brecklandastro.org.uk

Breckland Astronomical Society's Public Observing Nights are free, drop-in stargazing sessions held at the society's own observatory on the last Friday of the month, whenever it is dark enough. They are open to everyone, with no booking and no fixed schedule — you arrive when you wish and leave when you are tired. Because they depend on darkness, they are usually not held in May, June or July. Donations are welcome but not required.

What happens on the night

The observatory sits at the corner of the recreation ground in Great Ellingham, Norfolk, and is a designated Dark Sky Discovery Site. It houses a computer-controlled 20-inch reflecting telescope, which is the main draw for visitors.

The format is deliberately unstructured. The society describes it as a chance to "come and relax under the night sky – no schedule." Events are planned to run for a few hours, but you are not expected to stay for the whole time — you can come and go as you please.

When they run

Because the sessions depend on darkness and, in practice, on sky conditions, it is worth checking the society's online calendar or app before travelling. The society promotes both as ways to keep up with upcoming events.

Where to go

Public Observing Nights take place at:

Breckland Astronomical Observatory 5 Watton Rd, Great Ellingham Attleborough NR17 1HZ, UK

The site is at the corner of the recreation ground, next to the Great Ellingham Recreation Centre, which is also where the society's monthly meetings are held.

Who it suits

The society describes itself as a friendly group that enjoys exploring the night sky together, and welcomes people whether they are completely new to astronomy or have years of experience. That makes the observing nights a low-commitment option if you are curious but not ready to join a club — there is no membership requirement and no need to book.

If you want a more structured evening with a speaker, the society's Monthly Meetings are a separate event: second Friday of each month at Great Ellingham Recreation Centre, doors at 7:15 pm, sessions starting at 7:30 pm, with a £3.00 entrance fee that is free for under-18s. Unlike the observing nights, those are held indoors and run to a programme.

Practical points to check before you go

• Confirm the date. The "last Friday, when dark enough" rule means some months are skipped, so verify against the society's online calendar or app rather than assuming.
• Dress for standing around outdoors. These are night-time sessions at an open observatory site, not a heated indoor venue.
• Expect a casual setup. With no schedule, what you see depends on who is there and what the sky is doing that night.
• Bring a donation if you can. Entry is free, but the society states donations are welcomed.

Breckland Astronomical Society has its own observatory at the corner of the recreation ground in Great Ellingham, Norfolk, and that observatory is equipped with a computer-controlled 20-inch reflecting telescope. The site is also a designated Dark Sky Discovery Site. If you want to look through that telescope rather than just read about it, the practical route is a Public Observing Night, held at the observatory on the last Friday of the month when it is dark enough.

The observatory and its telescope

• Location: the corner of the recreation ground in Great Ellingham. The society gives the observatory address as 5 Watton Rd, Great Ellingham, Attleborough NR17 1HZ, UK.
• Telescope: a computer-controlled 20-inch reflecting telescope. The "computer-controlled" part means the mount can be driven to point at and track objects, which is what makes a large instrument like this practical to use with visitors.
• Site status: a designated Dark Sky Discovery Site. This is a recognised dark-sky location, which matters because a 20-inch telescope only shows its full potential where light pollution is low.

A 20-inch reflector is a large amateur instrument — the aperture is what gathers light, so it performs well on faint objects such as galaxies, nebulae and globular clusters, and can show fine detail on the Moon and planets when the seeing is good.

How to actually use it

The observatory is not described as open for drop-in use at any time. The public route in is a Public Observing Night:

• Held at the observatory on the last Friday of the month, when it is dark enough.
• Usually excludes May, June and July, because the nights are not dark enough at that time of year.
• Free to all, though donations are welcomed.
• No schedule — arrive when you wish and leave when you are tired, even though the event is planned to run for a few hours.

The society's next listed Public Observing Night was Friday 25 September, 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm, at the observatory address above.

