--- title: Home url: 'https://astronomy.org.gg/' markdown: 'https://astronomy.org.gg/index.md' date: '2026-09-04' --- ![Hero Image](https://astronomy.org.gg/user/media/Images/default_hero.jpg) La Société Guernesiaise # Astronomy Section We are the Astronomy Section of La Société Guernesiaise (LSG), 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. [ ![Our research grade 16-inch Meade telescope; and a 5-inch Takahashi refractor on a computer controlled mount inside our timber-framed building with a roll-off roof.](https://astronomy.org.gg/user/pages/01.home/02._home-text/07_meade_tak2022.jpg "16-inch Meade and 5-inch Takahashi") ](https://astronomy.org.gg/user/pages/01.home/02._home-text/07_meade_tak2022.jpg)Our research grade 16-inch Meade telescope; and a 5-inch Takahashi refractor on a computer controlled mount inside our timber-framed building with a roll-off roof. ## About the Astronomy Section We run and maintain the David Le Conte Astronomical Observatory. Founded in 1972, our section is an active group of approximately 60 members. We welcome everyone with an interest in the night sky, from absolute beginners to experienced astronomers. Our members' interests span the entire field of astronomy, including the Solar System, deep-sky objects like galaxies and nebulae, cosmology, astrophotography, and the history of astronomy. We are also proud members of the [British Astronomical Association](https://britastro.org/) and the [Federation of Astronomical Societies](https://fedastro.org.uk/fas/). For a list of Astronomy Section officers and other section roles, please see our [Officers page](https://astronomy.org.gg/officers). ### Membership We invite anyone with a passion for the stars to [join the astronomy section](https://societe.org.gg/wp/product/astronomy-membership/). - **Requirement:** To join the Astronomy Section, you must also be a [member](https://societe.org.gg/wp/product/membership-to-la-societe/) of our parent organisation, LSG. - **Annual Cost:** £15.00 subscription (runs for one calendar year starting January 1st). - **Benefits:** Members receive regular emails with details on upcoming activities, as well as the annual Sagittarius Newsletter, which contains astronomical data and insights for the year ahead. You can view current and previous editions on our [Newsletters page](https://astronomy.org.gg/more/newsletters). ### Meetings & Member Activities We meet weekly on Tuesdays at 8pm through most of the year. Meetings include talks by members or guest speakers; discussions, practical activities, and observational sessions when weather allows; all of which are beginner-friendly. - **Visitors:** We warmly welcome visitors to our scheduled meetings — simply turn up and join us for the evening! - **Expert Advice:** Our members are happy to advise on choosing or using telescopes and binoculars. If you have equipment you’d like help with, feel free to bring it along on a Tuesday evening. ### Public Open Evenings Occasionally, when the weather is clear, we may open the observatory to the public to view objects such as the Moon, the planets, and deep-space objects like nebulae and galaxies. These evenings often include a talk in our meeting room. We also occasionally hold daytime sessions for solar observing. Follow us on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/AstronomyGuernsey) for updates. To help us maintain our equipment and facilities, we welcome contributions and suggest a **donation** of £2 per adult and £1 per child. ### Group Visits We offer educational group visits for schools, youth groups, and adult organisations. These visits are hosted by our volunteers and provide a fantastic hands-on introduction to astronomy. **Please note:** Group visits are normally held during the winter months. We do not usually host visits during British Summer Time (BST) as the late sunset significantly limits viewing opportunities. However we welcome enquiries at any time of year, and will endeavour to offer a visit to benefit your group. For more details or to book, please see our [Group Visits page](https://astronomy.org.gg/contact-us/group-visits). ### Our Facilities The David Le Conte Astronomical Observatory is a modern facility equipped for both education and serious observation: - **Meeting Room:** A comfortable space with a projector, broadband, and a comprehensive library. - **Kitchen:** Tea, coffee, and biscuits are available during meetings. - **Main Observatory:** A timber-framed building with a roll-off roof housing a 16-inch research-grade Meade reflecting telescope and a 5-inch Takahashi refractor on a computer-controlled equatorial mount; and a 55-inch wall mounted monitor for presentations. - **Portable Telescopes:** A 12-inch f/5 Sky-Watcher 300P Dobsonian and an 8-inch Celestron