South Downs Planetarium

On Wednesday 12th August 2026 a spectacular partial solar eclipse will be visible in our western skies between 6:08pm - 8:10pm with the maximum of upto 95% coverage of the Sun by our Moon between 7:05pm-07:16pm. Stay safe with eclipse glasses conforming to international safety standard ISO 12312-2:2015(E). NEVER look directly at the Sun. Sunglasses will not prevent damage to your eyes.

Join us at the South Downs Planetarium in Chichester for our Space Family Fun Days starting this weekend! Incredible journeys of discovery for everyone aged 5+. Please book early to avoid disappointment: https://www.southdowns.org.uk/events.html

Keep the whole family entertained and join us for one of our Family Fun Days this month! Tickets normally sell out so please book in advance to avoid disappointment. Suitable for anyone aged 5+ www.southdowns.org.uk/events

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/articles/c9q2e0gp03xo

June 2026 full Moon: How and when to see the Strawberry Moon rise in the UK The first full Moon of summer will rise across UK skies this week

Our Planetarium Christmas festivities are now in full flow, come and join in!

We’re getting ready for this years Space Family Fun Days on 28-30th October! Please visit our website for more information and tickets.

It was a pleasure to welcome you Jess Brown-Fuller!

💫☄️🌌 My Friday last week started with an exploration of the dark night skies above us at the South Downs Planetarium, an incredible place run entirely by volunteers and hosting over 150 school groups every year.
Their biggest challenge is the prohibitive cost of transport for local schools to get to the planetarium, even with its great transport links being so close to the bus and train station Chichester.
They also run one-off events throughout school holidays and you can find out about those events on their website and social media.

As a charity, we rely on the dedication of our wonderful volunteers and the donations of our generous supporters. We would like to extend a special Thank You to the Sir Patrick Moore Heritage Trust and to our friend Sir Brian May for their generous donations. What a way to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope! 🔭

Legendary Queen star Sir Brian May makes massive donation to Chichester planetarium to help inspire young scientists The South Downs Planetarium and Science Centre in Chichester was one of only eight venues across Europe invited to participate in the Hubble Space Telescope’s 35th anniversary celebration. To mark the occasion, guests saw a special show of the images captured by Hubble. There was also a surprise a...

Don’t miss this incredible sight in the morning sky! On Friday 14th March, a partial Lunar eclipse will be visible before dawn 🌙