Astronomy Museum DIY book nook kit – build and lighting video 1

Astronomy Museum book nook kit, built: front view (photo on a white background)

Astronomy Museum DIY book nook kit, observatory study – star-chart cover and lit observatory interior

Astronomy Museum DIY book nook kit, observatory study – lit interior on a white background

Astronomy Museum DIY book nook kit, observatory study – angled view on a white background

Astronomy Museum DIY book nook kit, observatory study – decorated outer cover, on a white background

Astronomy Museum DIY book nook kit, observatory study – front view on a white background

Astronomy Museum DIY book nook kit, observatory study – side view on a white background

Astronomy Museum DIY book nook kit, observatory study – two views side by side on a white background

Pre-order

Astronomy Museum

Name: Astronomy Museum
SKU: BV02-005
Price: 39.89 GBP
Availability: PreOrder

£39.89

Available to pre-order · dispatches early November 2026

Free UK delivery from £25

60-day returns

Parts replaced free

+39 Chapter Points with this world · join free for 100 pts

In brief

The room where the sky is measured

A small observatory of brass, charts and starlight for your shelf.

204 pieces
4–5 hours to build
Intermediate
LED lights, touch switch
11 × 18.5 × 23 cm

Specifications

Will it fit? Drawn to scale

Needs a 11 cm gap between books, 23 cm of height and a shelf at least 18.5 cm deep.

Astronomy Museum
Paperbacks, 19.8 cm
Hardbacks, 23.4 cm

Check your shelf: the gap is cm tall

Type: Book nook kit: a lit miniature scene made for a bookshelf
Pieces: 204
Difficulty: Intermediate
Build time: About 4–5 hours
Finished size , width by depth by height: 11 × 18.5 × 23 cm
Box size: 30 × 19 × 4 cm
Boxed weight: 0.82 kg
Materials: 2.5 mm laser-cut MDF, colour-printed card
Lighting: Warm-white LED, touch switch
Batteries: Batteries not included
Contains small parts; not suitable for under-3s.
Glue: Not included: bring your own craft glue
Tools in the box: Frosted sanding rod
Recommended age: 14+

Measurements are for the finished model and may vary by a few millimetres. Questions about a kit? Ask us before you buy.

What's in the box

Pre-cut 2.5 mm MDF sheets: covers, floors, arch and fretwork screens
Balcony rail, spindles and wood-effect staircase parts
Parts for the telescope, tripod and armillary sphere rings
Printed star charts, zodiac tiles, manuscripts and planetary dials
Miniature chest, tables, shelving and workroom props
Warm-white LED light set with battery box and inline switch
Illustrated manual (English and Chinese)

Not in the box: batteries and craft glue. Details are in Specifications above.

Delivery

Royal Mail Tracked 24 from our UK warehouse: free on orders of £25 or more, £2.99 under £25. Order an in-stock kit before 3pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), and it leaves the same day; Royal Mail Tracked 24 aims to deliver the next day, Monday to Saturday (not guaranteed). Europe: standard tracked delivery in 3–7 working days from £6.95 (free on orders of £100 or more), express courier from £16.95; in Ireland and the EU, prices shown in your currency include VAT and import duty, with nothing extra to pay on delivery. Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man pay UK prices. Pre-orders are dispatched when the stock arrives; the expected month is shown above.

Returns & parts

60 days to change your mind on any unopened kit: sealed bags, everything in the box, return postage on you. Parts replaced free: if a piece is missing, faulty or damaged in delivery, or breaks while you build, we send a replacement free, postage included, with nothing to send back.

Request a part · Returns in full

Astronomy Museum

£39.89

The room where the sky is measured

A small observatory of brass, charts and starlight for your shelf

Astronomy Museum

Why you'll love it

The Lit Interior

Instruments set, charts unrolled, and the whole small sky waiting to be measured

Behind slate-blue covers printed with a gold star dial, a two-level observatory glows amber. Below, a brass telescope on its tripod, an armillary sphere of turning rings, a chest of rolled charts and a slanted table of star maps. Upstairs, a reading lectern, a wall of zodiac tiles and a fretwork disc of moons and planets under the domed arch.

The 204 pieces take four to five hours, and most of the pleasure is in the small, metalwork-like parts. Laminate the fretwork arch, build the balcony rail spindle by spindle, then assemble the telescope and armillary rings so they sit true. Fit the LED strip behind the upper panels last: switched on, light rakes across the floorboards and every pierced screen throws its pattern.

For anyone who keeps a star chart on the wall and likes instruments more than furniture. A good gift for science-minded readers: a winter evening or two of quiet making, then a small sky on the shelf.

Parts

204

Build time

4–5 hours

Good to know

Astronomy Museum: questions, answered

How many pieces are in the Astronomy Museum kit?

204 pre-cut pieces, plus printed papers, miniature furniture and an LED light set, with step-by-step instructions in a full-colour manual.

How long does it take to build?

Most people finish it in 4–5 hours at an unhurried pace. We rate it intermediate: fine for a careful first-timer with steady hands.

How big is it when finished?

About 11 × 18.5 × 23 cm (width × depth × height). It stands upright between the books on a shelf, like a hardback.

Does it light up, and are batteries included?

Yes: Warm-white LED, touch switch. Batteries aren't included, so have some ready for the moment you finish.

What else do I need to build it?

Batteries for the LED light, which aren't in the box. You'll also need craft glue, which isn't in the box. In the box: frosted sanding rod, and the illustrated manual. A craft knife or fine sandpaper helps tidy edges.

Who is it suitable for?

An adult hobby kit, rated 14+ for small parts. It suits readers, miniature makers and anyone who wants a calm, screen-free project, or a gift that lasts longer than the evening it's opened.

How quickly will it arrive?

This kit is on pre-order. It's on its way to our UK warehouse, expected early November 2026, and we dispatch pre-orders as soon as the stock arrives. You pay when you order; if the date moves we'll email you, and you can cancel for a full refund any time before it ships. In-stock kits ordered before 3pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), leave the same day by Royal Mail Tracked 24, which aims to deliver the next day, Monday to Saturday (not guaranteed). Delivery is free from £25 and £2.99 under £25. We also deliver to Ireland and the EU: standard tracked delivery in 3–5 working days from £6.95 (free on orders of £100 or more), with VAT and import duty included in the price.

What if a piece is missing or breaks?

Message us and we'll send a replacement free, postage included, with nothing to send back. That covers parts that are missing, faulty or damaged in delivery, and pieces that break while you build. Unopened kits can be returned within 60 days.

Still wondering? Ask us. Our team usually replies within 4–8 hours.