The Observatory Science Centre
About The Observatory Science Centre
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 3 – 15 Stirling Road, Acton, London. W3 8DJ. UK.
The Observatory Science Centre Description
The Royal Observatory was founded by King Charles II in 1675. Its purpose was a practical one: to reduce shipwrecks. At that time mariners had no accurate way of working out their position when out of sight of land. They could find their latitude (north-south position) by observing the sun or stars, but not their longitude (east-west position). As a result many sailors' lives were lost when their ships struck rocks unexpectedly. By the 1770s the problem of longitude had been solved. One answer was for a ship's captain to carry a reliable clock to keep ‘Greenwich Time' throughout the voyage. Alternatively he could use the Moon as a clock by measuring its position in the sky, relative to nearby stars, and referring to a detailed set of tables prepared annually at Greenwich. Armed with either of these timekeepers, or preferably both, mariners could make their own astronomical observations on board ship, and use them to work out their position anywhere on Earth. Solving the problem of longitude didn't mean the Observatory had nothing to do. The essential work of measuring time and compiling tables went on from year to year, and the Greenwich astronomers developed new interests too. In particular they began to do research, studying the stars and other objects in the sky, to find out what they are and how they work.
The Royal Greenwich Observatory at Herstmonceux
By the early twentieth century, London had expanded so much that Greenwich was enveloped. The city's smoky air and bright lights meant that astronomers could no longer study faint objects in the night sky. The remedy was to move the whole Observatory to the clearer, darker skies of Sussex. The transfer began in 1947, and by 1958 the Royal Greenwich Observatory was fully up and running at Herstmonceux. At its peak, over 200 people worked at The Observatory in Herstmonceux and lived in the local community. The people who actually operated the telescopes at Herstmonceux were called ‘night observers'. They were on duty every night when the sky was clear and the Moon not too bright. On the Thompson 26-inch telescope, for example, the night observer's job was to line up the telescope on a succession of specified points in the sky, workingfrom a prearranged list of ‘shots', and to load in a photographic plate for each shot and expose it for a time that usually ranged from five minutes up to an hour or more. It was precision work which required much care and skill. Cold was a great enemy, since the domes had to be unheated to prevent currents of warm air blurring the photographs
The Equatorial Group at Herstmonceux
The building was constructed in the 1950's, and was built to house three reflecting and three refracting telescopes in the six green domes. It is known as the ‘Equatorial Group' after the way the telescopes are mounted. The architect was Brian O'Rorke and the work was completed in 1958. With its unique arrangement of domes around a central bastion the Equatorial Group was one of the most important government commissioned building projects of its period. The domes were clad in copper sheet and coated with a chemical that has helped them to weather to today's distinctive green - one of the features that was intended to make the buildings blend into the Sussex countryside. Modern observatories now have domes painted white or silver to reflect away any daytime heat. The base of the domes were faced with wood-burnt West Sussex brick. The balconies and window surrounds finished in Portland stone; the terrace paved in Yorkstone with Portland stone steps and edgings. The external walls were clad in knapped flint - a traditional Sussex finish, which was a further attempt by the architect to help the buildings ‘blend in'. Flint knapping is an ancient skill, also used to make stone tools and weapons, in which lumps of flint are shaped by striking them with preciselyaimed blows; in this case to form cubes with glassy blue sides. In the 1950's it proved difficult to find a flint knapper with the appropriate skills, but eventually a 90 year old gentleman from Lewes, East Sussex, was coaxed out of retirement. The buildings were finished to the highest standards and at considerable cost. However, astronomers found the layout inconvenient and even hazardous. Look around the site - at the various levels and walkways, and imagine this in the dark with few of the current railings in place. There are tales of the occasional stumble into the lily pond.
The Observatory Science Centre
In 1990 The Royal Greenwich Observatory closed its doors at Herstmonceux and moved to Cambridge, leaving the historic telescopes behind. Five years later the Equatorial Group came back to life as The Observatory Science Centre, under the aegis of Science Projects. An extensive programme of repair and upgrading of the buildings and telescopes was completed in 2004 with the aid of a substantial grant from the National Heritage Lottery Fund. It is now a Grade II* listed monument. Along side the historic telescopes there are over 100 interactive hands-on exhibits and exhibitions.
