Stargazing Evenings
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.
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The Planets in March
At the beginning of March you will still be able to see Venus shining very brightly in the western sky but it will be setting at 20.39 so you will have to be quick as it is sinking rapidly towards the horizon and will be too low to be viewed through the telescopes.
Saturn has now disappeared in the evening sky but you will still be able to see Jupiter and Mars in that order from West to East, with just your own eyes (although they are much better through the telescopes).
While Neptune has also disappeared from the evening sky, Uranus is still visible but you will need to look through the telescopes to see it. Fingers crossed the weather is good and the skies stay clear.
As far as the Moon is concerned, see below for the dates of the primary phases:
- First Quarter: 6 March (rises at 9am and visible throughout the evening)
- Full Moon: 14 March (rises at 6.30pm and visible throughout the rest of the evening)
- Last Quarter: 22 March (rises at 2.45am and not visible throughout the evening)
- New Moon: 29 March (rises at 5.40am and not visible anyway!)
Remember that the clocks go forward on 29 March so we lose an hour and the nights are certainly getting shorter!
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15 March at 7.15pm looking south
from Stellarium
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Stargazing Evenings are a fascinating way to experience the natural wonders of the night sky. It may be the Moon or the planets (if they are visible) or it may be deeper sky objects; looking through a telescope is awe inspiring!
What to expect:
While gates usually open at 6.30pm (unless otherwise specified i.e. April dates gates open at 7.30pm & 8 August, gates open at 8pm) you do not have to be there at 6.30pm. The evening is free flowing around The Centre and there are no set times for anything. When you arrive at reception you will be told about what is available on the evening and there will be tannoy announcements throughout the evening to keep you informed about which telescopes are open and how to access them. If we do have to resort to the cloudy night contingency (see below) then there will be more than one talk and these usually do not start before about 7.30pm (8.30pm or 9pm on the April and August dates respectively) to allow time for visitors to get to The Centre. However, it is recommended that you arrive before 8.30pm (or 2 hours after gates open depending on the date you are attending) on a cloudy night to take advantage of the planetarium shows.
The indoor exhibits will be available to explore but for Health and Safety reasons the outdoor exhibits will not be available and the Discovery Park will be closed during the hours of twilight and darkness.
If the weather is not suitable to look through the telescopes (cloudy, rainy or foggy), we do not cancel Stargazing Evenings because we offer a cloudy night contingency plan. This is usually a talk all about the night sky which in itself is a fantastic and fascinating experience, immersing you in the Universe with explanations of what you are seeing and hopping across the sky to various objects and looking at the different constellations. While the telescopes will not be operational on cloudy/wet nights, or if the wind is too strong, the observatories are open and you can chat freely to the very knowledgeable amateur astronomers and ask those burning questions you always wanted answers to.
Stargazing evenings are suitable for families unless it is specifically an adults only evening. However, we would recommend that children are 7 years and older. NOT suitable for very young children. NOT SUITABLE FOR PUSHCHAIRS OR BUGGIES.
BOOKING ESSENTIAL.
If you have Gift Tickets and would like to redeem them against a Stargazing Evening then please phone The Centre on 01323 832731 to reserve your place(s). We will need the numbers on the back of the Gift Tickets to book you in.
If you are looking for a present then Gift Ticket packages are available for Stargazing Evenings (General Gift Ticket vouchers which are valid for either daytime or Stargazing Evening visits) from our online shop
Find out more about the availability of the telescopes and essential information regarding accessibility and safety. Please bring a torch (however make sure any white light is directable to the ground, please do not bring white light lanterns). Red light torches are preferable as this does not interfere with night vision. White light is not tolerated inside the domes, including mobile phones.
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By booking this event you agree to the terms of our cancellation policy.
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A note about the availability of the telescopes
Not all the historic telescopes are operational but we usually open Dome D and Dome E. On some evenings we may be able to open Dome C which houses a modern 16-inch Meade telescope and Dome A which houses the historic and operational 30-inch Thompson reflector.
The telescopes are all operated by volunteers and we are very grateful for their continued support. Domes A and C are only opened if our volunteers who run the telescopes are available.
We are also exteremely grateful to our loyal STEM Ambassador volunteers who bring their own equipment for you to look through and enhance the evening with their vast knowledge and experience.
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Stargazing Evenings Enquiry
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The Observatory Science Centre is part of Science Projects Ltd, a company limited by guarantee registered in England No: 02186073 and a registered charity No: 298542. The registered office is Unit 1 Warren Farm, Steventon, Basingstoke, Hampshire UK, RG25 3BL.