Latest News

Lots of exciting things are happening at Kielder Observatory, use this page to browse the latest stories. We’ll have updates on the events we run, fantastic images our team have taken up at the observatory and occasionally science updates that our team would like to share!

 

We also release quarterly newsletters via email, sign up to our mailing list and view our archive of past newsletters here:


Our Newsletters

We’re putting our energy into this campaign...

YOUNG artists inspired by the night sky have showcased their work after receiving bursaries from a special fellowship.

Kielder Observatory Astronomical Society launches its new strategy for 2022-2025

Catherine Johns, Kielder Observatory CEO, recently presented at the Creative Fuse conference in the North East. Here she talks about creativity in crisis and how Kielder Observatory has, and is, weathering the storm. 

Kielder Observatory has been making some improvements!

Last night, 11th July 2022, the White House held a special event to preview one of the first science images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). President Biden was joined by Vice President Harris and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson to reveal the first “Webb Deep Field”...

Another Dimension photography exhibit

Photographer brings Kielder dark skies down to earth

Late Nights Light Nights Festival

Kielder Observatory opens doors for new light nights festival

Spectacular Jubilee beacon to crown 2,000 foot forest peak

Spectacular Jubilee beacon to crown 2,000 foot forest peak

Sequence of images of a lunar eclipse

Lunar eclipses are fascinating, beautiful celestial events. Read more to find out how they happen and how to see them.

Kielder Observatory - Hundreds of youngsters to benefit from STEM to Stars project

A project to inspire school children across the North East to reach for the stars and pursue careers in STEM has received funding to reach even more youngsters.

Frank's Fellowship bursary now open for applications

Applications have now opened for Frank's Fellowship bursary for young artists in Northumberland to be inspired by Kielder Observatory

New operations and marketing director

Hannah Matterson has joined the team at Kielder Observatory as the new operations and marketing director.

North East astro-tourism boosted by Forestry England partnership

Kielder Observatory and Forestry England have signed a partnership agreement which will increase opportunities for more dark sky tourism within the nation’s forests in Northumberland.

New radio telescope at Kielder Observatory

A large 5 metre radio telescope has been added to the equipment at Kielder Observatory, thanks to the Tanlaw Foundation and Northumberland County Council.

Robby Graham, an award-winning Choreographer and Artistic Director of North East based dance theatre company Southpaw, will lead the creative team.

Plans are underway to create a large-scale arts spectacular in Northumberland with professional performers cast alongside people from the local community.

Kielder Observatory receives funding from the Cultural Recovery Fund

We were delighted to be awarded £23,300 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund Cultural Recovery Fund. This was a welcome investment in maintaining our core team, upgrading our observatory buildings and keeping them COVID-secure for visitors.

A Pale Blue Dot taken by the Voyager space probe in 1990

Can you name or own a star? Ellie, one of our Astronomers, discusses websites which offer the opportunity to buy or name a star. Can you buy a star? Who can name a star? Why don’t Kielder Observatory offer this service?

Perseverance

In 2020 three missions launched with the same destination in mind - Mars. About half of all Mars missions have failed, but with Hope and Tianwen-1 already in orbit and working well, 2021 could well be shaping up to be a year of historic success. No pressure Perseverance. 

From STEM to stars!

The restoration of an historical telescope will form the centrepiece of a project to inspire thousands of school children to reach for the stars and pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

New podcast series from Kielder Observatory - tune in every month! We'll be covering topics from cosmology, exoplanets, immersive tech, space situational awareness and much much more. Listen and subscribe!  

New radio telescope

Kielder Observatory is excited to announce we've submitted plans for a fantastic new telescope onsite.

Click here to read more about how Kielder Observatory is bringing cutting edge technology to the depths of Kielder forest.

Exoplanet

Poof! ‘Planet’ disappears from astronomers’ sight. Did it even exist?

Update regarding current coronavirus measures for events at the observatory

Observe experiment archive

Artist Helen McGhie (in partnership with Kielder Observatory) has produced work for the photography exhibit "Observe, Experiment, Archive" at Sunderland Museum, staff member Natasha Lund visits the exhibition to take a closer look.

False Colour image of The Bubble Nebula. Image Credit: Hubble/NASA

As the Hubble Space Telescope fast approaches its 29th Birthday, it is a good time to review one of our favourite images from the past few years.


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