Myths and Legends

Stories of the Stars

For as long as we have been looking up towards the skies, we have been telling stories about what we have found there.  Some of these stars have served as markers of the seasons, helping ancient civilisations keep a track on their harvests, and navigating across the globe.  The ancient greeks use the Pleiades star cluster to determine the sailing season in the Mediterranean Sea.  In South Africa this same cluster was named IsiLimela and were the 'digging stars', used to determine the correct time to start hoeing the ground.

Stars have been connected by invisible lines in constellations, patterns that we have mapped across the millennia.  Depicting heroes and villains, animals and household items, each and every one has stories to tell.

Join us for a night of storytelling and when the weather permits, stargazing.  We will guide you through some of the most spectacular objects in the sky, revealing the stories that have been told about them and what these say about us.

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 to support 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.