to get into your groups
• 10.00pm - 12.30am: Groups will be taken to each area for viewing (weather permitting). You will be in each area for approximately 30 minutes before moving on to the next area (this will be clearly marked on your coloured itinerary).
• 12.30am: Centre closes 

If you wish to purchase hot food on the night then our Launch Box will be open from 7.00pm - 8.30pm before the talk starts. The Launch Box serves (subject to change):

• Burger & Fries
• Cheeseburger & Fries
• Falafel Burger & Fries
• Frankfurter Hot Dog & Fries

It makes it easier for us if you book food in advance. Please phone The Centre on 01323 832731 and you can pre-order food and pay using a debit or credit card. The cafe will also be open for hot/cold drinks and snacks.

Following the talk, if the weather is nice and clear you will have the opportunity to try and spot some fast moving meteors with the unaided eye and look through the telescopes at other interesting celestial objects.

If the weather is unsuitable for viewing, the talk will go ahead regardless and a comprehensive tour of the telescopes will replace viewing. On the tour you will be taken into domes not open to the public during the day. We do NOT cancel this event if the weather is unsuitable for viewing. 

Numbers are limited to 100 (age 18+ only), so book early to secure your place. 

The evening aims to be both informal and informative.

Booking essential

If you are looking for a present then a Gift Ticket package for this event is available from our online shop.

Gift Ticket terms and conditions can be found on the FAQs page.

Suitable for adults only

Please wear warm clothing and sensible footwear. Our site is very dark and we keep lighting to a minimum to preserve night vision and make sure you have the best possible experience in terms of viewing the night sky. This inevitably means that there are areas that are dimly lit or very dark. With high walkways, ramps and steps throughout The Centre you need to take great care when moving around. Please bring a torch, preferably red light. We strongly encourage people not to use white light torches especially in the domes as this destroys night vision.

While the Centre makes every effort to accomodate wheel chair users and others with mobility issues, by virtue of the nature of the building (grade II* listed), the telescopes are accessed by steep narrow stairs and the tour of the Domes (with or without viewing) takes you into these domes. If you require further information please do not hesitate to get in touch.

If using Sat Nav, please use ‘Wartling Road’ and NOT our postcode.
PARKING: There is ample free parking on the grassed car park in front of The Centre. 

If you are a blue badge holder, there are 5 parking bays available at the back of the science centre, adjacent to our ramped entrance. Please note that by virtue of the historic nature of the building, the domes are accessed by steep narrow stairs.

By booking this event you agree to abide by our refund/transfer/cancellation policy.

Please do not bring laser pointers into The Centre. Our staff and volunteers do use laser pointers as teaching aids but they adhere to strict rules and regulations about their use within The Centre and therefore they are controlled. Laser pointers can be dangerous especially if misused.