Hoober Observatory

The J. A. Jones Hoober Observatory is a privately owned observatory in South Yorkshire, England, tucked near the villages of Hoober and Wentworth about four miles north-northwest of Rotherham.

About Hoober Observatory

The observatory stands roughly 300 metres east of the Hoober Stand monument and is owned and operated by the Mexborough & Swinton Astronomical Society, a not-for-profit organisation. Its equipment has recently been upgraded to include a Paramount ME mount alongside a 14-inch Celestron telescope and a 5-inch Takahashi TOA refractor, and the society also maintains additional telescopes, including a solar scope available for members to borrow.

Location & getting there

Hoober Observatory sits in the South Yorkshire countryside near Wentworth, within easy reach of Rotherham, in a rural setting well suited to amateur astronomy.

Visiting Hoober Observatory

The observatory opens to visitors during the winter months and on summer Sunday afternoons for solar observing sessions; check the Mexborough & Swinton Astronomical Society's website for the current schedule before visiting.

See your named star from here

With telescopes on site and members happy to point them at the night sky, Hoober Observatory is a natural place to look for a star named through Star Register. Search the star catalogue for your star's coordinates and ask the society when you visit.