Universal appeal

Photo: Paul Sterritt

Sarah and Colin: always looking up.

Oldham and Rochdale Astronomy’s online community has been running for only 12 months - but already has ambitions to put local astronomers into the star-gazing stratosphere.

Launched by Royton astronomy enthusiasts Colin Campbell and Sarah Hall, they had such an overwhelming response to their first public event at Gallery Oldham last week, they’re looking to expand faster than the universe...

Colin says they would love to get Oldham scientist Brian Cox and Jodrell Bank associate director Tim O’Brien, from Rochdale as patrons of their online group.

Colin’s passion for the skies developed when as a child he watched sci-fi shows and films with his grandfather. His partner Sarah shares his obsession - to the point they have named their cats Orion and Bellatrix (the latter a star in the Orion cluster).

Colin says he would love to launch the borough’s own Stargazing Live, to coincide with the return of the BBC show next year, presented by Cox and comedian Dara O Briain.

“We’d love to stage our own three-day event and involve local schools and colleges and we’re asking Oldham Council to look into the possibility of doing this,” said Colin. “We want to inspire stargazing and promote and support amateur astronomy. We’re even looking to stage star-gazing parties at venues such as Dovestone. A good couple of hundred people turned up to our educational event at Gallery Oldham.”

To join their online group visit www.oldhamandrochdaleastro.co.uk.