Astronomy courses
Short courses
These courses are ideal for beginners wanting to find out more about astronomy in general or specific topics in current research.
Short courses available in the coming period include:
- Introduction to Astronomy (booking open)
- Astrobiology: the hunt for alien life (booking open)
- Astrophotography for Beginners
- Cosmic Revolutions
- Meteorites and the Early Solar System
GCSE Astronomy
For those wanting a formal qualification in Astronomy, GCSE astronomy offers an excellent introduction to the academic study of this exciting, interdisciplinary science.
Foundation astronomy
For those interested in taking their studies beyond GCSE, we offer a number of courses in collaboration with Liverpool John Moore’s University. Courses available in the coming period include:
- Stars
- Galaxies (information coming soon)
The Peter Harrison Planetarium
State-of-the-art
The new state-of-the-art planetarium is the centrepiece of the Royal Observatory's recent spectacular redevelopment project and is now the only planetarium in London.
Find out more about the planetarium's groundbreaking architecture and digital projector.
The 28-inch telescope
The 28-inch Greenwich refracting telescope is the largest of its kind in the UK and the seventh largest in the world. Completed in 1893, it was designed to keep the Royal Observatory at the forefront of contemporary astronomy.
The telescope is now a central part of educational programmes at the Royal Observatory. With the recent addition of a computer-aided guidance system and CCD camera, it continues to work as an excellent visual aid to observing the night sky.
