An astronomy club with a dome
Hollow Hill Planetarium and Astronomy Club (sample) is run by its members: 180 of them, a small staff, a 60-seat dome and a field under a dark sky.
From a garden telescope to a dome
The club began with six people and one borrowed telescope in a back garden (sample). Members raised the money for the dome on the hill and, later, for the field at Cutler Ridge where the sky is properly dark.
It is still a club first: members present the dome shows, run the telescopes on club nights and help each other learn the sky. Nobody is expected to know anything on their first night.
What happens through the year
The year follows the Moon and the seasons. These are the regular dates.
Dome shows
Live shows for the public, every weekend
Fri-Sun
Club talk
A member or a guest speaker in the dome
First Thursday
Dark-sky nights
Two a month at the field, weather permitting
Near new moon
Moon and planet nights
Free telescopes on the roof terrace
Monthly
Beginners’ evening
Finding your way round the sky, with a planisphere
Each quarter
The people behind the nights
A small paid staff keeps the dome open; volunteers do almost everything else.
Ruth Okafor
Planetarium manager (sample)
Daniel Price
Dome presenter (sample)
Mei Tanaka
Club chair, dark-sky nights (sample)
Owen Hale
Telescope loans (sample)
Priya Shah
Schools and groups (sample)
Leo Marsh
Front desk and tickets (sample)
Come and look up
Book a dome show, ask about a club night or join the club: one form does all three, and we reply within two days.