As the days begin to get shorter and the evenings draw in, the first hints of autumn arrive. Fruits and conkers on the trees, rusty and crunchy red leaves and berries and the beginnings of harvest.
There’s also no better time to turn your attention skywards and learn more about our vast universe.
This September, Sherwood Observatory is inviting visitors to step out of the ordinary and into some extraordinary worlds.
From invisible particles and gravitational waves to the possibility of alien life, the autumn planetarium programme offers plenty for curious minds — and some wonderfully unusual ways to experience the universe.
Five planetarium shows you might not expect
If you think a planetarium is simply somewhere to learn the names of the planets, think again. Sherwood’s fulldome programme ventures into some of the strangest, indepth and most fascinating corners of modern astronomy.
🔭 Unveiling the Invisible Universe
Much of the Universe can’t be seen with ordinary visible light. Unveiling the Invisible Universe explores how astronomers use X-rays, gamma rays, cosmic rays and neutrinos as well as gravitational waves from merging black holes to reveal a very different picture of the cosmos.
It’s a fascinating reminder that the Universe is communicating with us in far more ways than our eyes can detect.
🌌 The Universe Through All the Senses
What would the Universe actually feel like when using all our senses?
The Universe Through All the Senses takes a wonderfully unconventional approach to astronomy, journeying from planets and comets to stars, nebulae, galaxies, black holes, dark matter and dark energy. Rather than simply presenting a catalogue of astronomical objects, the show invites audiences to experience the cosmos in a completely different way explaining it through our senses.
One of astronomy’s biggest questions is also one of its most intriguing: are we alone?
We Are Aliens! explores the search for life beyond Earth and the science behind one of humanity’s oldest questions. It’s a chance to think about what makes a world potentially habitable — and where scientists might look for life elsewhere in the Universe.
⏳ Messengers of Time and Space
The Universe isn’t static. Stars explode, black holes collide and other dramatic events unfold across the cosmos.
Messengers of Time and Space looks at how the next generation of astronomy is allowing us to observe these changing events in real time. The show explores how astronomers combine information from light, cosmic rays, neutrinos and gravitational waves to build a richer picture of what’s happening across the Universe.
🌑 DARK
Some of the biggest mysteries in astronomy are things we can’t see at all.
DARK delves into the mysterious side of the Universe, exploring the science and questions surrounding dark matter and the unseen components of the cosmos. It’s an ideal choice if you like your astronomy with a healthy dose of mystery.
The majority of our shows are accompanied by a short talk and Q & A with our fantastic planetarium presenter, and you can also get the chance to browse our wonderful exhibition and enjoy our spacious café with great views prior to the show.
🍁 That’s not all
Alongside our 20+ choice of unusual and immersive planetarium shows, Sherwood Observatory’s autumn programme also offers opportunities to learn more about space and the night sky through its programme of special events.
September will see the last of our popular Open Days, and then during the autumn and winter months, regular Open Evenings will give visitors the chance to view the night sky through the observatory’s telescopes.
As the nights become longer and darker we bring additional early evening events, there’s more time to look up, wonder what’s out there and discover just how much remains to be understood.
We’ve also added our fantastic NEW Discovery Hour so you can pop in with friends or family for coffee and cake, potter around our exhibits and enjoy the centre for an hour, without committing to a full planetarium show.
So, wrap up warm, leave the summer heat behind and make a visit to remember at Sherwood Observatory.
This autumn, there’s a whole Universe waiting to be discovered. ✨
Written and Published by Susanna Holt, Marketing.