Events at the Dark Sky Observatory

Our weekly events include:

• Aurora Hunting – Explore the the ethereal Northern Lights, discover how to predict them and where to see & photograph them.
• Astronomy for Absolute Beginners – The basics for a night's stargazing; finding your way around the stars, what apps to use and a beginner's checklist of things to hunt.
• Dark Sky Discovery Night – Gaze in wonder at the Milky Way & the universe beyond, see some of the fantastic things it contains like nebulae and star clusters.
• Stargazing & Night Sky Tours – Discover the planets & major constellations, find your way around the stars & observe the most interesting objects, clusters, nebulae, double stars & galaxies.
• Get to Know Your Telescope & Stargazing – In addition to a normal evening of stargazing fun, you can bring your own telescope to get some hands-on advice from our astronomers.
• Summer Stargazing – The nights are shorter but still full of stargazing fun! In the evening, as the sun sets you might catch a glimpse of a Blue Jupiter or Blue Moon.
• Family Stargazing – An introduction to stargazing; finding your way around the stars, what apps to use and a beginner's checklist of things to look for.
• Shooting Star Supper – If you've ever wished upon a shooting star then come along & discover the origins of these magical objects whilst enjoying a tasty supper.
• Moonwatch & Stargazing – Marvel at the magnificent moon from our Official Dark Sky Discovery Observatory Site at the edge of the Northumberland Dark Sky Park.
• An Intro to Astro-imaging – Astrophotography - imaging & processing the wonders of the universe on either a 2 day residential or single day course with our team professional astronomers - get top tips from the best.
• NightScape Photography – Learn how to take fantastic pictures of the landscape at night. Bring your DSRL to our Dark Sky Discovery Observatory & capture shooting stars, the milky way, moon scapes and more.
• Private Party – The observatory can be hired for you to use privately for many occasions such as; birthday parties, weddings, romantic evenings, anniversaries or even just for private stargazing and tuition.
• Deep Sky AstroPhotography - An Introduction – Capture the wonders of the universe, including Milky Way dark sky objects and beyond - up to halfway across the Cosmos! Tickets are limited for these events.
• An Evening With Stephen Tonkin – Meet Sky at Night Magazine's Steve Tonkin for a night of tall tales and a masterclass in binocular astronomy.

And many more special events throughout the year – eclipses, spaceship launches and landings, transits, solar observing, Space Station and Satellite Spotting.

On a selection of Mondays throughout the year the observatory will be open and available for FREE for Astronomical Society Members and local residents. The observatory can be booked for private parties in its entirety OR you can book one of the powered outside AstroBerths.

Advanced booking is essential.