David Le Conte Astronomical Observatory

About

The Astronomy Section of the La Société Guernesiaise runs and maintains the David Le Conte Astronomical Observatory on the island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands - See Map . It is a division of the larger La Société Guernesiaise, a charitable organisation founded in 1882 to encourage the study of the history, natural history, geography and geology of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the conservation of the Bailiwick’s natural environment and the preservation of its historic buildings and monuments. In many respects, La Société Guernesiaise is similar to the UK Wildlife Trusts. However, its activities extend into many other areas, including history, archaeology and astronomy.

The Astronomy Section, founded in 1972, is an active group of about 60 members and welcomes anyone with an interest in astronomy, whether beginner or experienced. In addition, a small number of volunteers offer an outreach program for education, youth groups and adults in the winter months.

The Section is a member of the British Astronomical Association, and the Federation of Astronomical Societies.

Members have many interests including the planets and Solar System, galaxies, nebulae, cosmology, astrophotography and the history of astronomy. Many are relative beginners, ready to learn from others. If you have the slightest interest in astronomy then the Astronomy Section is for you!

Meetings & Member Activities

We meet biweekly at 7:30pm onwards throughout the year (excluding summer months), when typically, we may observe or have a talk on a wide variety of astronomical topics, all suitable for beginners.

Members receive a regular email Bulletin giving details of upcoming scheduled activities, plus we have a general information leaflet for all members to read.

We welcome visitors at our scheduled meetings - just turn up and join in for the evening.

Public Open Evenings

When the weather is favourable, we might open the observatory to the general public to view a selection of objects including Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the Moon and deep space objects such as stars, galaxies and nebulae. Typically, there is also an astronomy-related talk in the meeting room. We may also open during the day for solar observing.

We rely on donations to run the observatory and maintain the equipment therefore, welcome contributions and suggest £2 per adult and £1 per child.

Group Outreach

We offer outreach activities to groups including schools, youth groups and adults. The outreach is offered by our volunteer members. Please note that we do not offer outreach during British Summer Time as the hours of darkness are too limiting.

For details, please us the contact form here .

Other Activities

The Section is consulted from time to time on matters such as sundials , and was closely involved in the design of the Guernsey Liberation Monument . In August 1999 the Section was involved in the organisation of the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting (NAM99), which was held in Guernsey. The Section was also heavily involved in arrangements for observations of the total eclipse of the Sun in Alderney on 11 August 1999.

Section members are happy to advise on the acquisition of telescopes and binoculars for astronomical observing, and to advise on their use. If you have a telescope and would like help in learning how to use it then please come along on a scheduled Tuesday evening.

David Le Conte Observatory site and buildings

The facility contains a meeting/lecture room with a Sony projector, computer and fibre broadband. There is also a small kitchen area with tea/coffee/biscuits available and a comprehensive library.

Adjacent to this is a timber-framed roll-off roof building that houses a 16-inch Meade reflecting telescope and 5-inch Takahashi refractor on an LX200 equatorially configured mount which is connected to a computer. There is also a 55” wall mounted monitor that can be used for presentations.

There are a number of concrete pads set into the grassed area where members may use their own telescopes during biweekly meetings and may seek assistance from other members in there use.

For a detailed history of the Astronomy Section and its buildings please see the following Articles Page .

Mounts & Telescopes

  • Meade 16-inch research-grade SCT
  • 5-inch Takahashi refractor
  • Skywatcher Skyliner 300P SynScan Dobsonian
  • 6-inch Heliostat

Membership & How to Join

Membership of the Astronomy Section runs from January 1st for a year and costs £15.50. In addition, you must also be a member of La Société Guernesiaise, to join the LSG.

Members receive Bulletins throughout the year giving details of upcoming activities and an annual Sagittarius Newsletter with astronomical information for the coming year. Current and previous newsletters can be found on the Newsletter Page .