Hoober Observatory
Encyclopedia
J A Jones Hoober Observatory is a privately owned observatory
located in South Yorkshire
, England
near to the villages of Hoober and Wentworth
, 4 miles (6.4 km) North-northwest of Rotherham
. It can be found about 300 metre (0.186411820994942 mi) east of Hoober Stand
. The observatory owned and operated by Mexborough & Swinton Astronomical Society
.
reflector on a fork mount, this was dedicated to long standing member Ray Jackson and his wife Ina. The telescope was built by Peter Drew of the Amateur Astronomy Centre, Todmorden
. It was based around a 18 inch f/4.5 parabolic mirror ground by John Owen. Whilst in use the Rayna telescope was the largest telescope open to the public in South Yorkshire.
The observatory currently contains a Takahashi
TOA-130F 130 millimetres (5.1 in) f/7.6 apochromatic refractor and a Celestron
C14-AF XLT 14 inches (355.6 mm) f/11 Schmidt-Cassegrain
telescope on a Software Bisque
Paramount goto mount.
Other telescopes include a 60 millimetres (2.4 in) Coronado SolarMax H-alpha
telescope on a Vixen
GPDX German Equatorial mount with a SkySensor 2000 goto system for Solar Observing.
The society is currently fundraising for a larger telescope to replace the Rayna telescope, the target instrument is a 16 inches (406.4 mm) Truss
f/8.4 Ritchey-Chrétien by RC Optical Systems
s or lunar eclipse
s.
Details are available at the societies website, http://www.msas.org.uk.
The observatory, located off Lea Brook Lane in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, is thirty minutes' drive from central Rotherham
, is one hours' drive from central Barnsley
and one hours' drive from central Doncaster
.
and Swinton
, naked eye limiting magnitudes
are rarely below magnitude 4.
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
located in South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
near to the villages of Hoober and Wentworth
Wentworth, South Yorkshire
Wentworth is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 1,223.- History :...
, 4 miles (6.4 km) North-northwest of Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
. It can be found about 300 metre (0.186411820994942 mi) east of Hoober Stand
Hoober Stand
Hoober Stand is a high building situated on a ridge in Wentworth, South Yorkshire in northern England. It was designed by Henry Flitcroft for the Whig aristocrat Thomas Watson-Wentworth, Earl of Malton to commemorate the quashing of the 1745 Jacobite rebellion, and lies close to his country...
. The observatory owned and operated by Mexborough & Swinton Astronomical Society
Mexborough & Swinton Astronomical Society
Mexborough & Swinton Astronomical Society is a society and charity based in Swinton, South Yorkshire, England. Founded on 21 May 1978 as "The Night Sky Astronomy Club" it amalgamated with "The Mexborough Astronomy Club" in late 1978 and became the "Mexborough & Swinton Astronomical Society".It...
.
Architecture and design
The observatory consists of a 5 metres (16.4 ft) square building topped by a 5 metre diameter dome. The observatory was built by the members between 1991 and 1993. Originally the dome was only 4 metres (13.1 ft) in diameter. In 1999 a major refurbishment of the observatory was completed including a new 5 metre diameter dome, which was designed & built by the members over the preceding 3–4 years.Telescopes
The observatory originally contained the Rayna Telescope, an 18 inches (457.2 mm) newtonianNewtonian telescope
The Newtonian telescope is a type of reflecting telescope invented by the British scientist Sir Isaac Newton , using a concave primary mirror and a flat diagonal secondary mirror. Newton’s first reflecting telescope was completed in 1668 and is the earliest known functional reflecting telescope...
reflector on a fork mount, this was dedicated to long standing member Ray Jackson and his wife Ina. The telescope was built by Peter Drew of the Amateur Astronomy Centre, Todmorden
Todmorden
Todmorden is a market town and civil parish, located 17 miles from Manchester, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the Upper Calder Valley and has a total population of 14,941....
