Reaching for the Stars

Earth to Universe - Come in please! Civic event with a difference marked an evening in the beautiful surroundings of The Knowle, Sidmouth with dinner hosted by Cllr. Graham Liverton, Chairman of East Devon District Council, Sidmouth the Regency town on the Jurassic Coast and according to the Poet Laureate, John Betjeman "a town caught still in a timeless charm". Timless yes, but also the home of an Observatory founded by Sir Norman Lockyer in 1912 as a centre for astrophysical and geophysical research until the 1980's. Today the observatory is managed by unpaid volunteers to support science education and houses the Kensington 10-inch refracting telescope (1884) marking the start of astrophysics in Britain. With lecture theatre and Planetarium the observatory provides facilities for experimental projects, educational courses, school visits and courses of general interest on the night sky. A visit is highly recommended. For more information contact http://www.normanlockyer.org/