Reviews
UPDATE: Throughout September we have had a major programme of works updating and developing our historic Grade II* site. We are delighted to report that the exhibits throughout the corridors have been reinstated and are all accessible. The Centre is looking fantastic inside and when the main building external scaffolding is removed, the renovated stonework and historic shutters will be just as in the 1950's.
We are continuing to offer special admission of £5 pp (£5.50 wi...th Gift Aid donation) throughout the whole of September.
This offer is not valid in conjunction with any other offer / voucher / group rate etc.
Finally.... reminder that this Saturday 22nd we have an Open Evening, doors open at 6.30pm - see Events for further information.
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OPEN EVENING THIS SATURDAY 22nd Sept: 6.30pm to 11.00pm
On the eve of the Autumn Equinox we gaze to the stars through our historic telescopes. The autumn equinox marks the end of the summer and the beginning of autumn.
Join us at a special reduced admission rate of just £5 per person and enjoy an evening of viewing through telescopes, explore our hands-on exhibits plus the opportunity to find out about the former home of the Royal Observatory at Herstmonceux.
... (the outside of the main building is currently encased in scaffolding, please be advised that extra care is needed whilst on site around walkways. Access may be difficult for visitors with mobility issues - we advise contacting the Centre for further advise)
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To all those who attended this year's Astronomy Festival, please may you spare a few moments to give us your valuable feedback so we may bring you another successful event in 2019, and beyond.
Follow this link to anonymously complete the short survey: https://bit.ly/2NT2D7L
Thank You in advance.
It's happening...... it's strange....... be brave! BOOK NOW!
School half term holiday workshop focusing on transport of the future. Join us to create model electric cars powered by solar panels, fuel cells. Workshop aimed at 9 to 11 year old children.
Extra information: This workshop is designed and aimed at age group 9 to 11 years, we cannot accept children who are younger than the intended age and we would be very grateful if you respect this decision. We recommend warm, practical clothing and sensible footwear for the workshops.
... SPECIAL OFFER: Please note that the cost of the workshop is for the workshop only. If you would like to visit the Centre before the workshop then you will have to purchase an entrance ticket. We are offering a special discounted rate of just £5 pp if admission to the Centre is purchased at the time of pre-booking a workshop. This special offer admission applies to any adults who are dropping off children booked onto a workshop and wish to enjoy the Centre before hand and any children within the same group that are not attending the workshop but wish to enjoy in the Centre (up to a reasonable limit).
FOR EXAMPLE: if the booking is for 1 child attending a workshop and arriving in the Centre before the workshop, 1 adult and 1 child not attending the workshop then you pay: £12.50 for the workshop + £5 to be in the Centre before the workshop = £17.50. £5 for the adult £5 for the extra child not attending the workshop
This discount only applies if pre-booked AT THE SAME TIME AS BOOKING THE WORKSHOP. / PLEASE NOTE: The special offer does not apply to twilight workshops
Booking is essential for all workshops
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Happening this week! As we are NOT open to schools this week, we are instead offering AM and PM learning opportunities for our senior audience. There's no need to book in advance, and there is no additional charge!
Monday 10th September 'The Observatory Science Centre Archives.' Helen Weeks Wednesday 12th September 'The History of the Royal Greenwich Observatory at Herstmonceux'. Barry Howse Thursday 13th September 'Upcycling' Rachel Watson... Friday 14th September '3D Like It Used To Be' Jeremy Harrison
More information on our website: https://bit.ly/2oJIuTz
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THE ARTS OF ART
This currently installed exhibition reveals the techniques, tricks and trade of the art world from perspective to lighting, to composition. It looks into some of the major developments in the art world and how they shaped what people painted, how they painted it and what they painted with.
SEPTEMBER- SITE RENOVATIONS As part of Science Projects ongoing investment at the Observatory Science Centre, the site maintenance and redecoration will continue throughout September. The front of the building has scaffold in place and painting will be carried out through the main corridor- section by section.
The Centre will be open every day and to thank you for your understanding and patience, we have reduced admission to £5 pp ( £5.50 with Gift Aid).... This reduction is not valid in conjunction with any other offer, voucher, group rate etc.
