Explore space with fellow stargazers on NASA moon night

Budding stargazers will gather at the University of Reading and across the globe for International Observe the Moon Night 2025.

Scheduled for Saturday, 4 October, Whiteknights Campus will transform into an outdoor observatory featuring more than a dozen telescopes from the University's Department of Meteorology and Reading Astronomical Society. More than 300 members of the public will gain access to unprecedented views of our nearest celestial neighbour.

The evening will commence with a series of engaging presentations from leading academics spanning multiple disciplines, all designed to captivate audiences from primary school level through to adults, before the main stargazing activities commence.

Special guest Daniel Tani, a NASA astronaut who conducted the 100th spacewalk on the International Space Station in 2007, has recorded a special ten-minute presentation specifically for our Observe the Moon Night attendees. 

Dr James O'Donoghue, the University of Reading planetary scientist spearheading this year's event, explained: "Observe the Moon Night brings NASA and space science directly to people in their local communities. Our Moon is perfect for stargazing—it's close enough that you can see details with just your eyes, but telescopes reveal so much more. We're excited to show people how amazing the Moon really is and share the fascination humans have had with it for thousands of years."

The event is held in collaboration with Reading Astronomical Society, whose members have kindly agreed to operate their telescopes alongside the University's for Observe the Moon Night. The Royal Astronomical Society and the Troodos Observatory will also support the event with presentations in case of bad weather.

Registration is now open for the University of Reading's International Observe the Moon Night 2025. Organisers are advising interested participants to register promptly, as availability for this popular annual event remains strictly limited. Last year’s inaugural event filled up in a single day.

Register for the event via the booking form. Find out more information on the University of Reading’s Observe the Moon Night.

Event Programme for Saturday, 4 October, International Observe the Moon Night, University of Reading:

Programme