National Maritime Museum: Astronomers Take Over Tickets

Explore the National Maritime Museum’s Astronomers Take Over experience with interactive zones, hands-on activities, and real astronomers on site.

Getting started

Enter the National Maritime Museum and head downstairs to the Astronomers Take Over multi-zone experience. Show your ticket at the entrance to access all interactive zones and demonstrations. Staff will be available throughout to answer questions and guide you to each area.

What to expect

Astronomers Take Over

Step into a multi-zone space adventure at the National Maritime Museum featuring hands-on cosmic activities and interactive science demonstrations. You can chat directly with real astronomers, try your hand at landing a Mars rover, step inside an immersive Galaxy Box, and embark on a playful cosmic scavenger hunt.

Features:

• Begin your visit in the Astronomers’ lounge, where you can meet and interact with real astronomers from the Royal Observatory’s team. Sit down for informal chats about current space news and discover what inspired these experts to pursue astronomy. Take the opportunity to ask questions and hear personal stories from the astronomy team.

• Step into the Mars zone to learn how space missions are managed from Earth, sometimes even from a kitchen in Lewisham. Try your hand at landing a Mars rover by aiming a lander at a simulated Martian crater. Explore the teamwork behind Mars exploration with insights from Professor Sanjeev Gupta’s research group.

• In the Moon room, take on the role of Earth or the Moon and discover how these two bodies move through space together. Participate in interactive demonstrations led by museum explainers. Experience hands-on activities that illustrate the dynamic relationship between Earth and its satellite.

• Join astrophotographer J-P Metsävainio and Sir Brian May (via exhibit) to see how technology has transformed our view of the universe. Walk through the immersive galaxy box for a unique visual experience—ideal for photos. Learn about advances in astronomical imaging and how they reveal new cosmic details.

• Meet the Head of Astronomy, Liz Avery, and her team to discuss what it means to be made of stardust. Use a starlight splitter (spectroscope) to examine the composition of stars up close. Take part in demonstrations that reveal the science behind starlight.

• Explore 350 years of astronomical discovery connected to the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Hear stories about the people who shaped the observatory’s history from Dr Louise Devoy. Consider how today’s visitors might become the next generation of astronomers.

• Embark on a cosmic scavenger hunt to find quirky items astronauts have taken into space, such as a gorilla suit, Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber, and an espresso machine. Search for these and other unusual objects hidden throughout the experience. Enjoy a playful challenge suitable for all ages.