SCT. - **Solar Observation:** We have a 6-inch Heliostat, an instrument that tracks the Sun and projects an image for safe group viewing; a Lunt LS60T H-alpha B1200 solar telescope on a Solar Quest tripod that automatically finds the Sun; and solar filters, including a Thousand Oaks film filter for the Meade and a Seymour Solar glass filter for the Takahashi. - **Observation Pads:** Concrete pads in the grassed area allow members to set up the portable telescopes or their own telescopes with easy access to assistance from the group. For a detailed history of the Astronomy Section and our buildings, please see our [Articles page](https://astronomy.org.gg/more/articles). [ ![David Le Conte](https://astronomy.org.gg/images/e/1/9/6/f/e196f4b267b3f9219d0fff528fc18a77ab8618ea-davidleconte600600.jpg "David Le Conte") ](https://astronomy.org.gg/images/9/8/4/9/a/9849a5c2231d4785757b54cb9687cdc6127ea59c-davidleconte600600.jpg) [ ![Sir Patrick Moore](https://astronomy.org.gg/images/f/9/0/3/2/f9032a9c27425295ea2ba31a06fdcff46866397a-01patrickmoore.jpg "Sir Patrick Moore") ](https://astronomy.org.gg/images/a/2/8/6/3/a286316be5f4cc42e08aa967a9b7f192c31ddc0c-01patrickmoore.jpg) [ ![16-inch Meade with Solar Filter](https://astronomy.org.gg/images/7/a/1/5/e/7a15e5def0f934cec7e42090e316aa039001361b-16-in-meade-solar-filter.webp "16-inch Meade with Solar Filter") ](https://astronomy.org.gg/images/1/0/e/9/7/10e97cefc5c97d7c59c920168bae326a168abf65-16-in-meade-solar-filter.webp) [ ![Celestron 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain](https://astronomy.org.gg/images/5/c/0/2/d/5c02dfb97a9ac445dc31ce14f9abbd391214002a-8in-celestron.webp "Celestron 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain") ](https://astronomy.org.gg/images/2/9/6/0/f/2960f8c6f8608fe2939fb52ac46dc03fbf82c482-8in-celestron.webp) [ ![12-inch Sky-Watcher Dobsonian](https://astronomy.org.gg/images/3/6/9/c/c/369cc7e9b1859ea78dd0da995107a65b5d017fb5-05swdobsonian.webp "12-inch Sky-Watcher Dobsonian") ](https://astronomy.org.gg/images/8/9/1/7/3/89173da07e774a39fd5e0f912385bb2782ab6e48-05swdobsonian.webp) [ ![Lunt H-alpha telescope](https://astronomy.org.gg/images/6/3/c/9/7/63c9709ec1a2039f8e1a459ec9583a566ae87d66-ha-solar-scope.webp "Lunt H-alpha telescope") ](https://astronomy.org.gg/images/f/3/2/c/f/f32cfe35ab8c2eb2dd73a0a83501156db9ab0452-ha-solar-scope.webp) [ ![6-inch Heliostat](https://astronomy.org.gg/images/d/7/c/3/8/d7c38d25147daa386f211c25c467c6f3b1bbe82c-heliostat.jpg "6-inch Heliostat") ](https://astronomy.org.gg/images/e/5/3/a/3/e53a3c7fe60004cd61d828f9d12b01d5295eeda4-heliostat.jpg) [ ![Observation Pads](https://astronomy.org.gg/images/b/f/9/e/7/bf9e7698a4e74a70159c5793ff1819a555ce5907-03site2020.webp "Observation Pads") ](https://astronomy.org.gg/images/f/4/4/f/5/f44f553c729dc19ecec10e09d9e5a56a812ff40d-03site2020.webp) Our Astronomical Observatory is named after David Le Conte (1940–2020). Read more about his life and achievements in [David's obituary](https://astronomy.org.gg/more/articles/SHA-Bulletin-34-Excerpt.pdf) which was published in the SHA Bulletin Winter 2020. Image credit, [Chris George](https://chrisgeorge.dphoto.com/). Sir Patrick Moore visited our observatory 10th March 2000 and took the opportunity to use our 16-inch Meade. A Thousand Oaks solar filter is fitted for safely observing the Sun. On a fully automated, altitude-azimuth GoTo mount. One of our portable telescopes. The 12-inch Sky-Watcher 300P has a hand controller for finding objects and is easy to use. Skywatcher SolarQuest mount and Lunt H-alpha telescope which allows safe observation of the Sun's dynamic atmosphere. It reveals solar features like erupting prominences, flares, and surface filaments. A very long focal length instrument for safely reflecting an image of the Sun into the meeting room. A variety of our telescopes in use on the concrete observation pads. - [Home](https://astronomy.org.gg/) - Gallery - [The Moon](https://astronomy.org.gg/gallery/the-moon) - [The Planets](https://astronomy.org.gg/gallery/the-planets) - [Comets & Meteors](https://astronomy.org.gg/gallery/comets-and-meteors) - [Conjunctions](https://astronomy.org.gg/gallery/conjunctions) - [The Sun](https://astronomy.org.gg/gallery/the-sun) - [Deep Space](https://astronomy.org.gg/gallery/deep-space) - [All-Sky Camera](https://astronomy.org.gg/allskycamera) - [Find Us](https://astronomy.org.gg/location) - Contact Us - [Contact Form](https://astronomy.org.gg/contact-us/contact-form) - [Group Visits](https://astronomy.org.gg/contact-us/group-visits) - More - [Newsletters](https://astronomy.org.gg/more/newsletters) - [Articles](https://astronomy.org.gg/more/articles) - [ISS](https://astronomy.org.gg/more/iss) --- ## Navigation - Next: [All-Sky Camera](https://astronomy.org.gg/allskycamera.md)