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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.

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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.

)

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.


Discover the Stars. Create Memories.

Discover the Stars. Create Memories.

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.

Last Minute Events

Young Explorers
Only 1 tickets left!

Young Explorers

Visiting schools providing educational outreach is something we do for much of the school term at Kielder Observatory, and we are always blown away by the enthusiasm and passion kids have for space-related subjects. Our Young Explorers event is designed to build on that passion of your young scientists and help encourage further learning by feeding their excitement for everything space related. Throughout this event you and your family will be guided around our astronomical ark and discover our large aperture robotic telescopes, learn about how they work and why we use them, if weather permits you will even get to observe brighter objects through them. You will be introduced to a digital guide of our night sky, learning constellations and why we use them, you can even continue that learning from home witih a free piece of software for your computer. Then we will get hands on and discover pieces of our solar system, some of which originate from its very creation, as we introduce you to our collection of meteorites, you'll even get to stand on a piece of Mars, and tickle a piece of the Moon! At the end of the event you will have time to grab a drink and peruse our gift shop, wander around the facilites, grab a selfie and ask any questions from our team of astronomers. Young Explorers is aimed at all ages from 7 years upwards, with plenty to enjoy for those at secondary school age too! So join us for an event geared around a tour of the UK's largest public stargazing facility, with fun and inspirational activities along the way and we will take you on a journey of observation, navigation and creation. Please be aware all children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, all of whom must have a ticket....

Tickets

From £20.00 per person

Next available event

Saturday 16th August

Space Kids - Rockets & More

Space Kids - Rockets & More

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 - Rockets & More
Only 4 tickets left!

Space Kids - Rockets & More

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

Reviews & Testimonials

Our reviews are out of this world...

Such a wonderful place. I went on my birthday for Late Night Discovery and had a great time. The team are so knowledgeable and enthusiastic. We viewed Saturn, Jupiter, a dying star, loads of constellations like the Seven Sisters and...

Kate Brennan 10 months ago

Attended the Late Night Discovery event. Didn’t really know what to expect; it was absolutely fantastic! The team are so passionate and enthusiastic about imparting their abundance of knowledge, it really is captivating! 

Jason Grant 9 months ago

We had a walk up and were invited to tour the observatory. The staff are very passionate and very informative, we got to see sun spots through the telescope. 

Bill Thorkildsen 10 months ago

Loved this experience. Drive up lane is interesting in dark but fine. Staff brilliant, make great hot chocolate. Was lucky we had clear skies after the previous few days. 

Dawn Wright 8 months ago
The milkway over Kielder Observatory
Registered Charity No 1153570

Donate to Kielder Observatory

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.

Latest News

What's Up? August 2025

What's Up? August 2025

The dark skies are back - and August is packed with cosmic treats!  Catch the Milky Way, the peak of the...

Read Time

7 minutes

From Darkest Skies to the Big Screen: Kielder Observatory in 28 Years Later

From Darkest Skies to the Big Screen: Kielder Observatory in 28 Years Later

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

What's Up? July 2025

What's Up? July 2025

As the long summer evenings slowly give way to darker skies, July offers a perfect opportunity to reconnect with the...

Read Time

4 minutes

Photography Prints

Andromeda Mounted Print

Andromeda Mounted Print

This picture was taken in the late Autumn of 2014, taken through the telescope with a DSLR camera....

£25.00

A clear night sky showcasing the Milky Way galaxy with vibrant stars and a bright planet, set above a modern building illuminated with red lighting.

Galactic Centre Rising

The galactic centre rising behind Kielder Observatory...

£25.00

Lunar Eclipse

Lunar Eclipse

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

Winter Startrails

Winter Startrails

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

Colourful Startrails

Colourful Startrails

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

Workshops & Talks

Astro Photography

Astro Photography

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

Planetarium Shows

Planetarium Shows

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...

Astronomy Workshops

Astronomy Workshops

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...

Kielder Observatory Podcast

Kielder Observatory Podcast

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.

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