Stargazing 2026 at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

The 2026 Stargazing at RAL will have plenty of activities for the whole family, whatever the weather!

Tickets for the in-person event will be released on Friday 9 January 2026, at 07:00, 12:00 and 19:00.

There’ll be meteorites, rocket building, comet making, a series of fascinating talks, robots and of course (weather permitting!) stargazing with the Newbury Astronomical Society. We’ll have some experts on hand to explain how they use the Diamond Light Source to find out more about meteorites and comets, and you'll be able to visit the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source and Central Laser Facility to learn how we use particle accelerators and lasers to learn more about space.

Everyone will be able to talk to our friends at the Newbury Astronomical Society, who will be leading the actual stargazing - and if the weather doesn't co-operate, they'll be on hand to show their telescopes indoors, and give advice about astronomy and what can be seen in the night sky on cloudless nights.

Planetarium shows will run throughout the evening (ages 5+ only), but places on these are limited owing to the size of our planetarium, and so are allocated by lottery.

There will be tours of the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Experimental Hall throughout the evening, but places on these are limited and so are allocated by lottery. Please note that, owing to health and safety restrictions, these tours are only suitable for those aged eleven or over.

We will also have packs for Brownies/Rainbows/Cubs/Beavers to help them towards their respective space and astronomy badges. The pack contains sheets that can be used during the course of the evening alongside the activities to provide evidence for the badge. Please let us know if you would like a pack.

Please note that we are a working laboratory and secure facility, and as such all under 18s must be accompanied at all times by an adult. Please reserve one ticket for every person attending over the age of one.

Our talks will also be streamed online - synopses of these can be found below, and online-only tickets will be available from a separate Eventbrite link: https://online-stargazing2026.eventbrite.co.uk

Tickets for the in-person event will be released on Friday 9 January, at 07:00, 12:00 and 19:00. A waiting list will be enabled once the event is full - by signing up to this you will be notified automatically if places become available.

Talks and Comet Shows at Stargazing 2026

As part of Stargazing 2026, there will be a series of fantastic talks in our lecture theatre, which will also be streamed online for those who can't join us (tickets for the online talks can be found here: https://online-stargazing2026.eventbrite.co.uk).

18:15: Discoveries at the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn with Michele Dougherty, Astronomer Royal (ages 10+)

One of the most important realisations that planetary scientists have come to in the last 30 years is that in the search for potential habitability in our solar system, the focus need not only be on planets close to the Sun. Based on observations from instruments on the GALILEO spacecraft at Jupiter and the CASSINI spacecraft at Saturn, there are many potential places in our solar system where liquid water oceans may exist below the surface. On Earth, life thrives in the deepest, darkest parts of our oceans near hydrothermal vents. Could life similarly evolve or survive in the ocean floors of Jupiter’s three largest moons, Ganymede, Callisto and Europa?

19:00: Comet Show with Lauren Mowberry (all ages)

Have you ever wondered what a comet really is? Join Lauren to discover more about why comets are called ‘dirty snowballs’ and learn more about a space mission to land on one! During this show, Lauren will explain what makes comets different from other things in space and help her to cook up a dry-ice comet as part of her comet show. Fun for all the family!

19:45: A short trip around the night sky, with Vicky Stowell (all ages)

Join Vicky for guaranteed cloud-free virtual trip around the night sky to learn some of the easier to spot constellations and to hear some of the stories around them. This show is very similar to the shows in Planetarium 1, so gives access to those who were not able to get tickets. Sit back and enjoy the stories of the skies.