You can still purchase Joint Tickets for the science centre and gardens & grounds of Herstmonceux Castle.
We look forward to welcoming you soon......
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Exciting News... we are hiring! The Observatory Science Centre is a popular tourist attraction in a beautiful historic setting. This is a chance to become part of our vibrant Cafe team to the end of our 2018 season.
We also offer Term-Time Work Experience opportunities for school and college students.
More info on our website: https://bit.ly/2MOBvXX
... Please fill out an application form, stand alone CVs will not be accepted. Vacancies have a rolling closing date and will be advertised until filled.
Feel free to share. Good Luck!
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What a successful Astronomy Festival 2018! Big thanks to Sneaky Duck Catering for filling our bellies from morning 'till dusk.
We are looking forward to next week, our Lifelong Learners Week, covering a range of fascinating subjects. From nature to history and up-cycling, each day will focus on a something different. Find out more at :https://bit.ly/2oJIuTz
ASTRONOMY FESTIVAL 2018 - A golden year to remember! What a fantastic festival we have had at the Observatory Science Centre.
It was, without doubt, the finest setting with perfect weather. The response from our visitors has been overwhelming. With clear warm sunny days gently giving way to starry clear night skies, it was the absolute fulfillment of the vision originally proposed 14 years ago.
... The Astronomy Festival ran over three days with two late evenings with viewing through our Historic Telescopes plus telescopes set up on the lawns.
The festival opened with the screening of a popular Sci-Fi film and welcome lecture by Dr Simon Steele (lecturer in astronomy at UCL)
On offer through the festival our visitors enjoyed planetarium presentations, solar viewing, astronomy pub quiz, storm troopers, trade stands, a host of advise plus the opportunity to listen to a number of lectures.
Our thanks and appreciation for their support to our guest speakers:-
Dr Simon Steele (lecturer in astronomy at UCL) Jane Green FRAS (author, broadcaster and registered school's speaker Dr Colin Forsyth (research associate at UCL's Mullard Space Science Laboratory) Dr Amelie Saintonge (associate professor of astrophysics in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at UCL) Christopher Jacobs, Deep Space Navigation Engineer, NASA/JPL Pete Williamson FRAS, Astronomer and Broadcaster Dr Stephen Wilkins (Senior Lecturer in Astronomy in the department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Sussex)
Thank you also to the Astronomy Societies, Long Man Brewery and all the supporters of our annual fund raising event. Many, many people both encourage and help with this event to make it the success that it is. From volunteers to those who donate in ways that continue to surprise with their generosity.
Enjoy the photos, many taken by the talents of Mr John Fox (thank you John).
Finally - a word to our visitors - without your continued support, none of this would happen - THANK YOU.
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WE ARE OPEN for just £5pp admission.....
As we pack away the last items from our fantastic Astronomy Festival, the Centre begins a new huge chapter. We are having some major decorating, refurbishment and spruce up.
Included in your admission price is the opportunity to join our Telescope Tours and enjoy our hands-on exhibits both indoors and outside. Whilst the works commence in the East corridor, the Cafe remains open and facilities available.
... Good luck to all starting a new year of academia this week and join us soon.
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Starting Soon! This course is suitable for those with little or no knowledge of the subject. During the course you will be introduced to the basic techniques used in astronomy and construct your own simple telescope. You will learn about the solar system, our place in the Universe, comets and meteorites. You will be introduced to cosmology, life and death of stars, time and its importance in astronomy and discuss life in the Universe. The course also includes a lecture on and visit to the Space Geodesy Facility where they track satellites using powerful lasers. To book, please call the Centre on 01323 832731 or visit us in person.
T O D A Y (Monday 3rd September) we are CLOSED to the public ALL DAY. Thank You to everyone who came to our Astronomy Festival this weekend! We hope to see you soon, and huge appreciation for showing respect by leaving our site clean and tidy, it makes today's job list much shorter!
