Hotels near National Maritime Museum: Peter Harrison Planetarium

The £15 million Peter Harrison Planetarium opened in 2007, a beautiful cone-shaped addition to the Royal Observatory designed by architects Allies and Morrison. This 120-seat, state-of-the-art facility replaced the small and out of date planetarium in the dome of the South Building and is now the only place to see the stars in London. The bronze cone is precisely tilted at 51.5 degrees (the latitude of Greenwich) so that it points to the North Star, while the reflexive disc at right angles to this is then aligned with the celestial equator and the vertical north edge marks the zenith. If you're not sure what all this technical and astronomical planning means just take a look and you'll get a great view of the stars. Daily shows by real astronomers take you on a fantastic journey (on the hour between 1pm and 4pm weekdays, from 11am on weekends). Note: all shows are suitable for children of 7+ and there are special shows such as 'Stargazing for Beginner' where babies aged one year and over are welcome.