The Observatory
If the weather permits there are observing sessions open to the public on a Friday evening.
Details of opening times and the site’s location can be found on the Observatory page.
The observatory also opens on the first Sunday morning of the month from 10am until 1pm in support of Abbey Leys Farmers’ Market – again, weather permitting.
Recent Images – Solar Eclipse August 12th 2026
We had an excellent time observing the eclipse at Abbey Leys farm this evening. Thanks to all who came along to share the experience… and thanks to Janet & Tim for letting us use their field.
Maximum eclipse photo credit Matt Grimsley. More images here.
Meetings
HLCO holds meetings on the second Thursday of each month in St John’s church room (location details here). Talks in astronomy and space research are given by invited experts or members of the HLCO team themselves. A small charge is made for these events. See below for details of future meetings.
We are always on the lookout for speakers. If you have an astronomy-related topic you’d like to share with a group of like-minded individuals, please get in touch by emailing hlco.steering@gmail.com
Upcoming HLCO Meetings
- September 10th 2026
The origin of life
‘It is mere rubbish thinking, at present, of the origin of life …’ (Charles Darwin 1863)This quote comes from a letter written in 1863 by Charles Darwin to his friend Joseph Dalton Hooker, a British geographer and explorer. In the context of the letter, Darwin was expressing his scepticism towards the speculative theories on the origin of life which were prevalent at the time. Darwin expressed his view that there was no scientific evidence to explain the origins of life. In the 163 years since Darwin wrote his letter, has anything changed? Do Darwin’s words still hold true in 2026?
Emeritus Professor Philip James will review Darwin’s 1863 statement in the light of current scientific knowledge, a time when our understanding is being shaped by advances in experimentation, observation and theory.
In this talk Professor James will explore changing definitions of ‘life’ and the implications this has for understanding the origins of life and the search for life on other planets; discuss the genesis of rocky planets and the process that resulted in the Earth becoming habitable; examine how knowledge gained from the analysis of meteorites, samples from Bennu, and interstellar space is shaping our understanding of the precursors to life; and set out the current ideas on the origin of life on earth.
- October 8th 2026
Sunsets on other planets
Dr Jamie Dumayne has been involved in events all over the north west, from planetarium shows to talks at astronomy societies to organising his own science festival. He will talk to us about sunsets, but not like you’ve seen them before.
Jamie says “A blue sky seems natural to us, but anyone living on another planet would find it quite unusual. From the yellow haze of Venus to the pitch-black of Mercury, the skies across the solar system are stranger than anything on Earth. Discover the science behind these, before exploring beyond the solar system where things get even weirder.“
Sunset on Earth (Kevin Griffiths), sunset on Mars (NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Texas A&M University)