Fantastic Astronomy Festival in its 14th year. We are delighted to have the opportunity to welcome some fantastic speakers who have kindly taken time to speak with visitors. Glorious weather has enabled viewing last night through our historic telescopes with many Astronomy groups and societies offering the use of modern telescopes on the lawns. Exhibitors are selling astronomy related items with the offer of advise and guidance. Our planetarium shows, telescope tours, ro...cketry and expert sessions give a wealth of opportunities with food outlets and a bar for a rest between sessions.
There is still time to join us for an amazing time. Check out our website for more information. https://bit.ly/2wjhcXq
Big shout out to the talent of Charlie of Katana Aerial Imaging for this stunning image from last night.
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G A L A X Y Q U E S T film screening this afternoon! 'The stars of a 1970s sci-fi show - now scraping a living through re-runs and sci-fi conventions - are beamed aboard an alien spacecraft. Believing the cast's heroic on-screen dramas are historical documents of real-life adventures, the band of aliens turn to the ailing celebrities for help in their quest to overcome the oppressive regime in their solar system.'
As part of our Astronomy Festival 2018! Doors at 2:30pm, film starts at 4:30pm.
ASTRONOMY FESTIVAL STARTS TODAY FROM 2.30PM
This morning we are CLOSED to prepare - organise & set up....
We look forward to seeing everyone for a fantastic long weekend.
... For our travelling guests, YES, the weather is clear, warm ad fine.
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OPEN Hours today 10am to 6pm (last admission at 4pm) Tours of our Historic Telescopes every hour at no extra cost. Why not join us and discover something new.
What an absolutely enthralling afternoon. Just being at, what was The Royal Observatory was an experience, and to get to go into 3 of the domes and see the telescopes was amazing.
There was a superbly entertaining and educational guided tour.
Not quite up to being on the summit of Mauna Kea among the observatories �
What an absolute treasure this place is. The Centre is great value for money, especially when you compare it to other places in the local area, and the talks/shows put on by the staff are included (no 'hidden' extras). Super educational and extremely hands on, my children had a cracking day out here.
Went on the recommendations of a friend with our seven year old granddaughter. Amazing! So much to see a n d do - we were busy for five hours - she loved it. The staff are all friendly and helpful making it a wonderful da y out.
We visited yesterday, I was wary about the parking it being a Saturday but when we arrived at 11am the car park was pretty much empty. Bonus!
This was our first visit for most of the family (my daughter had been the week before on a school trip) - we had an absolutely wonderful time!
So much for them to look at, take part in (the main corridor!) and the discovery playground was a huge hit! Although my 4 year old sons favourite play bit was the water trays!
There is a beautiful pond in the middle which is shallow enough you can see the bottom and in turn see all the fish in there, my son found it hilarious watching the huge fish come to the surface with their mouths wide open to see into!
The children were amazed to see such huge telescopes and then to go into the discovery dome to find out more about all of them.
We will be back! Thank you for such a fab day!
🔭
Visited today - due to it being out of season and being term time, we had the place almost to ourselves! We all loved the interactive displays and the talk (which we had all to ourselves!) was fascinating. I would recommend it to all ages. Staff were helpful, friendly and engaged really well. Thank you!
My boy loves this place so much. It trains the brain. He has so many questions about science, how things work, questions about space and earth etc etc. All things I might not be able to answer he can learn here. The telescopes are magnificent. Great place for schools to take kids on school trip.
I took my space mad son on 7th October for an evening opening and we had a great time. The staff were all so helpful and enthusiastic. The Centre had lots of hands on science exhibits indoors which kept us both busy for some time and a lovely, clean cafe open until late.
There were a few telescopes available to see the planets/stars and and we got an excellent view of Saturn, it's rings and it's moon Titan. The highlight of the evening was the astronomy talk given in a separate area with projections of the planets/stars/universe. Unfortunately we missed a bit of this but the Astronomer kindly gave my son his own show with lots of time to ask questions at the end. (He's still talking about it weeks later)! The staff couldn't do more and the Centre, cafe and shop are great. Thank you for a great time. �
I took my 3 children with my parents and we all loved it so much to do for both adults and children id definately reccommend visiting you will enjoy it and learn a few things too!
