Jupiter and the Moon (WE)

The Moon and Jupiter are two of the brightest objects in the sky and they have both fascinated and inspired sky-watchers for thousands of years. This evening they will be in the sky together as they glide above the horizon as a celestial couple. The Moon has inspired folklore and myths and has a greater influence on our modern lives than many realise; we'll be discussing these effects and what science can tell us about understanding our only natural satellite. Jupiter is the king of the planets and has a mass two and a half times all the other planets in Solar System put together.

Our experienced astronomers will give you an in-depth talk and show fascinating images of both of these night-sky objects and then, if the skies are clear we'll take a closer look through our fantastic telescopes.

You'll receive a tour of the observatory and the instruments we use and if the weather permits spend plenty of time peering through our telescopes deep into space. From our observatory viewing platform we can take you on a tour of the sky and point out constellations and other objects beautiful in summer such as star clusters, binary stars and maybe the elusive noctilucent clouds.

Jupiter is bright enough to see even in the lighter skies of summer and observing it through our powerful telescopes is a true "wow" moment, showing you what the great Galileo saw at the dawn of the telescope itself.