Darker Zernike Day – Explore the effects of light pollution

In the afternoon of saturday 24 May 2025, Zenike Campus will host its first ever Darker Zernike Day, in collaboration with the Interreg North Sea project Darker Sky . The event will  bring awareness to the increasing light pollution in the Netherlands and to expand public engagement in astronomy.

Open to both children and adults, the Bernoulliborg building will open its doors from 14:00 to 18:00, to host six engaging activity stations.

Virtual Reality Experience

A new experience at Zernike, an Interactive virtual reality station, developed in Hamburg, will be open to all, giving a clearer picture of the influence of different artificial light in the dark. Try out the high-tech goggles and virtually experiment with all kinds of light in different worlds!

Astronomy at Zernike

Explore the world of astronomy with guided tours of the Blaauw Observatory, offered in both Dutch and English. Continue your journey in the mobile planetarium, with astronomy shows available in both languages as well. Be sure to discover the secrets of our closest star at the solar telescope station outside as well.

At the designated kids’ corner, children can get creative with astronomical arts and crafts.

Light pollution activities

Various talks will be given discussing increased light pollution in the Netherlands and its effect on both astronomy and the environment. Speakers include Astronomer Prof. Dr. Reynier Peletier from the Kapteyn Institute of Astronomy and civil engineer Piet Zijlstra of the Hanze Hogeschool, both part of the Darker Sky project.

Be a part of the change and help identify the dark and light areas of Zernike Campus with an interactive quiz during the visit!