Join us at the Open Day on Ocotber 28!
On Sunday 28 October, the annual open day of the Old Observatory in Leiden takes place. During this day everyone can visit the Old Observatory for free and enjoy activities in this historic building.
The doors will open at 12:00 and close again at 17:00. During those hours you can follow a number of different activities. From children's workshops and planetarium shows to lectures and quizzes, for young and old there is something fun to do!
Lectures and a book presentation
In the Kaiserzaal of the Old Observatory, the largest hall of the building, lectures take place all day long. At 14:00 Emeritus Professor Jos van den Broek will present his new book 'Walking among the stars - Physics and astronomy in Leiden, then and now'. At 15:00 Peter Roelfsema, project leader at SRON, talks about the SPICA and Herschel space telescopes.
These lectures will be accompanied by two English sessions of Astronomy on Tap. These sessions consist of a short lecture followed by a quiz with an astronomical theme. During the quiz you can also win great prizes. At 13:00 Themiya Nanayakkara talks about how developments and research in astronomy also affect daily life. At 16:00 Roohi Dalal will talk about the expansion of the universe. How do we know that it expands and what consequences does that have for the universe?
Modern research
Last year the papers for the move of SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research to Leiden were signed. On the open day a number of models and animations of projects developed by SRON for modern research will be shown. There will also be a number of Leiden astronomers to answer questions. Visitors can drop by for a look or for a good conversation about astronomy.
Escape room, guided tours, planetarium and more
For the first time this year there will be an escape room during the open day. In groups of up to 6 people visitors can try to escape from the Observatory. The riddles and puzzles all have a scientific touch.
As in previous years it will be possible to follow guided tours through the building and past the historical telescopes during the open day. Visitors can also enjoy shows in the inflatable planetarium. The Light Lab will be present to demonstrate a number of physical effects that occur during astronomical research. For the children there is an arts and crafts room.
Keep an eye on the website and the Facebook page of the Old Observatory for the latest news!