Kielder Observatory is one of the most remarkable places to visit in the whole of the UK, a public astronomical observatory which is second to none. Here you'll find "infinite inspiration" and wonders you could never have imagined under some of the darkest skies in the world.
Kielder Observatory is one of the most inspiring places to visit in the UK—a public astronomical observatory and educational charity where unforgettable memories are made beneath the stars.
Experience wonders beyond imagination against the awe-inspiring backdrop of Europe’s largest Gold-Tier International Dark Sky Park. Whether you’re a first-time stargazer or a seasoned astronomer, our dedicated team promises moments that last a lifetime.
Looking to visit as soon as possible? Check out our events with last minute availability below.
Space Kids is one of our most popular events for parents and their young scientists. These events are designed to inspire, enthuse and educate, in a way the youngsters will never forget. We start with a brief talk then questions from you, which our astronomers will endeavour to answer; though with some of the questions we get from young minds it's even a challenge for us! There will be a full tour of our two observatories and a chance to see, play with and drive our big telescopes! There may be time for us to touch real rocks from space, meteorites from the Moon, Mars and the asteroid belt, some of which are even older than the planet you're stood on right now. Depending on the season and the weather, if there's time, we may take a look at the skies to see what we can observe. Then rocket making, we turn Kielder in to mission control, and teach you how to build and launch your own rockets. A fun packed two hours of wonder and real discovery. Please be aware all children under 16 yrs must be accompanied by an adult, all of whom must have a ticket. We recommend this event is best for ages 7 to 12 years old....
Tickets
From £20.00 per person
Next available event
Sunday 17th August
Space Kids is one of our most popular events for parents and their young scientists. These events are designed to inspire, enthuse and educate, in a way the youngsters will never forget. We start with a brief talk then questions from you, which our astronomers will endeavour to answer; though with some of the questions we get from young minds it's even a challenge for us! There will be a full tour of our two observatories and a chance to see, play with and drive our big telescopes! There may be time for us to touch real rocks from space, meteorites from the Moon, Mars and the asteroid belt, some of which are even older than the planet you're stood on right now. Depending on the season and the weather, if there's time, we may take a look at the skies to see what we can observe. Then rocket making, we turn Kielder in to mission control, and teach you how to build and launch your own rockets. A fun packed two hours of wonder and real discovery. Please be aware all children under 16 yrs must be accompanied by an adult, all of whom must have a ticket. We recommend this event is best for ages 7 to 12 years old....
Tickets
From £20.00 per person
Next available event
Tuesday 19th August
Is there life outside of earth? A question which has perplexed humans for eons, we now creep ever closer to uncovering the answer to that very question. Each year, more and more planets surrounding other star systenms are being discovered, with new technologies we can now begin analysing those planet's atmospheres in the hunt for signs of life. How do we know? How many worlds are there? Which of them could sustain life? During this event we will uncover the methods and technology which make it possible for us to discover these new worlds, more formally known as Exoplanets, meaning Extra Solar planets. Throughout this introduction to Exoplanets, our team will guide you through the origins of discovering other worlds and up to date discoveries, changing as the weeks go by. This is a hot topic of science research and one that our team love talking about. During the event you will take a tour of the observatory with stargazing as the priority when the weather permits. During your tour you will discover light, its uses throughout the universe and how we capture it with our large aperture telescopes. You will also get hands on with rocks from the origins of our solar system and worlds beyond our own and we will introduce you to some techniques in how to navigate the night sky. In the summer months we can still observe despite the lighter evenings, including the moon, brighter planets, binary star systems, beautiful star clusters and breathtaking noctilucent clouds. During the evening you will be treated to a hot drink of either tea, coffee or our famous hot chocolate as well as having the opportunity of supporting our charity further by taking home a memento of your visit to the observatory from our gift shop. Although star-gazing is the priority on all our events, our aim is to deliver a fantastic experience whatever the weather with the help of our team of experienced and passionate astronomers. Important information about events Will it be cold? Even during the summer it can get cold in Kielder, winter can be especially cold, minus figures are not uncommon late at night. Please make sure to wrap up warm. Warm rooms are provided for your comfort, but if it is a clear night and we are observing you may be in outside temperatures for up to 2 hours. Can we see things in summer? If weather permits, in the summer months we can still observe despite the lighter evenings, including the moon, brighter planets, binary star systems, beautiful star clusters and breathtaking noctilucent clouds. How might things look through the telescope? The magnification we use on our telescopes typically ranges between 50 - 150 x. Sufficient for us to make out features of some of the largest planets in our Solar System, and picking our faint distant galaxies. Looking through a telescope is very different to images captured using astrophotography techniques and by institutions such as NASA, ESA and others. Images such as this can take hundreds of hours to produce using very sensitive techniques, using billions of pounds worth of instrumentation, in the best possible conditions. The difference is, looking thorough our telescopes with the naked eye is how astronomy was completed up until only the turn of the 20th Century. Your view through our telescopes is better than many of the trailblazers who first used instruments such as this to uncovered the mysteries of our universe. ...
