Welcome to The Observatory Science Centre

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; a fascinating planetarium style talk! No booking required.

It is the 25th anniversary of The Observatory Science Centre in 2020 and we are celebrating throughout the year. Celebration Sundays will be held on the first Sunday of every month from February to November (with the exception of September). There will be different themes and activities each month but we will be showcasing just how much fun science actually is.

Tuesday 18th February 2020 - half day workshop for 6-8 year olds. 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 19th February 2020 - half day workshop for 9-11 year olds. With exciting experiments to try yourself, this fun-filled morning will help you discover just how cool chemistry can be. We will be experimenting with solids, liquids and gases and finding out what happens when you mix different things together.

Thursday 20th February 2020 - twilight workshop for 9-11 year olds. 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 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.

This six week course builds on introductory courses and does require some prior knowledge of basic astronomy. It explores topics in greater depth and introduces subjects beyond beginner level. The course is taught in one of our domes under the backdrop of a historic telescope.

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.

7th March 2020. The course is a mix of classroom based teaching in one of the domes and practical hands-on teaching outdoors so you can learn as a family 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.

8th March 2020. 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.

14th-15th March. To celebrate the end of British Science Week, we are holding an Activity Weekend. There will be lots of extra activities and this year we are focusing on space exploration. No extra cost to normal admission.

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. Only 1 space left please phone The Centre on 01323 832731.

March 28th a NEW event for 2020: Reserved exclusively for adults only, this Stargazing Evening includes a hot drink and an opportunity to experience a presentation in our fantastic inflatable planetarium. Weather permitting you will 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.

Half day workshop for 6 - 8 year olds. What does it take to become an astronaut? We will investigate with some exciting activities to discover the challenges faced when reaching space.

Half day workshops for 6-8 year olds. 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.

Thursday 9th April 2020 - half day workshops for 6-8 years olds. Learn all about the features of the Moon through fun interactive activities. Make your own Moon model and create some fantastically messy craters.

Tuesday 14th April 2020 - half day workshops for 9-11 year olds. What makes volcanoes blow, the Earth quake and the icecaps melt? What is in space and how do we know? This workshops looks at our dynamic Earth and how we look beyond Earth into space. We will even look down from space to learn more about the Earth.

Half day workshops for 6 - 8 year olds: 'Eyes on the Universe' What's in space? Can we go there? Can we see it? How big is it? Is there anybody there? So many questions! Come and find out some of the answers by doing fascinating hands-on activities.

Thursday 16th April 2020 - half day workshops for 6-8 year olds. Come and find out how fossils told us that dinosaurs actually existed. Make your own plaster cast of a fossil and tour the Centre on a fossil hunt; our stone floor is full of all sorts of interesting stuff!

25th April 2020. The debris left behind by the comet Thatcher gives rise to the April Lyrids 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 the historic telescopes, some of the largest working telescopes in the country. Only 3 spaces left please phone The Centre on 01323 832731.

Join in the fun during our Bubbletastic Weekends for the early May and August Bank Holidays. The bubble show will demonstrate how to create the most spectacular bubbles and will try to find out if you can make a square bubble - is that really possible? You may also get a chance to find out what it is like to stand in a bubble. No pre-booking required and this activity is FREE with your normal admission.

30th May 2020: New for this year! This one day course is aimed at beginners and offers an opportunity for families to learn together. You will be introduced to the fascinating world of astronomy in an easy to understand way, learning all about what is beyond our little blue planet.

13th June 2020: Herschel to Hawkwind. This evening is dedicated to music and space. It will include a talk by Space Rock Bassist and astronomer, Peter Williamson, a sing song and Pete playing Bass at the end.

11th July 2020: This one day course is suitable for adults with a basic understanding of astronomy. Is there life beyond Earth? Over 4,000 exoplanets have been confirmed so far but what does it take for them to harbour life? What should we be looking for? Come and find out about the fascinating world of astrobiology.

15th August. 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.

September 14th - 18th: Are you looking for something a little different to stimulate your mind? Then this may be your opportunity to try something new. You are never too old to learn and we are actively encouraging a more senior audience to participate in our talks/activities throughout the week.

16th September: This 4 week course will introduce you to the Solar System including the planets and their moons and how and why the Sun is so important to us. Suitable for those with little or no knowledge of the subject.

This new 5 week course is just above beginner level, aimed at those with a basic understanding of astronomy. It will go beyond our Solar System and introduce you to stars, galaxies and cosmology.

14th November. The debris left behind by the comet Tempel-Tuttle gives rise to the Leonids 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 the historic telescopes, some of the largest working telescopes in the country.