Open University Observatory Support Group
Open University Observatory Support Group
The astronomy club no longer exists for monthly meetings, however keen members have formed the Observatory Support Group in order to continue to use the telescope and allow outside interested parties to observe.
For more information and how to book email sheridan@ouastro.co.uk
The Open University Astronomy Club Observatory visits involve:
The George Abell Observatory housing the Alan Cooper telescope
90 minutes is recommended starting soon after sunset from October to March
The George Abell Observatory houses the Alan Cooper telescope.
The Observatory dome houses a 12” Celestron telescope. This has an aperture of 305mm and is f10, meaning it has a focal length of 3,048mm. Magnifications of up to 400x are possible. The basic tour, suitable for age 9 years and over, will consist of 3 tours of 30 minutes. Groups will be divided into 3 sub-groups each visiting 3 areas in rotation.
Area 1: The Observatory dome - Weather permitting you will observe celestial objects through the telescope’s eyepiece. We will try and suggest dates when interesting objects will be visible such as the Moon, planets and star clusters. The telescope’s workings will be explained and also how to capture images using a standard DSLR camera.
Area 2: The Observatory base - The base contains other types of telescope, tripods and mounts. We will show a solar scope, the difference between equatorial and altazimuth mounts, types of eyepieces and filters. We will show Stellarium (a free “planetarium” software package) to show what can be observed and when. If the weather permits we will observe outside.
Area 3: Meteorites and spacecraft We will visit the Robert Hooke building which house models of spacecraft and a very large meteorite which you are encouraged to touch! You will also be able to handle smaller meteorites and marvel that they have been travelling through space for billions of years before ‘bumping’ into the Earth.
Note:
The temperature inside the observatory is the same as outside to appropriate clothing is essential.
Visits are free to charitable groups and organisations such as the scouts, brownies etc. Other visits may be charged according to the number of guides needed and visitor numbers.