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Dear Friends,
Public Visits to UCLO to book your ticket please go to Eventbrite
We are pleased to announce that as well as our popular virtual tours, we will now be offering physical tours of the site.
The Observatory holds free public open evenings, roughly fortnightly, on Fridays during UCL's autumn and winter terms, 18:00–19:30 and 20:00–21:30. The earlier tour may be preferable for families with children, but note that the content and nature of the tours (including negotiating some steep, open-tread stairs) mean they may not be suitable for all children younger than 7 years old. (Saturday-evening tour is usually also offered each term for visitors unable to attend on Fridays for, in particular, religious reasons)
Note: Timings have changed from previous years to allow for cleaning of touch points to take place and no overlap between guests arriving and departing. We do ask for contact details so that in the event of that the tour cannot be run on site, we offer a virtual tour in place.
The Observatory is a teaching and research establishment, not a tourist attraction; it is not open to visitors, except as summarised here. Advance booking is essential. If none of the dates are suitable or you are looking for a more bespoke tour please contact us for details about school and private tours, more public tours will be added to the schedule for 2022 dates.
As we are restricting numbers of tickets sold to each event is even more important that you please ensure if you no longer need your ticket you cancel through Eventbrite, this allows people on the waitlist to be given the opportunity to attend.
Visitors are given a short introduction to the Observatory by one of the guides, then divided into groups for a guided tour of the telescopes and facilities. During the tour season, only about 1 evening in 4 is clear, winds or even wispy clouds can prevent us from observing too. Nonetheless, if the weather permits, visitors will normally be given the opportunity to view the sky through the Fry 8-inch refractor.
For an FAQ and to book your ticket please go to Eventbrite
( https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ucl-observatory-tours-tickets-204582360347 )
Mark and the Team