Late Night Lyrids at the Observatory Science Centre
Saturday 18th April 2026 from 20:00pm to Sunday 19th April 2026 00:00am
The Observatory Science Centre
Herstmonceux, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 1RN
Join the Observatory Science Centre for an evening celebrating the Lyrids meteor shower, one of the oldest recorded meteor showers, observed for over 2,700 years. Gates open at 8:00pm, followed by a talk at 8:30pm by Dr Darren Baskill titled “Modern Astronomy: Life as a Professional Astronomer & Tools of the Trade.”
After the talk, the evening continues in a relaxed, free-flowing format where visitors can explore the night sky with guidance from volunteers using the Centre’s historic telescopes, weather permitting.
The café will be open throughout the evening, offering refreshments including local beer from Lakedown Brewing Co.
While meteor sightings cannot be guaranteed due to weather and viewing conditions, the event offers a great opportunity to learn about astronomy and enjoy an evening under the stars. The event finishes at midnight.
Please note that this has already taken place on 18/04/2026
Event organiser
Observatory Science Centre is organising this event
Please contact Observatory Science Centre directly for more details regarding this event or, if appropriate, contact the event venue.
Email: [email protected]
Website: Observatory Science Centre
Twitter: @Observatory_Sci
Facebook: Observatory Science Centre
Event booking
For full details on how to attend this event, including how to book, please see the event's official website.
Visit event websiteEvent darkness
The below chart shows if and when the skies will be at their darkest during this event. Moonlight is shown in light yellow and the Sun's twilight in light blue. Midnight on the date shown is shown as a white line with sunset to the left and sunrise the next morning to the right. A black background with stars shows the best times for stargazing.
Sat 18th Apr
Sun 19th Apr
Local light pollution
The Observatory Science Centre is estimated to have light pollution levels similar to a semi-rural location based on the latest data from the VIIRS satellite. For more advanced light pollution data, view this location on DarkSkySites.
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Urban
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Suburban
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Semi-rural
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Dark site
The above demonstrates the estimated effect of light pollution - graphics created using Stellarium.
Forthcoming events
Below is a list of events at The Observatory Science Centre. View these events on our calendar, add them to your calendar or Google Calendar.