Public viewing nights
Two hours at the eyepiece: the Moon, the planets in season and the brightest deep-sky objects.
Thu to SatPublic observatory · Open Thursday to Saturday after dusk
Look up. Properly.
Lumen Hill is a volunteer-run observatory forty minutes from the city, under some of the darkest skies in the region. Come for a guided night at the eyepiece: no experience, no equipment, just warm clothes. Stargazing.
Bortle 3Rural dark sky
610 mAbove sea level
4Telescopes open to visitors
1987Volunteer-run since
What's on
Nights for every kind of curious
Every programme is led by a volunteer astronomer and runs whatever the weather: on cloudy nights we move to the planetarium room.
School and group visits
A daytime session on the Sun through a filtered telescope, followed by a planetarium show.
Book 3 weeks aheadMeteor shower camp-outs
Bring a sleeping bag for the Perseids and Geminids. Hot tea from midnight.
Twice a yearAstrophotography workshop
Learn to photograph the Milky Way with a phone or a camera on a tripod.
MonthlyPlan your visit
A night at Lumen Hill
Doors open 30 minutes after sunset. The whole evening takes about two and a half hours.
Book a slot
Pick a night below. Tickets are €8, free for under-12s, and we cap each night at 40 people.
Drive up and dim your lights
Switch to sidelights for the last kilometre of the hill road. It keeps everyone's night vision intact.
Car park: 45.4210° N, 24.1180° ELet your eyes adjust
A 20-minute sky tour with a green laser while your eyes get used to the dark. Red torches are provided.
Take turns at the eyepiece
Volunteers point each telescope at something new every fifteen minutes. Ask them anything.
The instruments
Meet the telescopes
Four instruments, each good at something different. Volunteers move visitors between them through the evening.
The Brass Refractor
Our oldest instrument, restored in 2019. Crisp, high-contrast views of the Moon and planets.
- Aperture 150 mm
- Built 1931
- Best for Saturn's rings, lunar craters
The Big Dob
A 16-inch Dobsonian that gathers enough light to show galaxies and globular clusters.
- Aperture 406 mm
- Best for Galaxies, nebulae
Hydrogen-alpha scope
A filtered telescope for safe views of prominences and sunspots on school visits.
- Filter H-alpha, 0.7 Å
- Best for Prominences, sunspots
Imaging rig
A tracking mount and cooled camera for the astrophotography workshop.
- Mount Equatorial, auto-guided
- Best for Long exposures
The main dome
The Big Dob, up close
Most visitors remember their first galaxy through this one.
| Aperture | 406 mm (16 in) |
|---|---|
| Focal length | 1,828 mm |
| Limiting magnitude | about 15.5 |
| Mount | Alt-azimuth, push-to |
| Dome | 4.5 m, hand-cranked |
01
Steps to the eyepiece. At the zenith the eyepiece is 1.9 m up, so there's a step stool with a handrail.
02
Accessible nights. On the first Friday of each month we run a wheelchair-height eyepiece setup.
Questions visitors ask
What happens if it's cloudy?
The night goes ahead in the planetarium room, and you can swap to another date for free up to 2 pm on the day.
What should I wear?
Dress for about 10 °C colder than the city, even in summer. Hats and gloves from October to April.
Can I bring my own telescope?
Yes. The lower field has power points for visitors' equipment on public nights. Just tell us when you book.
Is it suitable for children?
Children aged 6 and up usually love it. Under-12s get in free with an adult.
Book a night under the stars.
Tell us which night you'd like and how many are coming. A volunteer replies within two days.
Send booking request