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About our cause

Since our formation in 1978 we have worked to build and develop our facilities, a major milestone was achieved in 1993 with the opening of our own Observatory. Since then the Society has delivered a popular, heavily subscribed Community Access Programme offering access to astronomy to a wide range of school and community groups as well as the general public. In 12 years of operation of our observatory we have attracted approximately 10,000 visitors; we have witnessed and been part of a renaissance in amateur astronomy fuelled by increased media attention, inclusion of astronomy in the national curriculum and readily available technology. The mechanical deterioration and age of the main telescope has prompted a thorough review of our Society’s development and the services we offer. The only constraint placed on that review was that any future developments should build upon the considerable investment of time and effort which we have made in the Observatory. The conclusion we have reached is that the time has come to seek a New Horizon: to enhance and extend our Community Access Programme, to improve still further the quality of the services we offer and to provide astronomical facilities unequalled in South Yorkshire.