Astronomy Centre facts for kids

The Astronomy Centre, also known as the Amateur Astronomy Centre, is a special place in northern England where people can look at the stars and planets. It's like a big observatory run by experienced amateur astronomers. They open it to the public at certain times so everyone can learn about space!

About the Astronomy Centre

The Astronomy Centre was started in November 1982 by Peter Drew, Linda Simonian, and Rob Miller. They built it on the site of an old factory, high up in the Pennines mountains. Their goal was to give people, including students, community groups, and anyone interested, a chance to observe and photograph amazing things in space. They wanted to make it easier for amateur astronomers in the UK to access equipment and expert help.

Today, the Centre still welcomes visitors. Its members also visit schools and youth groups to share their knowledge. They even contribute to news and media, helping more people learn about astronomy.

Buildings and Telescopes

The very first building at the Centre was made to protect a large telescope. Over time, they built more structures, and by 2015, they had 14 different places to set up telescopes!

The main building is a round tower, about 29 feet (9 meters) tall, with three levels. On top, there's a cool aluminum dome with two sliding doors. Members of the Centre built this impressive tower, finishing it in April 2000.

What Telescopes Can You See?

The biggest telescope they use regularly is a 30-inch (760 mm) telescope. It's called a Newtonian telescope and is designed to be very powerful. They even have a much larger 42.6-inch (1080 mm) mirror ready for a future, even bigger telescope!

Besides the huge 30-inch telescope, they have other permanently set up telescopes, including 20-inch, 17-inch, 16-inch, 12-inch, and 8-inch ones. If lots of visitors come on a clear night, they can quickly set up smaller, portable telescopes too.

Many of these amazing telescopes were built by Peter Drew, one of the Centre's founders. He has also made equipment for other observatories and individuals. He even built several cameras obscura, which are like giant pinhole cameras, including one on the main Observatory building.

Visiting the Centre

You can visit the Astronomy Centre on their weekly open nights. They also have special events, or you can arrange a visit if you're part of a group. When you visit, you can learn about basic visual astronomy. But you can also explore more advanced topics! Volunteers with lots of experience can guide you through safe solar astronomy (looking at the Sun), infra-red astronomy (seeing heat from space), and radio astronomy (listening to signals from space). It's a great place to discover the wonders of the universe!