NARIT to open stargazing festival at 5 sites on October 31

The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) will launch its 2026–2027 stargazing festival at five venues on Saturday (October 31, 2026), opening a season of meteor watching, lunar observations and public astronomy activities.

The “Starry Halloween x Alien Night” opening event will run from 6pm to 10pm at Princess Sirindhorn AstroPark in Mae Rim district, Chiang Mai, and NARIT’s Regional Observatories for the Public in Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Chachoengsao and Songkhla. Visitors are invited to dress as ghosts or aliens, observe stars and other celestial objects through telescopes and enjoy music.

NARIT organises the annual festival during Thailand’s cool season, which it describes as particularly suitable for stargazing, especially in the North. The programme combines regular public viewing sessions with special events in Chiang Mai, Bangkok and the four regional observatories.

Meteor viewing and city stargazing feature in NARIT programme

NARIT’s seasonal calendar includes telescope events in Chiang Mai and Bangkok, Geminid meteor viewing, Christmas activities, Children’s Day celebrations and observations of the Moon and planets.

• Starry Night over Chiang Mai, Saturday, November 21, 2026, 5pm–10pm: NARIT will bring a collection of telescopes to the Chiang Mai Provincial Administrative Organisation’s park, allowing visitors to observe Saturn and other celestial objects. Astronomy activities selected specifically for the event will accompany the viewing sessions.

• Geminid meteor viewing, December 13–14, 2026, from 8pm: NARIT’s festival programme schedules observations from the evening of December 13 into the following morning in Chiang Dao district, Chiang Mai, and at its four regional observatories. The Chiang Dao event will centre on switching off lights and opening the sky for a meteor hunt, alongside observations of other celestial objects. The announcement gives an approximate maximum rate of 150 meteors an hour and anticipates no interference from moonlight. NARIT will announce detailed locations and participation arrangements on its Facebook page.
• Super Full Moon & Merry Christmas 2026, December 24–26, 6pm–10pm: Three evenings of astronomy exhibitions, special nighttime planetarium shows and telescope viewing will take place at Princess Sirindhorn AstroPark and NARIT’s four regional observatories. The December 24 highlight will be the closest full Moon to Earth of 2026, according to NARIT.
• NARIT AstroFest 2027, Saturday, January 9, 2027, 9am–10pm: Princess Sirindhorn AstroPark will hold its annual National Children’s Day open house, with activities also taking place at the four regional observatories. From 6pm, NARIT Public Night will combine telescope observations with music.
• Starry Night over Bangkok 2027, Saturday, January 16, 2027, 5pm–10pm: The public astronomy event will return to central Bangkok with a range of telescopes and astronomy learning zones for visitors of all ages. NARIT will announce further details through its official channels.
• Super Full Moon, Friday, January 22, 2027, 6pm–10pm: NARIT’s programme identifies January 22 as the date of 2027’s closest full Moon. Telescope observations of the Moon and other celestial objects are planned at Princess Sirindhorn AstroPark and the four regional observatories.
• Jupiter and Mars observations, February 2027, 6pm–10pm: NARIT will organise telescope sessions for Jupiter on Wednesday, February 10, and Mars on Saturday, February 20, dates identified in its programme as the planets’ closest approaches to Earth that year. Both events will take place at Princess Sirindhorn AstroPark and the four regional observatories.

Thai National Observatory bookings open on October 31

Registration will open on October 31, 2026, for two Thai National Observatory (TNO) Open House 2027 visits on January 30 and February 6, 2027. Both sessions will be available for booking through NARIT’s Facebook page during a live broadcast beginning at 7.30pm.

The open-house visits will take place at the observatory on Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai. Each session is limited to 120 participants, with a registration fee of 300 baht per person.

Visitors to the Thai National Observatory will learn about its 2.4-metre telescope, which NARIT describes as the largest and most advanced of its kind in Southeast Asia. Participants will also be able to observe planets through a 1-metre telescope.

Free Saturday sessions continue in Chiang Mai until May 2027

NARIT Public Night will offer free stargazing at Princess Sirindhorn AstroPark every Saturday from 6pm to 10pm, beginning on October 31, 2026, and continuing until May 2027. The sessions include observations through a 0.7-metre telescope and other telescopes, alongside an introduction to basic stargazing.

NARIT’s regional observatories in Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Chachoengsao and Songkhla will continue their normal public services, with special astronomy events added throughout the festival season.

Visitors attending NARIT Public Night and other special activities can collect points online through the “NARIT Point” programme. The points can be exchanged for limited-edition souvenirs, with the items available varying between redemption locations.

NARIT will provide further event and participation details through its official Facebook page and other public information channels. Festival enquiries can be directed to the following venues:

• Princess Sirindhorn AstroPark, Chiang Mai: 084-088-2261. Saturday stargazing runs from October 31, 2026, until May 2027.
• Regional Observatory for the Public, Nakhon Ratchasima: 086-429-1489.
• Regional Observatory for the Public, Khon Kaen: 063-892-1854.
• Regional Observatory for the Public, Chachoengsao: 084-088-2264.
• Regional Observatory for the Public, Songkhla: 095-145-0411.