I had the pleasure of taking 3 grandkids, 10, 12 and 12 yrs old, to the first CoderDojo computer programming session , held at the Observatory Science Centre . It was a huge success from our point of view, the kids had a great time, learnt new skills, and we are looking to follow up online at home . The volunteer instructors ( some were teenager`s not much older than the kids ) were all absolutely fantastic, patient and able to clearly explain every step . A huge thank-you to Sue and the team ! Lets hope they are invited back for more classes at the Observatory Science Centre .
Had a great day here yesterday with the kids. They were entertained all day long with the hands on science features and play areas. I was very pleased to see lots of gluten free options in the cafe including a panini and range of cakes.
Brilliant place with lots of sciencey things to do (play on) and keeps both the children and the adults entertained. Not so big that you have to rush round to see everything and not so small that your dine in an hour. It's an ideal place for a day out. There is also a reasonably priced cafe on site if you want food
Brilliant place for a day out. Loads of interactive exhibits, which adults and children all loved. Friendly, helpful & knowledgeable staff.
Brilliant day out so much hands on stuff to keep the children amused! They could never get bored here for sure!
Absolutely fantastic place. Stumbled across it as we were staying nearby and spotted there was an open evening scheduled for 5 May. We had a fantastic time. My son (OK not just my son) loved having a go at the science experiments and exhibitions while we waited for the sunset. When it was dark enough we got to look through several of the large telescopes to view Venus, Jupiter and it's moons, the Castor & Pollux binary stars, some galaxies near the Leo constellation and the Andromeda cluster. A great evening out and the staff/volunteers were all extremely friendly and knowledgeable. The cafe did great coffee and cakes too!
A wonderful gem hidden in the Sussex countryside. Beautifully maintained, wonderfully informative and exciting enough to keep our 6 children, (across the three families in our party) ranging from 4 to 12 years, all entertained pretty much all day long. We will definitely be back again �
We had a lovely few hours here and our 6 year old loved it. The only thing that let it down was the cafe. Poor selection of items and no proper coffee - such a missed opportunity!
I took my son and his best friend to the observatory science centre last week,had a good time..
Great fun for all ages.Lots of hands on things for the children and a good reminder for Grandma of things long since forgotten! A small but reasonably priced cafe. Well worth a visit.
Great day out and would agree with others that it doesn’t really take the whole day but daughter and us enjoyed it equally. Aside from size the cafe was fairly limited on choice but I liked that picnics were encouraged with plenty of tables dotted around.
What an absolutely enthralling afternoon. Just being at, what was The Royal Observatory was an experience, and to get to go into 3 of the domes and see the telescopes was amazing.
There was a superbly entertaining and educational guided tour.
Not quite up to being on the summit of Mauna Kea among the observatories �
What an absolute treasure this place is. The Centre is great value for money, especially when you compare it to other places in the local area, and the talks/shows put on by the staff are included (no 'hidden' extras). Super educational and extremely hands on, my children had a cracking day out here.
Went on the recommendations of a friend with our seven year old granddaughter. Amazing! So much to see a n d do - we were busy for five hours - she loved it. The staff are all friendly and helpful making it a wonderful da y out.
We visited yesterday, I was wary about the parking it being a Saturday but when we arrived at 11am the car park was pretty much empty. Bonus!
This was our first visit for most of the family (my daughter had been the week before on a school trip) - we had an absolutely wonderful time!
So much for them to look at, take part in (the main corridor!) and the discovery playground was a huge hit! Although my 4 year old sons favourite play bit was the water trays!
There is a beautiful pond in the middle which is shallow enough you can see the bottom and in turn see all the fish in there, my son found it hilarious watching the huge fish come to the surface with their mouths wide open to see into!
The children were amazed to see such huge telescopes and then to go into the discovery dome to find out more about all of them.
We will be back! Thank you for such a fab day!
🔭
Visited today - due to it being out of season and being term time, we had the place almost to ourselves! We all loved the interactive displays and the talk (which we had all to ourselves!) was fascinating. I would recommend it to all ages. Staff were helpful, friendly and engaged really well. Thank you!
My boy loves this place so much. It trains the brain. He has so many questions about science, how things work, questions about space and earth etc etc. All things I might not be able to answer he can learn here. The telescopes are magnificent. Great place for schools to take kids on school trip.
