Discovering New Worlds
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 systems 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 planets beyond Earth, 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. We will introduce you to some techniques we use help you navigate the night sky.
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.
