Saturn & Dark Sky Discovery

This special stargazing event celebrates the planet Saturn as it reaches opposition, its closest and brightest appearance in our night sky. Using high-quality telescopes, you’ll enjoy breathtaking views of Saturn and its fascinating moons. We’ll also explore the changing appearance of Saturn’s rings, including how their angle and visibility shift over time.

Using our 14-inch diameter large aperture telescope, we’ll introduce you to dark sky objects such as nebulae, clusters, galaxies, and the outer planets of our solar system, as well as any comets that might be around. You’ll be guided around the universe, and we’ll talk about how to find dark skies near you, and how to plan your own evening of dark skies stargazing. We’ll also touch on some easy-to-understand phone apps, cosmology, and introduce you to the science of the stars and beyond! We have a selection of telescopes for guests to use, and each guest gets their own pair of binoculars to use during the event.

During the winter months the observatory warm room is kept cosy, and with free hot drinks available all year round, this simply is the best and most comfortable way to be introduced to the dark starry skies of Northumberland and the universe beyond.

Observatory events are subject to adaptation to accommodate rare and breathtaking northern lights displays, and these spectacular phenomena could unfold unexpectedly during this event. So, if the heavens come alive with the dancing Aurora Borealis, we will seamlessly weave them into our night’s observing, ensuring an unforgettable experience for you.

All our events also include the chance to handle and investigate our extensive meteorite collection, which includes pieces of asteroids, the Moon, and planet Mars.

Observing the skies is weather dependent, but you’ll be pleased to know that all events go ahead whatever the weather, and we deliver exciting and interesting events every time.