. It was based around a 18 inch f/4.5 parabolic mirror ground by John Owen. Whilst in use the Rayna telescope was the largest telescope open to the public in South Yorkshire.
The observatory currently contains a Takahashi
Takahashi Seisakusho
Takahashi Seisakusho is a Japanese manufacturer of telescopes and related equipment, such as eyepieces and mounts.Often known simply as 'Tak', the brand is especially noted amongst amateur astronomers for its range of apochromatic refractors, but also produces various types of reflectors, and...
TOA-130F 130 millimetres (5.1 in) f/7.6 apochromatic refractor and a Celestron
Celestron
Celestron is a company that manufactures and imports telescopes, binoculars, spotting scopes, microscopes, and accessories for their products.-Origins and History:...
C14-AF XLT 14 inches (355.6 mm) f/11 Schmidt-Cassegrain
Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope
The Schmidt–Cassegrain is a catadioptric telescope that combines a cassegrain reflector's optical path with a Schmidt corrector plate to make a compact astronomical instrument that uses simple spherical surfaces.-Invention and design:...
telescope on a Software Bisque
Software Bisque
Software Bisque, Inc. is an American company that develops software used in astronomy. It was founded in 1984 by current president and CEO, Stephen Bisque....
Paramount goto mount.
Other telescopes include a 60 millimetres (2.4 in) Coronado SolarMax H-alpha
H-alpha
H-alpha is a specific red visible spectral line created by hydrogen with a wavelength of 656.28 nm, which occurs when a hydrogen electron falls from its third to second lowest energy level...
telescope on a Vixen
Vixen (telescopes)
Vixen is a Japanese company that makes telescopes, binoculars, spotting scopes and accessories for their products.Among many other more mainstream products they have created two unusual varieties of catadioptric telescopes with an open tube design instead of the full-aperture corrector plate of the...
GPDX German Equatorial mount with a SkySensor 2000 goto system for Solar Observing.
The society is currently fundraising for a larger telescope to replace the Rayna telescope, the target instrument is a 16 inches (406.4 mm) Truss
Truss
In architecture and structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight members whose ends are connected at joints referred to as nodes. External forces and reactions to those forces are considered to act only at the nodes and result in...
f/8.4 Ritchey-Chrétien by RC Optical Systems
RC Optical Systems
RC Optical Systems is a high-end American telescope and optics manufacturer that specializes in Ritchey-Chrétien telescopes with hyperbolic mirrors. RC also makes related mounts and systems for the telescopes, with a focus on open and closed carbon fiber trusses for low expansion...
Public access
The society opens the observatory to the public for evening viewing sessions during the winter months, for Solar observing on Sunday afternoons during the summer and for astronomical events e.g. meteor showerMeteor shower
A meteor shower is a celestial event in which a number of meteors are observed to radiate from one point in the night sky. These meteors are caused by streams of cosmic debris called meteoroids entering Earth's atmosphere at extremely high speeds on parallel trajectories. Most meteors are smaller...
s or lunar eclipse
Lunar eclipse
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes behind the Earth so that the Earth blocks the Sun's rays from striking the Moon. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned exactly, or very closely so, with the Earth in the middle. Hence, a lunar eclipse can only occur the night of a...
s.
Details are available at the societies website, http://www.msas.org.uk.
The observatory, located off Lea Brook Lane in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, is thirty minutes' drive from central Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
, is one hours' drive from central Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
and one hours' drive from central Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
.
Hoober Observatory and light pollution
Whilst the observatory is located in an area of countryside with relatively dark skies compared to MexboroughMexborough
Mexborough is a town in the metropolitan borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England, situated on the north bank of the River Don west of its confluence with the River Dearne...
and Swinton
Swinton, South Yorkshire
Swinton is a suburban town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, in South Yorkshire, England on part of the west bank of the River Don...
, naked eye limiting magnitudes
Apparent magnitude
The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere...
are rarely below magnitude 4.