Next Autumn Sky Camp Monday 5th October - Monday 12th October 2026
Loughton Astronomical Society

Kelling Heath Gallery LAS Web site Other Sky Camps

Next Autumn Sky Camp
Monday 5th October - Monday 12th October 2026
Loughton Astronomical Society

Kelling Heath Gallery LAS Web site Other Sky camps

The LAS Autumn Equinox Sky Camp is the largest star party in the UK, where hundreds of amateur astronomers meet up for a week of dark sky observing at Kelling Heath Holiday Park on the North Norfolk coast.
All three touring fields are devoted exclusively to astronomers, with a strict 'no lights' policy enforced for the whole week.
The main event day is the Saturday, with vendor trade stands, a series of talks in the afternoon and a raffle.
There is no charge for day visitors, but anyone wishing to stay for the evening is warned that car movements cannot take place on the observing fields after dark, please park away e.g. the main car park near the Village Square.

When booking, for the week or weekend, tell Kelling Heath you are attending Sky Camp to get the special reduced rate for a camping pitch for observing.
Kelling Heath and private individuals also have lodges and mobile homes for hire. These are located a little way from the observing field and are suitable for groups.
There are also local companies who can arrange to put a hire caravan on a pre-booked pitch.

For those who wish to extend their booking outside the Sky Camp week, the strict no-lights rule is only enforced for the duration of Sky Camp.

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Autumn Equinox Sky Camp 2026
Monday 5th October - Monday 12th October

Please make bookings for pitch and accommodation (if not camping) directly with Kelling Heath (link above).
Please refer to etiquette and Q&A's below before making a booking.

Traders:- Please contact Alan Marriott
phone: 07811 236288
email: alangmarriott@googlemail.com
Compose email

Autumn Equinox Sky Camp future dates
2027: Mon 27th Sep - Mon 4th Oct
2028: Mon 16th Oct - Mon 23rd Oct

Main event day Saturday 10th October

A number of traders will have special offers for products at their stands during the day. See individual stallholders for details.
There will be a full programme of informative lectures during the afternoon held in The Hive (accessed through the Terrace Restaurant), also a raffle.
Programme of talks:

13:00 Mike Culley FRAS
Unusual telescopes
14:00 Keith Venables FRAS
A new digital finder for visual observers
15:00 Richard Mays
Imaging nebulae

17:00 Raffle draw at the bandstand

LAS members will be available at the bandstand all day for information, advice and the sale of lecture and raffle tickets.

Traders confirmed (so far) for 2026

Altair Astro
Widescreen Centre
First Light Optics
Baader Planetarium
W&W Astro & Dew Control
Webb Society
Pulsar Observatories

We would like to thank our traders for their donations of raffle prizes.

Sky Camp Etiquette
Cars
No car movements on the touring fields after dark.
Lights
No car interior or boot lights on after sunset (remove fuse or cover with opaque tape).
Only RED torches are to be used at night with light facing down. Many red LED headtorches are very bright and can destroy the night vision of other astronomers, be aware.
Shield computer screens and naked flames.
STRICTLY NO GREEN LASERS (these can potentially be dangerous).
Call "Lights in 3 seconds" if a bright light is unavoidable. Toilet block lights will be shielded during the week of Sky Camp.
Noise and music
Please avoid loud talking, noise, music and computer audio throughout the night until 10.00 a.m. the next morning. Please be considerate, astronomers are often glad of a lie-in the following morning.
Children and dogs
Children and dogs are very welcome at the event, but please keep them under control. Remember, the field is dark, there is valuable equipment and astronomers will have carefully aligned their telescopes.
Rubbish and Recycling
The site is rich in wildlife and a very pleasant place to stay, so please keep it that way. Please use the recycling bins located on the Park and dispose of rubbish, litter and dog mess appropriately.
Safety
This is a dark skies event so you are advised to take care at all times. It is the responsibility of everyone to act in a safe manner.
Norse Security are on Park OUT OF HOURS, 7pm to 7am. Should you experience any issues out of hours, including power cuts, please call 0300 373 0705 and state ‘Kelling Heath Holiday Park'.
Sky Camp Q&A
Who Organises the Autumn Sky Camp?
The Autumn Sky Camp is coordinated by the Loughton Astronomical Society together with Kelling Heath management for bringing like-minded astronomers together. Kelling Heath retain overall control of the whole site at all times, managing the camp site, the observing fields, taking bookings and providing all the camp site facilities.
Where do my camp site booking fees go?
You book your place on the camp site with Kelling Heath and pay your fees to Kelling Heath. They use the money to run their business providing camping facilities. Note: They do provide a special rate for pitches to astronomers attending Sky Camp, so be sure to tell Kelling Heath that you are booking for Sky Camp.
What do people say about Sky Camp?
Videos taken by visitors to Sky Camp and astronomy at Kelling Heath.
Martin Lewis: All Sky Monochrome Time-Lapse 5th October 2024
Mark Radice: Refreshing Views
North Norfolk's dark skies from Kelling Heath
I read that there is a restriction on all male or female groups?
The normal restrictions on all male or female groups are relaxed for those attending Sky Camp.
Where should I book my pitch?
The Red touring field is the farthest from the main site and tends to book up first. The pitches towards the northern end are considered the best. A few of the pitches at the southern end are below trees and not good for observing. The Yellow and Blue touring fields are also used for observing and are also covered by the no-lights rules but are closer to some of the other facilities.

There are public rights of way bordering the site. Non astronomers may not be aware of the need for dark adaption. Please be considerate to members of the public walking past.

Thank you. We hope you enjoy your time at the Equinox Sky Camp.