Summer stargazers from 8-100 will enjoy this evening.

If all you bring is yourself and a thirst for knowledge then you'll have fun, no specialist equipment is needed for this event.

The Summer is a great time to spot the constellations, because the lighter summer skies give us the opportunity to see the brighter summer stars more clearly.  Day or night if the moon is up it looks awesome through our powerful scopes, and our GoTo telescope can seek out stars and double stars during the twilight whilst the sun is setting, (have you ever seen a Daytime Double Star?).  Once it's dark, we'll take you on our summer tour of night-time wonders and as the Summer progresses we'll be able to show you some of the planets including Saturn and Jupiter and their moons.

Between May and July, rare shimmering Noctilucent Clouds are also around and sometimes visible an hour or so after sunset. These thin clouds are seeded on the ashes of shooting stars at the egde of space and are so beautiful that they often get mistaken for the Aurora Borealis.

In addition to looking for the planets, we'll also be looking for the best double stars and the brightest clusters. You can log onto our free WiFi to download stargazing apps and will give you top tips on how to use them too.

Finally - why not start or end your evening with a drink on the observing decks whilst you enjoy the warm evening's stargazing - with a gin and tonic, craft beer, real ale or glass of wine from our extensive, award-winning bar*. (Often stocked with locally produced ales, gins etc, - drinks not included in ticket price.)

As of yet, we're unable to control the weather, so observing the skies can only go ahead if it's clear but you'll be pleased to know that all events go ahead in any weather conditions.

*We believe that we're the only observatory in the world with its own bar! - (The bar is actually part of the multi-award-winning Battlesteads Hotel site and is a 2 minute stroll down the path from the observatory)

Please drink responsibly.