When to visit

You can have an enjoyable time at the Observatory day or night, rain or shine, winter or summer. Our public events (see “Schedule“) are some of the best times to experience what the Observatory has to offer and we aim to have public events regularly throughout the year. There are also a limited number of paid, private events that can be arranged (see “Programs and Events”).

If stargazing is your key goal, then please consider the following:

  • Stargazing requires clear skies. While we cannot predict the weather on any particular night long beforehand, there are some general trends that you can take into account. Weather systems are such that we typically have many more clear nights from about the last half of May until early October, with August having the highest probability of clear skies in London. From October until the end of April, clear evenings are quite rare unfortunately.
  • A Full Moon is very bright and makes it harder to see faint objects. Moreover, the Full Moon is not nearly as spectacular through our telescopes as a First Quarter or crescent Moon.
  • Some objects are only visible in specific seasons (e.g. the Orion nebula is only visible in winter) and visibility of the planets is different every year. If you are especially interested in seeing a particular object, consult with one of our astronomers to find out when to visit.
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April 2025
Apr 12
12 April 2025

Cronyn Observatory will have its doors open on April 12th, Saturday, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm for an open house. You can take a tour of the observatory, participate in […]

Free
May 2025
May 03
03 May 2025

During the public night at Cronyn, you'll have a chance to hear from Astronomers - we will post the topic of the talk soon. You can participate in astronomy demos […]

Free
May 10
10 May 2025

During the public night at Cronyn, you'll have a chance to hear from Astronomers - we will post the topic of the talk soon. You can participate in astronomy demos […]

Free
May 17
17 May 2025

During the public night at Cronyn, you'll have a chance to hear from Astronomers - we will post the topic of the talk soon. You can participate in astronomy demos […]

Free
May 24
24 May 2025

During the public night at Cronyn, you'll have a chance to hear from Astronomers - we will post the topic of the talk soon. You can participate in astronomy demos […]

Free
May 31
31 May 2025

During the public night at Cronyn, you'll have a chance to hear from Astronomers - we will post the topic of the talk soon. You can participate in astronomy demos […]

Free
June 2025
Jun 07
07 June 2025

During the public night at Cronyn, you'll have a chance to hear from Astronomers - we will post the topic of the talk soon. You can participate in astronomy demos […]

Free
Jun 14
14 June 2025

During the public night at Cronyn, you'll have a chance to hear from Astronomers - we will post the topic of the talk soon. You can participate in astronomy demos […]

Jun 21
21 June 2025

During the public night at Cronyn, you'll have a chance to hear from Astronomers - we will post the topic of the talk soon. You can participate in astronomy demos […]

Free
Jun 28
28 June 2025

During the public night at Cronyn, you'll have a chance to hear from Astronomers - we will post the topic of the talk soon. You can participate in astronomy demos […]

Free
July 2025
Jul 05
05 July 2025

During the public night at Cronyn, you'll have a chance to hear from Astronomers - we will post the topic of the talk soon. You can participate in astronomy demos […]

Free
Jul 12
12 July 2025

During the public night at Cronyn, you'll have a chance to hear from Astronomers - we will post the topic of the talk soon. You can participate in astronomy demos […]

Free
Jul 19
19 July 2025

During the public night at Cronyn, you'll have a chance to hear from Astronomers - we will post the topic of the talk soon. You can participate in astronomy demos […]

Free
Jul 26
26 July 2025

During the public night at Cronyn, you'll have a chance to hear from Astronomers - we will post the topic of the talk soon. You can participate in astronomy demos […]

Free

Please note that the Observatory is not open every day, we open up only during scheduled events.