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Astronomy

From the Stone Age to the Space Age, people have watched and studied the stars. The sky has been our clock, our compass and a source of wonder. We have created a huge variety of instruments to help us study the skies and make sense of what we see

The Science Museum’s astronomy collections span from the 10th century to the present day and contain a wide range of observation and demonstration equipment.

Alongside the works held in our Library and Archives, they form one of the world’s best collections for studying the history of astronomy. The following highlights illustrate its range, and you can find much more by using our online search.