Author: Justin
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https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2026/05/Total_solar_eclipse_12_August_2026_Map_of_totality_in_Spain Some members of HCO (Rowena and Dave Rose) will be viewing the total eclipse in Spain. Rowena and Christopher (her late husband and HCO founder) had long planned a trip there to see this rare event. Previously several members went to Alsace in 1999 for the total eclipse that year. The view in the…
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A Weekend of Archaeology and Living History at Hanwell Castle SEPTEMBER 19th / 20th 2026 11.00 am – 6.00 pm (Sat.) 10.30 am – 4.30 pm (Sun.) Admission £5 (Under 12s Free) Free Parking
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On Saturday evening HCO welcomed our first small group of residents from Hanwell village, our next step to bringing the 30″ reflecting telescope into greater public use. The weather was kind with a clear sky overhead and the group were able to enjoy fine views of the Moon, Jupiter and the Orion Nebula, over a…
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This photograph shows the HCO 30 inch telescope bathed in a gentle red glow. This comes from a series of red LED lights placed around the telescope because the naked eye is not sensitive to red light, unlike white light which damages the essential dark adaption for star gazing. It also addresses the safety of…
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Hanwell Community Observatory (HCO) wants to say a huge thank you to all those who visited for the re-launch of our annual Stars and Snowdrops event. It was great to welcome back those who have waited patiently for the reopening and to meet those who had never been before. We hope that you enjoyed all…
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Stars & SnowdropsHanwell Castle near Banbury, Oxon OX17 1HN 14th-15th February 2026Saturday: midday–5pmSunday: 10.30am– 5pm Come and enjoy a woodland walk in our ancient snowdrop colony,meet the archaeologists, and visit Hanwell Community Observatory. Teas by a huge log fire. Adults £5 • Under 18s £2.50Under 5s FREE • Teas £4SORRY – NO DOGS STOUT FOOTWEAR…
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We are in the process of rebuilding the website after a server failure caused the loss of the previous site. This may take a little time. In the meantime here is a link to information on our upcoming event Stars and Snowdrops 2026 and directions to HCO Visiting the Observatory.