Alston Observatory is purpose-built teaching and public outreach facility run by the Jerimiah Horrocks Institute division of the University of Central Lancashire.
The location is home to the Moses Holden Telescope, one of the largest telescopes in the UK, and the historic Wilfred Hall Telescope; the site also has a planetarium used for undergraduate teaching and encouraging public engagement in science.
Access to the facility is possible by booking one of their monthly open evenings, which take place from Autumn through to Spring.
Location events organiser
Alston Observatory organises events at this location
Please contact Alston Observatory directly with any enquiries relating to visiting this location
Email: [email protected]
Website: Alston Observatory
Weather forecast
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13/06/25
17° 13% -
13/06/25
15° 63% -
14/06/25
15° 69%
Weather forecast for Longridge (2.1 miles away) updated 13/06/25 at 12:00.
Local light pollution
Alston Observatory is estimated to have light pollution levels similar to asemi-rural semi-rural location based on the latest data from the VIIRS satellite.
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Urban
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Suburban
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Semi-rural
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Rural
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Dark site
The above demonstrates the estimated effect of light pollution - graphics created using Stellarium.
Best time to visit
The below chart shows when the skies will be at their darkest at this location and therefore the best time to visit. 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. See our dark sky calendar for more details.
Fri 13th Jun
Sat 14th Jun
Sun 15th Jun
Mon 16th Jun
Tue 17th Jun
Wed 18th Jun
Thu 19th Jun
Find more dates
If you are planning to visit this location check our dark sky calendar to find out when is best!
CalendarEvents nearby
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