Magnificent Milky Way

The Autumn Milky Way... our home in the Universe! It is a sad fact that due to light pollution very few people ever see the true staggering beauty of the Milky Way, which on pristine dark nights here at Kielder not only stretches from horizon to horizon but can be so bright it can even cast shadows. Our place in the Universe is two thirds of the way from the centre of a large spiral galaxy called the Milky Way. The Sun and its planets (including Earth) all exist and have done since their creation in this place we call home. On this night we'll aim to show you other galaxies like ours, galaxies like the famous Andromeda Galaxy over two million light years from us and visible with the naked eye from our observation deck under the dark skies of Kielder -- it also forms an incredible sight through the telescope eye-piece! Surrounded by globular clusters and dwarf galaxies, our Milky Way galaxy is a unique place in the Universe as it's the only one we know that harbours life... but we'll show you and tell you all about the amazing telescopes and searches for life elsewhere that are going on right now. Above all it's a phenomenal chance with this unique event to gaze at our own backyard in space in a way you'd never before imagined!