Clear Skies, Schools and a Surprise Guest: Solar Viewing at the ROG - 16 May 2025

Clive, Mike, Tim R and I were in early, sunshine overhead – and the Coronado was quickly delivering a cracking view. Prominences, sunspots and filaments were all on display, showing off like there’s no tomorrow. It had the makings of a classic day… and it didn’t disappoint.

Shortly after we were set up, the first wave of school groups arrived – and what a brilliant bunch they were. We had visits from Halstow Primary (Westcombe Park), St John the Baptist (Lewisham), and Lansdowne School (Brixton), amongst others. The kids were not only well-behaved, but absolutely full of questions – some of which had us thinking on our feet! They loved getting a close-up look at our nearest star and hearing all about what they were seeing.

Clive at the telescope with one of our young visitors. Picture by Alec Knox.

In the afternoon, just as the schools faded away, we had a fresh surge of tourists and casual visitors, all just as enthusiastic and curious as the kids before them. The team didn’t let up – full credit to everyone for keeping the energy going right through until we wrapped up at 4pm.

Tim R and Sara chat to some visitors about the "Sunspotter". Picture by Alec Knox.

And as if the day wasn’t already a winner, we had a visit from Prof. Chris Lintott, who popped by during a break from filming The Sky at Night. Always a pleasure to see him – he chatted with the team, and was clearly impressed with what we were doing.

Chris Lintott chatting to Mike and Simon during his surprise visit to our event. Picture by Alec Knox.

A huge thank you to the full team on the day: Sara, John, Simon, Clive, Yvonne, Alec, Mike, Tim N and Tim R. We kicked off before 10.30am and went all the way through without missing a beat. The weather was glorious, the Sun played ball, the visitors were lovely, and the company was top-notch.

Part of our fantastic volunteer team for the day. Picture by Simon Hurst.

What a day.

Pictures from the event - by Alec Knox, Simon Hurst and Mike Meynell