I took my space mad son on 7th October for an evening opening and we had a great time. The staff were all so helpful and enthusiastic. The Centre had lots of hands on science exhibits indoors which kept us both busy for some time and a lovely, clean cafe open until late.
There were a few telescopes available to see the planets/stars and and we got an excellent view of Saturn, it's rings and it's moon Titan. The highlight of the evening was the astronomy talk given in a separate area with projections of the planets/stars/universe. Unfortunately we missed a bit of this but the Astronomer kindly gave my son his own show with lots of time to ask questions at the end. (He's still talking about it weeks later)! The staff couldn't do more and the Centre, cafe and shop are great. Thank you for a great time. �
I took my 3 children with my parents and we all loved it so much to do for both adults and children id definately reccommend visiting you will enjoy it and learn a few things too!
I had the pleasure of taking 3 grandkids, 10, 12 and 12 yrs old, to the first CoderDojo computer programming session , held at the Observatory Science Centre . It was a huge success from our point of view, the kids had a great time, learnt new skills, and we are looking to follow up online at home . The volunteer instructors ( some were teenager`s not much older than the kids ) were all absolutely fantastic, patient and able to clearly explain every step . A huge thank-you to Sue and the team ! Lets hope they are invited back for more classes at the Observatory Science Centre .
Had a great day here yesterday with the kids. They were entertained all day long with the hands on science features and play areas. I was very pleased to see lots of gluten free options in the cafe including a panini and range of cakes.
Brilliant place with lots of sciencey things to do (play on) and keeps both the children and the adults entertained. Not so big that you have to rush round to see everything and not so small that your dine in an hour. It's an ideal place for a day out. There is also a reasonably priced cafe on site if you want food
Brilliant place for a day out. Loads of interactive exhibits, which adults and children all loved. Friendly, helpful & knowledgeable staff.
Brilliant day out so much hands on stuff to keep the children amused! They could never get bored here for sure!
Absolutely fantastic place. Stumbled across it as we were staying nearby and spotted there was an open evening scheduled for 5 May. We had a fantastic time. My son (OK not just my son) loved having a go at the science experiments and exhibitions while we waited for the sunset. When it was dark enough we got to look through several of the large telescopes to view Venus, Jupiter and it's moons, the Castor & Pollux binary stars, some galaxies near the Leo constellation and the Andromeda cluster. A great evening out and the staff/volunteers were all extremely friendly and knowledgeable. The cafe did great coffee and cakes too!
A wonderful gem hidden in the Sussex countryside. Beautifully maintained, wonderfully informative and exciting enough to keep our 6 children, (across the three families in our party) ranging from 4 to 12 years, all entertained pretty much all day long. We will definitely be back again �
We had a lovely few hours here and our 6 year old loved it. The only thing that let it down was the cafe. Poor selection of items and no proper coffee - such a missed opportunity!
I took my son and his best friend to the observatory science centre last week,had a good time..
Great fun for all ages.Lots of hands on things for the children and a good reminder for Grandma of things long since forgotten! A small but reasonably priced cafe. Well worth a visit.
Great day out and would agree with others that it doesn’t really take the whole day but daughter and us enjoyed it equally. Aside from size the cafe was fairly limited on choice but I liked that picnics were encouraged with plenty of tables dotted around.
What an absolutely enthralling afternoon. Just being at, what was The Royal Observatory was an experience, and to get to go into 3 of the domes and see the telescopes was amazing.
There was a superbly entertaining and educational guided tour.
Not quite up to being on the summit of Mauna Kea among the observatories �
What an absolute treasure this place is. The Centre is great value for money, especially when you compare it to other places in the local area, and the talks/shows put on by the staff are included (no 'hidden' extras). Super educational and extremely hands on, my children had a cracking day out here.
Went on the recommendations of a friend with our seven year old granddaughter. Amazing! So much to see a n d do - we were busy for five hours - she loved it. The staff are all friendly and helpful making it a wonderful da y out.
We visited yesterday, I was wary about the parking it being a Saturday but when we arrived at 11am the car park was pretty much empty. Bonus!
This was our first visit for most of the family (my daughter had been the week before on a school trip) - we had an absolutely wonderful time!