If you want to visit

1. Check the society's online calendar or app for the next Public Observing Night, since dates depend on darkness and are not held in midsummer.
2. Go to the observatory at 5 Watton Rd, Great Ellingham, Attleborough NR17 1HZ — it sits at the corner of the recreation ground.
3. Arrive and leave whenever suits you; there is no booking and no fixed programme.
4. Bring warm clothing. Observing sessions run late into the evening and you will be standing around in the dark.

If the weather or the season rules out observing, the society's monthly meetings are the alternative: held on the second Friday of every month at Great Ellingham Recreation Centre, doors 7:15 pm for a 7:30 pm start, open to members and non-members with no need to book. There is a £3.00 entrance fee, free for under-18s. These are indoor sessions, usually with a speaker, so they do not give you access to the telescope.

Breckland Astronomical Society (brecklandastro.org.uk) publishes its upcoming events, monthly meeting details, public observing nights, newsletter and image gallery on its own website. The site also links to an app and online calendar for event reminders, plus a local weather forecast for judging observing conditions. Everything below comes from the society's own pages; check the site directly before travelling, since dates and speakers can change.

Upcoming events: where the dates live

The homepage carries a Next Events section listing the nearest fixtures with date, time, venue and a short description. Each entry links through to the relevant part of the meetings page — for example, public observing nights link to /meetings/#public-obs and monthly meetings to /meetings/#monthly.

Two examples taken from the site at the time of writing:

The society also points members and visitors to an app and an online calendar so you don't miss upcoming events. The site offers an app install prompt for quick access to events and membership.

Monthly meetings: what to expect

• Who can attend: open to all — members and non-members, regardless of experience or knowledge.
• Booking: none needed; just turn up.
• When: the second Friday of every month.
• Where: Great Ellingham Recreation Centre.
• Timings: doors open 7:15 pm, sessions start 7:30 pm.
• Cost: £3.00 entrance fee, free for under-18s.
• Format: usually features a speaker. Some talks are delivered remotely — the Women In Astronomy Part 2 session had the speaker joining via Zoom while the audience met in the hall.

Public Observing Nights

These are free observing sessions at the society's observatory, held on the last Friday of the month when it is dark enough — which normally rules out May, June and July. There is no schedule: arrive when you wish and leave when you are tired, even though the event is planned to run for a few hours. Although free, donations are welcomed.

The observatory sits at the corner of the recreation ground and is a designated Dark Sky Discovery Site, equipped with a computer-controlled 20-inch reflecting telescope.

Newsletter, images and observing weather

• Newsletter: called Extra Terrestrial — the site's Newsletter section is the entry point.
• Pick of the Images: a gallery of member images, with a "See more" link to the wider collection.
• Local weather forecast: linked from the site so you can judge cloud cover and conditions before an observing night.

Quick answers

Do I need to be a member to come along? No — monthly meetings are open to members and non-members, and public observing nights are free to all.

Do I need to book? No booking is required for monthly meetings; public observing nights have no schedule and you come and go as you please.

How do I keep track of events? Use the Next Events section on the homepage, or the app and online calendar the society links to.

What if the weather is poor? Check the local weather forecast linked from the site before setting out for an observing night.

Breckland Astronomical Society is a friendly astronomy club based in Great Ellingham, Norfolk. It meets regularly at the Recreation Centre and runs its own observatory, equipped with a computer-controlled 20-inch reflecting telescope, at the corner of the recreation ground. The club is open to everyone, whether you are completely new to astronomy or have years of experience.

Where it is and what it has

• Base: Great Ellingham, Norfolk, with meetings at the Recreation Centre on Watton Rd.
• Observatory: Located at the corner of the recreation ground, on 5 Watton Rd, Great Ellingham, Attleborough NR17 1HZ.
• Equipment: A computer-controlled 20-inch reflecting telescope.
• Status: The observatory is a designated Dark Sky Discovery Site.

What the club runs

Monthly Meetings

Meetings are open to all — members and non-members, regardless of experience or knowledge. There is no need to book; you just turn up.

