Our Sun

Solar Observing

During the summer our closest star dominates the sky for much of the day, but what is it?  Why is it that we feel the heat and see it shining so brightly?  Throughout this event we dedicate our time discussing and where possible, observing the sun.

Our sun is made up of 99.86% of everything in our solar system and is not only the giver of life here on earth, but also the destroyer of worlds such as Mars.  Uncover some of the most incredible facts about our closest star and why it's so important to everyday life.

Here at the Kielder Observatory we are home to the largest telescope capable of observing the sun in the UK, and when the weather gets in the way, we have a radio telescope which can help us listen to the sun instead!

Whilst stargazing is usually our priority throughout our events, as this is an earlier event when the sun is still above the horizon for most of the time, brighter objects may also be available to look at, such as the moon, planets or bright stars.

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 observing 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.