Kielder Observatory

Kielder Observatory stands on Black Fell in Kielder Forest, Northumberland, overlooking Kielder Water close to the Scottish border, in one of the darkest skies England has to offer.

About Kielder Observatory

The observatory was officially opened on 25 April 2008 by Sir Arnold Wolfendale, the 14th Astronomer Royal. Its striking timber design, the result of a RIBA Competitions contest won by London-based Charles Barclay Architects, went on to win the RIBA Award and a Civic Trust Award, both in 2009. The building is powered by solar panels and a wind turbine, fitting for a site dedicated to protecting dark, unpolluted skies.

History

Kielder Observatory sits within the third-largest protected Dark Sky reserve in Europe, a status that has shaped both its remote siting and its mission of public astronomy outreach since opening in 2008.

Location & getting there

The observatory is reached via a half-mile forest track from James Turrell's Kielder Skyspace, deep within Kielder Forest in Northumberland, England, near the border with Scotland.

Visiting Kielder Observatory

Kielder Observatory is run by the Kielder Observatory Astronomical Society, a registered charity with ten permanent staff, and hosts more than 40 public events every month. Booking ahead is recommended given the popularity of its stargazing sessions.

See your named star from here

Few places in England offer skies as dark as Kielder's, making it an ideal spot to imagine spotting a named star's exact coordinates. Name a star and look it up in our catalogue before your visit.