• When: The second Friday of every month.
• Where: Great Ellingham Recreation Centre.
• Timing: Doors open at 7:15 pm, sessions start at 7:30 pm.
• Cost: £3.00 entrance fee, free for under-18s.
• Format: Usually features a speaker. For example, a scheduled talk was "Women In Astronomy Part 2" with Mary McIntyre FRAS, held in the hall with the speaker joining via Zoom.

Public Observing Nights

Free public observing nights are held at the Observatory on the last Friday of the month, when it is dark enough. This usually excludes May, June and July.

• Cost: Free to all, though donations are welcomed.
• Format: No schedule — arrive when you wish and leave when you are tired. You are not expected to stay for the whole event.
• Example: A public observing night was scheduled for Friday 25 September, 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm.

Newsletter

The club publishes a newsletter called Extra Terrestrial.

Images

The site features a "Pick of the Images" section where you can see more of the club's astrophotography.

Staying up to date

The club advises checking its App or Online Calendar so you don't miss upcoming events. An app install is offered for quick access to events and membership.

Who it is for

If you are in or near Norfolk and want to explore the night sky — as a complete beginner or an experienced astronomer — the society offers a low-commitment way in: no booking for monthly meetings, a small entrance fee, and free public observing nights where you can come and go as you please.

Just turn up. Breckland Astronomical Society (BAS) holds its monthly meeting on the second Friday of every month at Great Ellingham Recreation Centre, Watton Rd, Great Ellingham, Attleborough NR17 1HZ. Doors open at 7:15 pm and the session starts at 7:30 pm. There is no booking, no membership requirement and no experience needed — you pay £3.00 on the door, and under-18s get in free.

What happens at a monthly meeting

The evening usually features a speaker. One example from the society's own events listing is "Women In Astronomy Part 2" with Mary McIntyre FRAS — in that case the speaker joined via Zoom while the audience gathered in the hall, so don't assume every talk is delivered in person.

The society describes the meetings as open to all, members and non-members alike, "regardless of experience and knowledge." That means you can sit through a talk on a specialist topic without any background in astronomy and still follow the evening.

Step by step

1. Check the date. Confirm the second Friday of the month you're planning to attend. The society also points people to its app and online calendar for upcoming events, which is worth a look if a date has shifted.
2. Arrive from 7:15 pm. The doors open then; the session proper begins at 7:30 pm. Arriving at opening time gives you a chance to settle in and talk to people before the talk starts.
3. Go to Great Ellingham Recreation Centre. The address is Watton Rd, Great Ellingham, Attleborough NR17 1HZ. The observatory sits at the corner of the recreation ground, but the monthly meeting itself is in the hall.
4. Pay £3.00 at the door. Free if you're under 18. No advance payment or sign-up is mentioned.
5. Stay for the talk. No need to book, just turn up and enjoy.

What to bring

Nothing is required. The meeting is a hall-based event with a speaker, not an observing session, so you don't need a telescope, binoculars or warm outdoor gear. If you're new and want to ask about the club, the informal time around the talk is the natural moment.

If you'd rather observe than listen

The society runs separate Public Observing Nights at its observatory on the last Friday of the month, when it's dark enough — usually excluding May, June and July. These are free to all, with donations welcomed, and there's no schedule: arrive when you wish, leave when you're tired. The observatory is a designated Dark Sky Discovery Site and is equipped with a computer-controlled 20-inch reflecting telescope. Unlike the monthly meeting, this one is outdoors at night, so dress for the weather.

Common snags

• Turning up on the wrong Friday. It's the second Friday, not the first or last. The last Friday is the observing night.
• Assuming you need to join first. You don't. Non-members are explicitly welcome at monthly meetings.
• Expecting a fixed end time. The society doesn't publish one for the meeting; the 7:15 pm doors and 7:30 pm start are the firm details.
• Confusing the two venues. Meetings are at the Recreation Centre; observing nights are at the observatory on the corner of the recreation ground.