Discovering New Worlds (WE)

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.