Keele University Observatory - Open Evenings

If you're looking for something different to do on a Tuesday evening, can I suggest Keele University's Observatory?  It's open to the public every Tuesday evening, from 8pm - 10pm, and is a genuinely unique experience.  It's not fast-paced, it's not high-energy, it's not for everybody, but if you're looking for a complete change of pace, and a chance to see the night sky in a new way, you're going to enjoy this.

Keele Observatory is part of the university's astrophysics department, and it consists of two telescopes (the second was brought back into use in March 2022), two domes, various classrooms and teaching aids, and - as with the biology and invertebrate days at Staffs Uni - a team of experts.  The experts are a combination of teaching staff and students at the department, who will set up the larger of the two telescopes, and point it at various night-sky objects.  At the moment, there are no planets visible in the night sky (they're hiding near or behind the Sun), but there are still many objects and interesting stars to look at.  

The main telescope, aiming for the Orion Nebula

We've been twice since the post-Covid re-opening, and have seen the Pleiades; M35, M54, the Orion Nebula, and the star Castor.  Castor is found in the constellation of Gemini, and it's relatively easy to find at this time of year (look straight up and slightly to the south).  Stars aren't exactly interesting by themselves; they still look like dots through a telescope because they're so far away.  However, Castor is a double-star - i.e. two stars close together and orbiting each other (it's actually a total of six stars - three pairs, but the other four are fainter).  Using the telescope it's possible to see the two component stars, and it makes for a fascinating view.  The team do a great job of showing a different variety of objects each week, so there's something new to see each time you go.

The experts are on hand to answer all your questions, and I'd like to call out the Keele University Director, Jacco von Loon, who does a great job in not only setting up the telescope, but commenting on what we're looking at, explaining its relevance and importance and then answering questions about it (and about anything else in space).  

The second telescope, recently brought back into use, is controlled by motors and can be programmed using a computer below the observatory (mind your head) from a warm control room.  It's only just come back online, and when we visited it, the team were taking some test shots; in this case, of the Orion Nebula.

The 'new' motorised telescope.  It's pointing up and to the right; the block near the camera is a counterbalance weight.

The image (right screen) of the Orion Nebula.   The bright smudge is the nebula; the central bright area are the stars within it.

There are activities to do and the team give short presentations for times when the weather is poor and the sky is cloudy, but this is definitely something that's best in good weather.  And clear skies at night mean it's going to be cold, so dress up in warm clothing - the dome roof is open to the elements and it can be freezing standing waiting for your turn to look through the telescope!  It's well worth it, though, so keep an eye on the weather forecast, and on a clear Tuesday evening, head to Keele for a truly out-of-this-world experience.

There are various learning resources around the observatory teaching room, including smaller telescopes; posters and models.