University of Hertfordshire Observatory
banner
observatory.herts.ac.uk
University of Hertfordshire Observatory
@observatory.herts.ac.uk
The University of Hertfordshire's Observatory at Bayfordbury in the UK. Find out how to visit or study with us here: https://linktr.ee/bayfordburyobservatory
Pinned
This account is going to become temporarily inactive, due to changes in staffing. We hope to be back on BlueSky soon!
There is a Principal Technical Officer (Physics and Astronomy) role in the School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science now open for applications. It is a full-time role, partially at College Lane and partially at Bayfordbury Observatory.

ce0997li.webitrent.com/ce0997li_web...
Powered by MHR
ce0997li.webitrent.com
February 2, 2026 at 1:43 PM
This account is going to become temporarily inactive, due to changes in staffing. We hope to be back on BlueSky soon!
August 14, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Reposted by University of Hertfordshire Observatory
Today's the day — it's officially T-0!

GET READY: Your full First Look at images from NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory is just hours away! We're about to reveal the preview of the greatest cosmic movie ever made 🎬 #RubinFirstLook #CaptureTheCosmos 🔭🧪

⌚️ 11am US EDT
🔗: ls.st/rubin-first-look-livestream
June 23, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Ever wondered what the rain sounds like inside one of our steel 🔭 domes?
June 3, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Here's last night's aurora! 🔭
April 17, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Aurora are visible in UK skies right now! 🔭
April 16, 2025 at 8:59 PM
And another view!
March 24, 2025 at 10:54 PM
View from the allsky camera! 🔭
March 24, 2025 at 10:06 PM
One of our students took these spectacular photos earlier this evening, showing what is thought to be fuel from a Falcon 9 rocket! 🔭
March 24, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Last night, our robotic telescopes 🔭 captured their 110,000th image in autonomous mode. That's 3,475 hours of imaging without human supervision!
March 19, 2025 at 11:34 AM
And that’s a wrap for this season’s Open Evenings! Thank you to everyone that came along tonight - we had a great time, and hope you did too!

Open Evenings will return next winter - but there will still be other opportunities to visit us over the summer, so stay tuned!
March 7, 2025 at 11:43 PM
There are only a few tickets left for our last Open Evening of the season, for the 17:30 slot on Friday 7th March.
 
The theme for this Open Evening is radio astronomy. The optical telescopes 🔭 will still be open, but we'll also be showing off our unique radio interferometer 📡
February 26, 2025 at 11:22 AM
We've had a great time at @stalbanscathedral.bsky.social this week! We've been there with our mobile planetarium giving shows to local schools, and last night Dr. Emma Curtis-Lake gave a public lecture.

And now we're all back at the observatory for tonight's sold-out Open Evening!
February 7, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Here's a quick view of Jupiter, taken during a student practical session last night 🔭

From left to right, you can see three of Jupiter's moons: Europa, Ganymede and Io.

You can also see Io's shadow on the face of Jupiter - it is the small dark spot near the upper right edge.
February 4, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Reposted by University of Hertfordshire Observatory
What a great start to #NationalAstronomyWeek at the #DarkSkies event in Hertford. We had a screening of The City Dark film followed by a light switch-off and stargazing with astronomers from Bayfordbury Observatory in Hertford Castle grounds. Frosty and fantastic! #NAW
February 1, 2025 at 8:32 PM
There is a lovely 22° halo around the Sun this morning. These halos appear when sunlight passes through hexagonal ice crystals in the atmosphere, and can often be seen in the winter months. 🔭
January 29, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Tickets are available for our penultimate open evening of the season, on Feb 7th with the theme "Aurorae and Our Solar System"

This is a great opportunity to learn about the spectacular aurorae we've witnessed over the past year, and another chance to observe the ongoing planetary parade 🔭
January 27, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Yesterday we ran the first event with our new inflatable planetarium!

From 5th-7th February, we'll be at @stalbanscathedral.bsky.social showcasing the new planetarium as part of their Science Festival Week.

To book us for your school or another event, see here: www.herts.ac.uk/bayfordbury/...
January 24, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Reposted by University of Hertfordshire Observatory
Come and check it out next Friday!

Tickets selling fast:

www.eshop.herts.ac.uk/search?cid=459

#hertfordshire 🔭 #astronomy #herts #BedsBucksHerts
It's a planetary parade!

Throughout Jan and Feb, you will be able to see four planets lined up in the sky. With a telescope 🔭, you can also see Neptune and Uranus to make it six planets in a row!

This picture was taken with our Allsky camera just before 6pm (GMT) on Tuesday.
January 10, 2025 at 3:45 PM
It's a planetary parade!

Throughout Jan and Feb, you will be able to see four planets lined up in the sky. With a telescope 🔭, you can also see Neptune and Uranus to make it six planets in a row!

This picture was taken with our Allsky camera just before 6pm (GMT) on Tuesday.
January 10, 2025 at 3:34 PM
It's a frosty day here at Bayfordbury 🔭❄️
January 10, 2025 at 1:12 PM
With our James Webb Space Telescope themed Open Evening coming up on Jan 17th, here's a throwback to when one of our telescopes caught JWST heading to its new home 🔭
January 8, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Reposted by University of Hertfordshire Observatory
Tickets for the next @bayfordburyobs.bsky.social open night selling fast!

We’ve got 4 planets on show in the early evening this month, so don’t miss your chance to see them through our telescopes!

🔭 #hertfordshire #astronomy
Tickets now on sale for 1st @bayfordburyobs.bsky.social open evening of 2025!

17th Jan will be JWST night. Public lectures from Webb Fellow Dr Emma Curtis-Lake, Dr Mike Kuhn, and kids space telescope quiz + more.

Get them here: www.eshop.herts.ac.uk/search?cid=459

#astronomy 🔭 #hertfordshire
Search our events/products and add to your shopping cart
www.eshop.herts.ac.uk
January 7, 2025 at 10:14 AM