Stargazing Evenings 2026
Stargazing Evenings at the Observatory are the best way to experience the natural wonders of the night sky. It may be the moon or the planets or it may be deeper sky objects; looking through a telescope is awe inspiring! Our astronomy team will guide your through the stars using our historic telescopes – or if the weather is poor, we’ll provide a unique planetarium experience, talks on the night sky and the opportunity to chat to astronomy experts. This event makes the perfect gift experience for someone special.
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Gates open at 6.30pm and the evening is free flowing around the Centre. There will be announcements throughout the evening to keep you informed about which telescopes are open and how to access them. The indoor exhibits will be available to explore but it will be too dark for our outdoor exhibits.
Food and drinks will be available to purchase from our café.
If the weather is not suitable to look through the telescopes (cloudy, rainy, foggy or if the wind is too strong), we do not cancel Stargazing Evenings. Instead there will be planetarium shows, opportunities to chat to astronomy experts and talks on the night sky from about 7.30.
Don’t forget to wear warm clothing – you will be outside for much of the evening!
Did you know? Using red rather than white light torches means your eyes are better adapted to see in the dark. Our site is lit up with red lights during stargazing evenings and you can purchase red light torches online or download an app such as NightVision Light in the Apple App Store.
Tickets are non-refundable.
Accessibility: please be aware that due to our historic building, only one of our domes containing historic telescopes is accessible – others require climbing by steep narrow stairs. Our site is otherwise accessible. If you are a blue badge holder, there are 5 parking bays available at the back of the building, please follow the signs.
BOOKING ESSENTIAL
£16 per person
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Stargazing Evenings 2026 Enquiry
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The Observatory Science Centre is part of Science Projects Ltd, a company limited by guarantee registered in England No: 02186073 and a registered charity No: 298542. The registered office is Unit 1 Warren Farm, Steventon, Basingstoke, Hampshire UK, RG25 3BL.