Welcome to The Observatory Science Centre

Spectacular Science

Come and enjoy the fabulous atmosphere that surrounds the Observatory at night and, weather permitting look through some of the largest telescopes in the country at some extraordinary night sky objects. Don't worry if it is cloudy we have a cloudy night contingency.

Tuesday 14th February 2023 - half day workshop for ages 6-8 years. Learn all about the magnificent Moon through fun interactive activities. Make your own Moon model and create some fantastically messy craters.

Wednesday 15 February 2023 - twilight workshop for ages 9-11 years. The Moon is a very interesting and mysterious object. Come and find out all about it. You will make a model of the Moon, create some very messy craters, learn some fascinating facts and design and build your own Moon lander. On twilight workshops you also get to visit one of our huge telescopes.

A fantastic opportunity to learn how to navigate your way around the night sky using the constellations as your guide. Taught in one of our domes under the backdrop of a historic telescope and outside under the stars, you will learn how to recognise star patterns and find out more about the mythologies behind them.

The course is a mix of classroom based teaching in one of the domes and practical hands-on teaching outdoors so you can learn how to use your telescope. Members of East Sussex Astronomical Society will guide you through setting up your telescope and getting the best out of it. Weather permitting they will also start you on your way to viewing the night sky.

March 25 2023: Reserved exclusively for adults only, this Stargazing Evening includes an opportunity to experience a fantastic planetarium presentation. Weather permitting you will also be able to look through some of the largest telescopes in the country and translate what you see in the planetarium onto the night sky.

Tuesday 4 April 2023: Half day workshop for either ages 6 - 8 years or 9-11 years. What does it take to become an astronaut? We will investigate with some exciting activities to discover the challenges faced when reaching space.

Wednesday 5 April 2023: Half day workshops for either ages 6-8 years or 9-11 years. How does such a huge rocket actually get off the ground? Why does it "break up" and where do the astronauts sit? Come and find out in this fascinating and fabulously fun workshop and you even get to build and launch your own water rocket.

Tuesday 11th April 2023 - half day workshop for ages 6-8 years. What is chemistry? It’s exciting, fascinating and above all great fun. We will be experimenting with solids, liquids and gases and while the workshop is designed so the children can carry out the experiments themselves, there will be demonstrations too. Join us and try some seriously fun experiments!

Wednesday 12th April 2023: Half day workshops for ages 9-11 years. With exciting experiments to try yourself, these fun-filled workshops will help you discover just how cool chemistry can be. We will be experimenting with solids, liquids and gases and finding out just what happens when different chemicals mix.

April 22 2023. The debris left behind by the comet Thatcher gives rise to the April Lyrids meteor shower which actually peaks on the evening of 22 April! Join us for an informative talk and some meteor (shooting stars) spotting. If the weather is good you will also have an opportunity to look through the historic telescopes, some of the largest working telescopes in the country.

5.30pm-9.30pm: Join us for a fabulous family afternoon/early evening event. Enjoy all the exhibits indoors and outside and immerse yourself in an 'out of this world' experience in a fantastic planetarium show. Admission price includes a portion of fries!

12 August 2023. As Earth passes through the debris trail left behind by comet Swift-Tuttle, particles of space dust enter the atmosphere leaving a trail of light behind; a shooting star. Join us for an informative talk to learn more about this fascinating yearly event. If the weather is good you will also have the opportunity to view through the historic telescopes.

24 September 2023. This course will be teaching practical aspects of night sky photography through lectures and demonstrations. You do not need to bring cameras, tripods or telescopes just listen and learn and take away all the essential information you will need to start you on your fascinating journey into night sky photography. Image courtesy of John Fox.

This 4 week course is a basic introduction to astronomy. It is aimed at beginners and approaches the subject in a practical way; helping you visualise the wonders of our solar system and beyond.

18th November 2023. The debris left behind by the comet Tempel-Tuttle gives rise to the Leonids meteor shower and the debris trail left behind by comet Encke gives rise to the Taurid meteor shower. Join us for a warming curry and informative talk before heading out to try and spot some meteors (shooting stars). If the weather is good you will also have an opportunity to look through an historic telescope; we have some of the largest working telescopes in the country.