So much for them to look at, take part in (the main corridor!) and the discovery playground was a huge hit! Although my 4 year old sons favourite play bit was the water trays!
There is a beautiful pond in the middle which is shallow enough you can see the bottom and in turn see all the fish in there, my son found it hilarious watching the huge fish come to the surface with their mouths wide open to see into!
The children were amazed to see such huge telescopes and then to go into the discovery dome to find out more about all of them.
We will be back! Thank you for such a fab day!
🔭
Visited today - due to it being out of season and being term time, we had the place almost to ourselves! We all loved the interactive displays and the talk (which we had all to ourselves!) was fascinating. I would recommend it to all ages. Staff were helpful, friendly and engaged really well. Thank you!
My boy loves this place so much. It trains the brain. He has so many questions about science, how things work, questions about space and earth etc etc. All things I might not be able to answer he can learn here. The telescopes are magnificent. Great place for schools to take kids on school trip.
I took my space mad son on 7th October for an evening opening and we had a great time. The staff were all so helpful and enthusiastic. The Centre had lots of hands on science exhibits indoors which kept us both busy for some time and a lovely, clean cafe open until late.
There were a few telescopes available to see the planets/stars and and we got an excellent view of Saturn, it's rings and it's moon Titan. The highlight of the evening was the astronomy talk given in a separate area with projections of the planets/stars/universe. Unfortunately we missed a bit of this but the Astronomer kindly gave my son his own show with lots of time to ask questions at the end. (He's still talking about it weeks later)! The staff couldn't do more and the Centre, cafe and shop are great. Thank you for a great time. �
I took my 3 children with my parents and we all loved it so much to do for both adults and children id definately reccommend visiting you will enjoy it and learn a few things too!
I had the pleasure of taking 3 grandkids, 10, 12 and 12 yrs old, to the first CoderDojo computer programming session , held at the Observatory Science Centre . It was a huge success from our point of view, the kids had a great time, learnt new skills, and we are looking to follow up online at home . The volunteer instructors ( some were teenager`s not much older than the kids ) were all absolutely fantastic, patient and able to clearly explain every step . A huge thank-you to Sue and the team ! Lets hope they are invited back for more classes at the Observatory Science Centre .
Had a great day here yesterday with the kids. They were entertained all day long with the hands on science features and play areas. I was very pleased to see lots of gluten free options in the cafe including a panini and range of cakes.
Brilliant place with lots of sciencey things to do (play on) and keeps both the children and the adults entertained. Not so big that you have to rush round to see everything and not so small that your dine in an hour. It's an ideal place for a day out. There is also a reasonably priced cafe on site if you want food
Brilliant place for a day out. Loads of interactive exhibits, which adults and children all loved. Friendly, helpful & knowledgeable staff.
Brilliant day out so much hands on stuff to keep the children amused! They could never get bored here for sure!
Absolutely fantastic place. Stumbled across it as we were staying nearby and spotted there was an open evening scheduled for 5 May. We had a fantastic time. My son (OK not just my son) loved having a go at the science experiments and exhibitions while we waited for the sunset. When it was dark enough we got to look through several of the large telescopes to view Venus, Jupiter and it's moons, the Castor & Pollux binary stars, some galaxies near the Leo constellation and the Andromeda cluster. A great evening out and the staff/volunteers were all extremely friendly and knowledgeable. The cafe did great coffee and cakes too!
A wonderful gem hidden in the Sussex countryside. Beautifully maintained, wonderfully informative and exciting enough to keep our 6 children, (across the three families in our party) ranging from 4 to 12 years, all entertained pretty much all day long. We will definitely be back again �
We had a lovely few hours here and our 6 year old loved it. The only thing that let it down was the cafe. Poor selection of items and no proper coffee - such a missed opportunity!
I took my son and his best friend to the observatory science centre last week,had a good time..
Great fun for all ages.Lots of hands on things for the children and a good reminder for Grandma of things long since forgotten! A small but reasonably priced cafe. Well worth a visit.
Great day out and would agree with others that it doesn’t really take the whole day but daughter and us enjoyed it equally. Aside from size the cafe was fairly limited on choice but I liked that picnics were encouraged with plenty of tables dotted around.