Visiting schools providing educational outreach is something we do for much of the school term at Kielder Observatory, and we are always blown away by the enthusiasm and passion kids have for space-related subjects. Our Young Explorers event is designed to build on that passion of your young scientists and help encourage further learning by feeding their excitement for everything space related. Throughout this event you and your family will be guided around our astronomical ark and discover our large aperture robotic telescopes, learn about how they work and why we use them, if weather permits you will even get to observe brighter objects through them. You will be introduced to a digital guide of our night sky, learning constellations and why we use them, you can even continue that learning from home witih a free piece of software for your computer. Then we will get hands on and discover pieces of our solar system, some of which originate from its very creation, as we introduce you to our collection of meteorites, you'll even get to stand on a piece of Mars, and tickle a piece of the Moon! At the end of the event you will have time to grab a drink and peruse our gift shop, wander around the facilites, grab a selfie and ask any questions from our team of astronomers. Young Explorers is aimed at all ages from 7 years upwards, with plenty to enjoy for those at secondary school age too! So join us for an event geared around a tour of the UK's largest public stargazing facility, with fun and inspirational activities along the way and we will take you on a journey of observation, navigation and creation. Please be aware all children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, all of whom must have a ticket....

Tickets

From £20.00 per person

Next available event

Saturday 28th June

Those little dots of light in the sky, what are they? Do they have a pattern? Could they be planets? Bring your budding young scientists to this event and find out! Space Kids – Searching for Stars is an event designed to be a gentle introduction to astronomy in the most hands-on way possible.  There will be plenty of opportunities for the young minds to explore and ask our astronomers questions. Then there will be a full tour of our two observatories and a chance to see, play with and drive our big telescopes! There may be time for us to touch real rocks from space, meteorites from the Moon, Mars and the asteroid belt, some of which are even older than the planet you're stood on right now.  We'll also explore how light works, looking at the whole electromagnetic spectrum. Observing through our telescopes is always the main aim. Weather permitting, we will point our telescopes to the skies and take a closer look at what is out there.  To finish, we will show you how astronomers navigate their way through the stars and give you the opportunity to create your own constellation using glow in the dark implements. You get to take away your constellation and watch it glow each night, even the cloudy ones!  We recommend this event is best for ages 7 to 12 years old. Please be aware all children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, all of whom must have a ticket....

Tickets

From £20.00 per person

Next available event

Sunday 29th June

The Universe.  Unimaginably large, old and complex.  How did it all begin?  How long has it been around?  When will it end? From our earthly perspective, humans have sought for solutions to the very beginnings of it all, the stars and bodies within it and ultimately how the universe will end. Join us on a night where we will journey through space and time, out into the cosmos to unlock some of the mysteries our universe has to offer.  From our solar system to the large-scale structure of the universe and on to the Big Bang, we will explore our current perceptions of it and the important discoveries made along the way.  This cosmic voyage gives an excellent understanding of the physical universe as a whole and address what it means to exist within it, in a way which is interesting and accessible to all. During the evening we will guide you through the observatory, introduce you to the large aperture telescopes and give you guidance on how to use them.  If the skies are clear we will view objects in our own galaxy, some of which are beyond the realms of what the naked eye can see and which have shaped our understanding of the universe! You will also 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 In the summer months we lose the darkness so we turn our attention to the brighter objects that are visible, such as craters on the moon, star clusters and atmospheric phenomena like night shining clouds, known as noctilucent clouds… 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....

Tickets

From £28.50 per person

Next available event

Sunday 29th June