The ANU has set a world record for the most people stargazing at one site.

The record was set at the ANU campus as part of the University's contribution to National Science Week.

The previous record stood at 640 people at a single site. But ANU set the new record with more than 1,800 people on site at the University, all looking at the heavens through telescopes and binoculars at the same time.

"We had a fantastic turnout to smash the old record," said organiser Dr Brad Tucker from the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics.

"The clouds over Canberra gave us a few headaches, but they parted long enough for us to see the stars and moon and set a new record."

Representatives from Guinness World Records declared the new record of 1,869 to cheers from the crowd at the ANU campus.