Tickets
From £35.00 per person
Next available event
Friday 22nd August
Our reviews are out of this world...
Kielder Observatory is a charity that exists to inspire, enthuse and educate the public about the wonders of the universe. Donating to us will help us reach more people and support their interest in astronomy. Your gift will help fund our work in schools, in the arts, our citizen science projects, getting out and about in the community and, of course, the work we do at the Observatory itself.
Lots of exciting things are happening at Kielder Observatory, use this page to browse the latest stories.
The dark skies are back - and August is packed with cosmic treats! Catch the Milky Way, the peak of the...
Read Time
7 minutes
Discover how Kielder Observatory's stunning astrophotography helped shape the haunting beauty of 28 Years Later, the latest blockbuster from Danny...
Read Time
3 minutes
As the long summer evenings slowly give way to darker skies, July offers a perfect opportunity to reconnect with the...
Read Time
4 minutes
Purchase some of the incredible photographs taken from Kielder Observatory.
This picture was taken in the late Autumn of 2014, taken through the telescope with a DSLR camera....
£25.00
The lunar eclipse on 21st January 2019 was an unforgettable sight. The whole observatory team stayed up until 6am to capture images of this amazing cosmic coincidence. A lunar eclipse is when the Earth is perfectly lined up in between the Sun and Moon. Earth’s shadow sweeps across the lunar surfaces causing the Moon to turn blood red....
£25.00
This was taken on a moonlit night to keep the observatory illuminated, the image is created by stacking a number of shots taken over a long period of time. This was shot using a 14mm lens, with 25 second exposures for 30 minutes. We can see how the stars appear to trail around one central point, our North Star (Polaris), as the Earth spins on its axis and Polaris stays still in its position directly above the North Pole....
£25.00
The clearest of skies allow for this amazing 'star trails' image, the rotating earth allows for these beautiful shapes and patterns to develop. Our eyes can never see the passage of time like this but the camera can....
£25.00
Our workshops and talks are the perfect educational visit to broaden your knowledge!
Take home the ultimate souvenir of knowledge from Kielder Observatory by learning how award winning astrophotographers take images of the night sky. Modern day digital cameras have resulted in an explosion of popularity for night sky photography. By turning our lenses towards the night sky, we have helped our visitors realise just how capable they can be when shooting into darkness. To start the night, our friendly team of astronomers will deliver a talk, suitable for beginners through to professionals, and will provide the top tips required in order to capture stunning nightscapes of the Milky Way, Aurora Borealis, startrails and more. Furthermore, being situated in the heart of the Northumberland and Kielder Water’s Gold Tier Dark Sky Park, Kielder Observatory is the ideal destination for budding astrophotographers to learn, experiment and achieve quality results with their cameras. Weather permitting, the evening will include informal practical photography sessions, use of Kielder Observatory telescopes to observe the night sky, and then it’ll be time to warm up with a generous dose of our famous hot chocolate, tea or coffee, included in the price. The event will be heavily based on landscape astrophotography. We’d highly recommend you bring a DSLR or mirrorless camera, a wide-angle lens and a tripod. It’s even possible to capture the stars using the camera on modern smartphones, so we could give that a try! Oh… And don’t forget to charge your batteries! You will also have the opportunity to support our charity further by taking home a memento of your visit from our gift shop. ...
Tickets
From £35.00 per person
Next available event
Sunday 31st August
Private Events
Travel through the cosmos as we bring the wonder of the dark skies to you with our inflatable planetarium. Perfect for a group setting, our astronomers will guide you across the universe with these impressive shows...
Private Events
From meteorites to space exploration, planets to satellites and everything in between, our astronomer-lead workshops are the perfect way to engage with science and astronomy for schools and community groups. With practical hand-on learning, guided by an expert astronomer there is no better way to get to grips with astronomy...
The official monthly podcast from Kielder Observatory. If you've ever wondered what happens when you fall into a black hole, if intelligent life is watching us from other galaxies, or how the North East is at the forefront of the British Space programme, then you can find out more in this series!
Each month we also update you on the things to look out for in the night.
