New Horizons

Project Background

Development of the Observatory

Soon after the formation of our Society in 1978 we set ourselves a goal: to build and operate our own observatory. This was accomplished with the opening of the J.A. Jones Hoober Observatory in 1993. All building work was carried out by members of the Society over a period of more than 2 years. Members also worked to raise over £10,000 to buy materials.

The original observatory dome had been purchased second-hand in order to complete the observatory and keep costs manageable, within a few years it became obvious that the dome represented a weak point in the fabric of the building and was becoming difficult to use.

Research found very few “off the shelf” dome suppliers and none that could offer a dome of the size required. The solution was simple: the Society would design and construct its own dome. Very few funding sources were available for such a project, therefore the Society set about raising over £5,000 in order to purchase raw materials. With the exception of some specialist steel cutting and bending all work – a total of 4,500 hours - was carried out by members of the Society.

We have raised a further £2,000 to spend to motorise the observatory dome with the intention of making the building usable by all.

The new dome became operational in the winter of 1999 and the J.A. Jones Hoober observatory stands today as a testament to the hard work of the Society over many years.

Community Access Programme

As a society we have always worked to spread knowledge of astronomy and its associated sciences to the general public, indeed the objects the Society adopted when we became a registered educational charity in 1997 are: “the advancement of education for the public benefit in astronomy and its associated sciences”

Our Community Access Programme has been a vital tool in achieving this and raising the profile of Mexborough & Swinton Astronomical Society within the local community.

Typically our Community Access Programme consists of 12 nights during the winter when the observatory is open to the public. In addition several events, typically 8 to 10 per season, are added for groups such as Schools, Cubs, Scouts, Brownies, Boys and Girls Brigades, Wildlife Trusts and Rotary Clubs.

We recently introduced a summer programme to extend public access and maintain momentum; these additional events offer opportunities to observe the Sun in safety.

We are always eager to share the enjoyment and wonder of astronomy with visitors and events such as National Astronomy Week or a rare astronomical event are seized on as ways to engage the public. During the most recent National Astronomy Week in 2003 some 800 visitors came to the observatory to take part in Solar observing and see the planet Mars at its closest for nearly 60,000 years. The close approach of comet Hale-Bopp in 1997 attracted a similar number of visitors in one weekend.