Leighton Observatory (Liverpool Astronomical Society)
ENTRY
Free
WHERE
Widnes
What it’s like
Free public stargazing every Wednesday at 7pm, with members on hand to point telescopes at whatever's overhead.
Every Wednesday evening at 7pm, the observatory opens its doors to anyone who fancies turning up and having a look through a telescope. It's run by the Liverpool Astronomical Society, so the people showing you the sky actually know what they're looking at, which counts for a lot when you're trying to work out which dot is a planet and which is a plane.
There's no booking system mentioned, so this is a walk-in evening rather than something you need to plan weeks ahead for. That's handy if you're the sort of household that decides at 6.30pm that a Wednesday needs improving. Beyond the weekly Wednesday sessions, the society also runs public open days, Star Parties and Sidewalk Astronomy events from time to time, plus the odd BBC Stargazing Live tie-in, though those tend to sit outside the regular weekly slot.
If your own telescope has been gathering dust because you can't work out what half the knobs do, the Wednesday meetings are the ones to bring it along to. The society says this is fine for the informal weekly sessions in a way it wouldn't be for their more formal monthly lectures, which are usually held in Liverpool city centre rather than at the observatory itself.
It's free to get in, which is rare for anything involving a proper telescope setup and worth a mention on its own.
Plan your visit
Do we need to book?
There's nothing to book. The Wednesday evening sessions at 7pm are open to the public, you just turn up.
How much does it cost?
It's free entry.
Can I bring my own telescope if I'm having trouble with it?
Yes, bring it to a Wednesday evening meeting. Those are informal and held at the observatory, unlike the monthly lectures which are more formal and usually in Liverpool city centre.
Are the monthly lectures open to the public too?
Many of the society's meetings are for members, and it's not clear from what they say whether non-members can attend the monthly lectures. The weekly Wednesday sessions are definitely open to everyone though.
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