Jupiter at its best in a decade!

Jupiter at its best in a decade!

The biggest planet of them all is just a few days from its closest approach to the Earth - and looking fantastic

By Richard Darn

Date and time

Location

Sutton Bank National Park Centre

Sutton Bank Thirsk YO7 2EH United Kingdom

Refund Policy

Refunds up to 7 days before event.

About this event

  • Event lasts 2 hours 30 minutes

Jupiter is now high in the sky - where things always look the best! Over recent years it's been getting higher and higher and now looks amazing. We'll use powerful telescopes to look at its spectacular banded atmosphere and track down up to four of its moons. Tonight it's about 400 million miles from the Earth, but with a diameter of nearly 90,000 miles it still looks bright and brilliant.

A real New Year's treat!

Plus we'll take you on a journey through the winter sky, with loads of other beguiling targets using our powerful telecopes and binoculars.

This event is being staged in collaboration with our friends at Go Stargazing! Together we are committed to making stargazing accessible and affordable - viewing the heavens shouldn't cost the earth.

The Hub provides a warm indoor space for colourful presentations with a purpose built viewing area alongside. If it's cloudy we will still see stars thanks to a brilliant computer based planetarium show.

The North York Moors National Park is an international dark sky reserve with low levels of light pollution. We advise you to wear sensible outdoor footwear and wrap up warm.

Please note the Hub is not part of the main Sutton Bank visitor centre building, but located one hundred metres away at the north west corner of the complex. It has its own car park - just drive through the raised barrier. Look out for the red external lights on the Hub.

Your astronomers for this year's events include Richard Darn, Sophie Carroll and Neill Sanders.

Key points

  • This event is suitable for adults and children over six years old and is perfect for novices. Warm refreshments and biscuits are included in the ticket price. Numbers will be limited. The facility is also well ventilated and wheelchair accessible.
  • Tickets are refundable up to one week before the event minus the Eventbrite booking fee. Please note to keep these events sustainable we cannot refund within this period.
  • Event goes ahead in all weather unless conditions are hazardous.
  • Free parking is available alongside the Hub.
  • Toilets available.

Credits: Northern Lights picture by Neill Sanders, Go Stargazing

Organised by

Richard Darn helped Northumberland, North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales national parks all become international dark sky areas over the past ten years. He has numerous TV and radio appearances to his credit, but at heart remains a stargazer who loves to share his passion for the heavens. He has staged hundreds of public astronomy events across Britain. He also co-founded the legendary Kielder Forest Star Camp and provides expertise to other dark landscapes including the North Pennines, Norfolk Coast and Cranborne Chase AONBs, along with Exmoor National Park and the Friends of the Lake District. For more go to https://darkskiesuk.org/

From £16.50
Jan 3 · 19:30 GMT