The Lake District’s first-ever public observatory and planetarium is now open The Lake District’s first-ever public observatory and planetarium is now open

Good news, stargazers: The Lake District’s first public observatory is now open.

Located within Cumbria’s Grizedale Forest, the Grizedale Observatory and Planetarium offers the chance to explore the stars without the effects of light pollution in one of the UK’s most popular holiday destinations.

Stargazing events are held weekly, with special evenings planned for celestial events such as the Perseids meteor shower and the lunar eclipse. You’ll be shown how to use instruments including 8” Dobsonian telescopes yourself, and learn more about the night’s sky from the experts.

The observatory is also home to a fully robotic telescope, allowing you to see ‘deeper and fainter than anywhere else in the UK’.

In Grizedale’s planetarium, you’ll be able to watch shows covering topics like the European Southern Observatory, gravity and dark matter, and handle meteorites.

A number of national parks in the UK offer excellent stargazing opportunities, with several named as International Dark Sky Reserves, including Exmoor, South Downs, Snowdonia, and the Yorkshire Dales, the latter of which is home to the Lime Tree Observatory. North York Moors National Park is the latest to receive the designation, having been added to the list in December 2020.

More information: grizedaleobservatory.com

Read next: Our guide to Britain’s 7 International Dark Sky Reserves