Observatory
The Piazzi Smyth Observatory at Bedford School opened in October 2000 and is an excellent facility for the School, the wider community and for BAS to have access to. It provides an important and valuable resource for the teaching of, and the wider public awareness and understanding of Astronomy.
Sited at the Northern end of the Bedford School estate, the Observatory, Resource Centre and Planetarium were opened by The Duke of Edinburgh on the 22nd of May 2002. Operated by the School in conjunction with members of the Bedford Astronomical Society, the facilities are available for use by other interested groups and schools.
The project has been funded by major grants from The Bedford School Trust, The Harpur Trust and The Wolfson Foundation, along with other generous donations from local businesses and Old Boys. It is truly a very high quality and exciting facility for all to enjoy.
For more information about Bedford School and its Observatory, click here
The main 5m dome currently houses a professional standard Meade LX 200 16" computer controlled telescope. This gives stunning views of the Moon, Planets and Deep Sky Objects. A number of portable telescopes ranging from 6" to 13" diameter are also used from the outside observation deck, so there is always plenty to see.
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Resource Room
The Resource Room includes a 4m Planetarium Dome together with slide and PowerPoint projection facilities and a computer link to the Observatory. The Star Projector for the Planetarium was installed in Spring 2002 and regular shows are given to members of the public and interested groups on a booking basis. The popularity of these visits is increasing all the time, so you are advised to book early to ensure you get a visit when required.
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Visiting the Observatory
The Observatory is available for schools, groups and other societies to book for a tour of the night sky. Our guide to visiting is below and is designed to make your visit both fun and as safe as possible.
- Entry to the Observatory is from Pemberley Avenue next to Phillpotts Boarding House.
- Park vehicles on the road near the Observatory gates and follow the gravel path on foot to the dome
- Please do not walk over the fields from the School, they can be very muddy in Winter and covered with grass clippings in Summer
- If you are not familiar with the area there is both a route map and a plan of the buildings on the School web site (see links below)
- We hope the weather will be clear on the evening of your visit, we can still function with clear gaps between the clouds.
- If the sky is completely covered we will give a planetarium and slide show in our adjacent resource room
- Observatories are by necessity very cold in winter as heating introduces thermal currents which reduce visible detail
- Part of your visit will also take place outside using portable telescopes
- It is important to make certain that all members of your group understand that they must dress well with many layers, hats, gloves etc. Most visits last for 1½ hours and if not prepared visitors can get very cold on a frosty night!
- Please do not bring bags etc into the dome as they can cause a trip hazard in the dark
- Food and drink are also banned as sticky fingers and telescope eyepieces do not mix!
- We prefer 16 as a maximum number, this prevents too much time waiting for instruments.
- Usually two or three demonstrators will be present and initially the party will be split into smaller groups who will use each of the instruments in turn. Our demonstrators are enthusiastic members of the local Astronomical Society who are very generous in giving of their free time to share their interest with new observers
- Visiting teachers are asked to ensure that they retain responsibility for the behavior of their group
Judging by the letters received since the project opened all the groups that have visited so far have enjoyed the sessions immensely.
We hope you have a similar experience, please make contact if you have any queries.
Route maps, a town plan and a site map can be found by clicking here
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