Under cover of a large marquee, construction work is now well under way on the new observatory facility located in the grounds of Danby Lodge. It is hoped all the building works will be completed by the end of autumn, although it is unclear as to whether all observing equipment will be installed and fully operational by then.

Within a large marquee a new observatory is taking shape on grounds at Danby Lodge. 
Image - M Dawson. (Click for full image)

Long in the planning after initial championing by John McCue, WDAS and others, and with full backing from the North Yorkshire Moors National Parks Authority, the vision that was once sketched out on a sheet of paper is now set to become a reality.

This facility will significantly enhance the North Yorkshire Moors National Park's capacity to attract visitors seeking to observe the night sky from an officially recognised dark sky reserve, where Danby Lodge is located, and to provide access to a state-of-the-art telescope.

The observatory takes shape - presentation room and run-off shed room. 
Image - M Dawson. (Click for full image)

The observatory will include a spacious presentation room connected via a wide storage passage to the main observatory area, which will feature a run-off roof design. During a recent site inspection, John and Mark reviewed the ongoing construction beneath the large marquee and were extremely impressed by the quality of the design and workmanship provided by the specialist contractors, Outsideology.

The observatory 'run-off roof' room, with John McCue in front.
 Image - M Dawson. (Click for full image)

Once completed, local astronomical societies, amateur astronomers and others, will have more opportunities to host public events at the Lodge site than is currently possible.  A further update on progress will be provided next month.

John admires the construction work. Image - M Dawson. (Click for full image)